[King's Landing, Small Council Chamber]

Tywin Lannister stood by the head of the table. Grand Maestar Pycelle, Varys, and Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish entered silently. Tyrion Lannister entered next. Tywin sat, then Pycelle, Varys, and Littlefinger joined him. Tyrion remained still, while Queen Cersei Lannister entered and surveyed the room. She paused, then walked to the table. She picked up one of the two remaining empty chairs and placed it directly next to Tywin, then sat while the others smirked. Tyrion came forward, and dragged the final chair noisily (and comically) to the opposite head of the table before sitting.

"Intimate. Lovely table. Better chairs than the old small council chamber. Conveniently close to your own quarters. I like it." Tyrion quipped when asked how he was finding his new chambers.

"What news of Jaime?" Tywin asked, but no one answered. "Twenty thousand unwashed Northerns have known about his escape for weeks. Collectively, you control more spies and informants than the rest of the world combined. Do you mean to tell me that none of you has any notion of where he is?"

"We are trying, my lord." Varys said.

"Try harder. What do we have, then?" 

"Robb Stark and most of his bannermen are in Riverrun for the funeral of his grandfather Lord Hoster Tully. In Stark's absence, Roose Bolton holds Harrenhal, which would seem to make him Lord of Harrenhal, in practice if not in name." Varys informed them.

"Well, let him have it. The name suits our purposes far more than that useless pile of rubble. The Lord of Harrenhal will make a worthy suitor for the widow Arryn."

"For which I am extremely grateful to you, my lord. Lady Arryn and I have known each other since we were children. She has alwys been positively predisposed toward me."

"A successful courtship would make Lord Baelish acting Lord of the Vale." Pycelle interjected.

"Titles do seem to breed titles." Littlefinger agreed.

"You'll leave for the Eyrie as soon as possible and bring Lysa Arryn into the fold. Then the young wolf can add his own aunt to the list of people who have taken up arms against him." Tywin told him.

"Far be it from me to hinder true love, but Lord Baelish's absence would present certain problems. The royal wedding may end up being the most expensive event in living memory. Summer has ended, hard days lie ahead. Not a good time to leave the crown's finances unattended."

"Fully agreed. Which is why I'm naming you new Master of Coin." Tywin announced.

Cersei chuckled.

"Master of Coin?"

"It would appear to be a position that best suits your talents." His father told him.

"I'm quite good at spending money, but a lifetime of outrageous wealth hasn't taught me much about managing it."

"I have no doubt you will prove equal to this challenge." Cersei said.

"Hear, hear." Pycelle cheered.

[King's Landing - Littlefinger's Brothel]

Ros knelt at a hidden compartment in the floor. She handed Podrick Payne a series of ledgers as she noticed him admiring her assets.

"A surprising place to keep the royal ledgers." Tyrion noted.

"I'm surprised you're surprised. This is the safest place in the city."

"Not for bastards."

"That's all of them, my lord." Ros told her boss.

"Thank you, my dear."

"Pod. Pod. Take them outside. I'll be there in a moment." Tyrion told him.

"Yes, my lord."

Podrick wheeled the ledges away in a cart, Ros exiting as well.

"I hear you owe that boy a significant debt." Littlefinger remarked.

"Only my life. Not all that significant, I'm afraid."

"You should have him knighted."

"If only the Master of Coin had such power."

"If only. I owe you a significant debt. Our redheaded friend. You secured her release when the queen detained her."

"Oh, that. Of course. A simple misunderstanding."

"Apparently, Her Grace believed that you two had some sort of special relationship."

"We don't. I did fuck her once."

"I know."

"But we don't."

"I know. But how would the queen get that idea?"

"Why don't you ask her? Any advice for me on my new position?"

"Keep a low profile."

"If I had a gold dragon for every time I heard that joke, I'd be richer than you are."

"Well, you are richer than I am."

"Good point."

"They're only numbers. Numbers on paper. Once you understand that, it's easy to make them behave. Trivial even. You want a real challenge? Try whores."

"I've tried quite a few. Well, lots of work to do. Enjoy the Eyrie." Tyrion told him.

Tyrion walks into the hall where Ser Bronn Of The Blackwater was chatting with a prostitute, and Podrick stood by his wagon.

"Come on, I'm here later. Come on." Bronn hopped down and followed Tyrion, Podrick trailing behind with the wagon. "Tonight, then. Looks like dull reading."

"You think all reading is dull reading." Tyrion told him.

"It's an opinion I share with some of the finest men I know."

"The secret history of the Seven Kingdoms is written in these pages."

