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Chapter Text

The sky was still light when the Presider returned. He had been inducted into the House of Black and White at a fairly young age.

On this night, he remembers who he used to be.

He used to be Roger Reyne, who happened to be away when his family was put to death. Once he heard the news, he didn't know what to think. What would anyone think when they found out they were the last living member of their family? Furthermore, he knew that Tywin was sure to return to finish the job if he found out that a Reyne still drew breath.

So he chose to leave the life he had before, and leave Westeros behind as well. The safest option was Essos.

And so he journeyed there, and he arrived to the Port of Braavos. When he was younger, he was fascinated by the city, and he wished to come here at some point in the future.

That wish had turned sour, all thanks to Tywin Lannister. He had one bag of silver left, and he had nowhere to go.

Then the old Presider, his mentor, had found him. He didn't know why the old man took him in, but he did. Maybe it was simply because he was a decent person.

Roger Reyne died that day, and he became the Presider's personal acolyte instead. The Presider taught him many things, including the price of inductment.

A price he paid, though not in full. There was still a part of Roger Reyne...a part that was not fully dead, but merely sleeping, and biding time. When the time was right, that part would awake, and claim vengeance for his family that was taken from him.

In time, the old Presider died, but not before passing the torch to Roger Reyne, who became the new Presider. Now it was up to him how he would train the new generation.

And train them he shall. He would accept only those who had a grudge against the Lannisters, and only those who did would be given the coin. Such were his instructions.

And with time, they came, and the number of acolytes - his little family, he thought in private - grew.

On the surface, he still maintained the pretense that they had to shed their identities, but he didn't really enforce this requirement.

After all, it wouldn't do for his acolytes to destroy their humanity, because they would destroy their grudges in the process. He intended to gather those who were deeply hurt by the Lannisters, and set them on the warpath. Then they would claim their vengeance, together.

Chapter Text

The Presider - Roger Reyne, always Roger Reyne - was doing his customary walk around the city. He wasn't sure why he had this habit, but he did. Maybe it was his old desire to learn more about Braavos. Or maybe it wasn't. Either way, he had a new desire now, to see the Lannisters fall. To see Tywin Lannister in particular fall and never rise. After watching his entire family die, of course.

His feet took him to the harbor, and he breathed the crisp, clean air.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a man sitting on the pier. The man turned his head slightly, and Roger Reyne saw purple eyes. Purple eyes and silver hair. He approached, slowly, not wanting to startle the man.

The man looked up at him with sad eyes, and there was a melancholic smile on his face.

"Who are you?" the Presider asks

"Just a man." the man says "But I used to have a name. I was Rhaegar Targaryen once. Until my reasons to live were snatched away from me."

"What happened?"

"Tywin Lannister." Rhaegar says bitterly "He ordered his men to kill my children, and they raped and killed my wife in the process. My second wife died too. And I died with them."

The Presider felt a familiar pang. He offered his hand to Rhaegar, hoping that he would accept.

"You shall not call me Rhaegar anymore." Rhaegar says "From now on, a man's name shall be Jaqen H'ghar."

"So shall it be." the Presider agrees "We will get revenge. The both of us. And more will come to aid us."

Jaqen adapted to their lifestyle quite well, and the Presider wondered whether it was because Rhaegar Targaryen lost everything, just as Roger Reyne had so long ago. A large harp, which was once Rhaegar Targaryen's pride and joy, was now a property of the House of Black and White. The Presider, however, encouraged Jaqen to play it every once in a while, so that he won't forget who he was completely. The last of Rhaegar's Kingsguard, Arthur Dayne, was also inducted on that day.

Then one day, he came up with a new idea, with Rhaegar's input. The new recruits would need to go out into a city and bring back three new pieces of information. It would be a way for them to stay in touch with what was happening in Westeros, without being too obvious.

Jaqen was the first to start following this new rule, and he did it well. And so their new lives continued.

That all changed one day, as Jaqen came back with new information, as usual. But he wasn't alone. There was a young woman with him, clad only in thin dress. She was clutching a pouch in her hand.

"Presider." Jaqen greets "The man wants to introduce you to Tysha. I think you would be most interested in her story."

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The Presider noticed that Tysha was painfully thin, so he gave her a meal to eat. Only after she was done did he ask her to tell her story.

"Well, there is not much to tell." Tysha began, and she was looking at him

Her eyes seemed impossibly wide, like she was afraid of him. He would have to rectify that before the day was over.

"I was on the run from two men that wanted to rape me." Tysha says "I was saved by two men in Lannister colors, and they escorted me to the nearby inn. The elder one was especially kind, and we grew closer. We fell in love and got married. I didn't find out until later that he was the son of the Lannister Lord. I was dragged to the stables where ten Lannister men raped me, and each gave me a silver coin. I thought that my husband would help me, but he just watched. He was the last to rape me, and he gave me a gold coin. It was then that I knew that his soul is just as ugly as his body. It was then that I decided I want to make my husband and his wretched family pay for what they've done to me."

Tysha finished her story, and began sobbing.

"The coins they gave me are in the pouch I carry. Take them. Take them and kill the Lannisters for me!" Tysha begged

"I have a better idea." the Presider says quietly "Why don't you become one of us? All of us here want to make them pay, so I think you'll fit in just fine."

"Truly?" Tysha asks, looking hopeful

"Truly." the Presider assures her "But first, I think you need a bath and some more food. Once you are finished, we'll have a talk."

He led her to the bath and helped her get in. Afterwards, he left, and she bathed in silence.

"I suppose I will introduce ourselves. I am Roger Reyne, and this is Rhaegar Targaryen, though we prefer other names."

"As in prince Rhaegar?" Tysha inquires

"Indeed." Rhaegar replies "Though I prefer to be called Jaqen."

"The Lannisters took our families, and we want revenge for that." the Presider explains "Even though your motivation is different, you too were hurt by them. That's the common thread binding us together."

"Then I too would be known by a different name." Tysha says

"How about Waif?" Rhaegar explains "I think that is an apt description, given how thin you were when you came here."

"Waif." Tysha repeats "I like it."

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"You're out of line!" a shrill voice yells