"Unless Lord Twatbeard made up a bunch of numbers to hide what he's really up to."

"Unless he made it all up, yes. Podrick, do keep up."

"Yes, my lord."

"Podrick."

"Yes, my lord?"

"After a long consultation with my colleague Ser Bronn, I finally found a suitable reward for the services you've provided over and above what might be considered reasonable. Tell me, Pod, have you ever been with a woman?"

They opened a door and entered a chamber. Genna, naked, laid on the bed.

"No, my lord."

"Wonderful. Genna specializes in first-timers." Tyrion told him.

"She's not bad with second-timers, either." Bronn quipped.

"Uh, my lord-"

Genna walked over to Podrick, smiling, and placed her hands on him.

"A fair enough repayment for putting your spear through my would-be killer's face, wouldn't you say?" Tyrion walked further into the chamber, and pushed aside a curtain, revealing a naked woman. "Now, as it happens, Marei is quite the spear handler herself. She's here to thank you for staying by my side as the battle raged all around me."

Marei walked over to Podrick, and began to help Genna undress him.

"He's handsome. You didn't tell me he was handsome." Marei said.

Tyrion reveals the acrobatic Kayla, who crawls to join the others. "Kayla is famous from here to Volantis in certain circles. One of four women in the world who can perform a proper Meereenese Knot."

"My lord, I don't even-"

"She's here to thank you for being a thoroughly respectful fellow who's nevr once failed to address me as 'my lord."

Kayla performed an impressive and seductive back bend for Podrick.

"Be back in time for my supper."

Tyrion left a small purse. Bronn wheeled out the cart as he and Tyrion exited.

"Pace yourself, lad," Bronn said, patting him on the shoulder as he and Tyrion took their leave.

[Red Keep - Tyrion's Chambers]

Upon their return, Tyrion poured over the ledgers. Bronn wandered through the room, inspecting various objects, not impressed by any.

"For years I've heard that Littlefinger is a magician. Whenever the crown needs money, he rubs his hands together and, poof, mountains of gold." Tyrion said.

"Let me guess. He's not a magician."

"No."

"He's stealing it?"

"Worse, he's borrowing it."

"What's wrong with that?"

"We can't afford to pay it back, that's what's wrong with it. The crown owes millions to my father.

"Seeing as it's his grandson's ass on the throne, I imagine he'll forgive that debt." 

"Forgive a debt, my father? For a man of the world, you're strangely naive.

"I've nevr borrowed money before. I'm not clear on the rules."

"Well, ahem, the basic principle is I lend you money, and after an agreed upon period of time, you return it with interest."

"And what if I don't?"

"Well, you have to."

"But what if I don't?"

"This is why I don't lend you money. Anyway, it's not my father I'm worried about. It's the Iron Bank of Braavos. We owe them tens of millions. If we fail to repay these loans, the bank will fund our enemies. One way or another, they alwys get their gold back."

Podrick entered, putting an end to that conversation.

"Ah, the return of the conquering hero. Does he have a little jaunt in his step?"

"The lad's practically skipping." Bronn joked.

"You were gone a long time. I trust you got your money's worth. Or should I say my money's worth?" Tyrion asked.

Podrick returned the purse to Tyrion.

"Oh, it was a gift, Podrick. This is more than I give you in a year."

"He's a squire. You don't pay him." Bronn quipped.

"Oh, then it's much more than I give you in a year."

"They wouldn't take it, my lord."

"Maybe they're trying to curry some favor with the new Master of Coin."

"Have you ever known a whore to turn down gold? They were happy enough to take it when I gave it to them."

"What did you tell them?" Bronn inquired.

"I didn't tell them anything."

"What did you do to them?" Tyrion asked.

"Lots of things."

"And they seemed to like these things?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Of course they seemed to like it. They're paid to seem to like it." Bronn told him.

"Only they weren't paid." Tyrion said.

"What are you saying? These ladies enjoyed him so much, they gave him the time for free?" Bronn asked.

"Is that what you're telling us?"

Podrick didn't deny it.

"Sit down, Podrick."

Tyrion grabbed some wine while Bronn cleared the table and had Podrick sit. "We're going to need details. Copious details." Tyrion poured wine for everyone.

No matter how much they spoke with him, it seemed what Podrick had done with the women was something he'd take to the grave with him.

(A/N: Apologies. This chapter wasn't showing up, so I forgot about it until I check where I cross posted this and discovered I had forgotten to publish this. I remember creating this chapter. Perhaps, without realizing, I accidentally deleted it.)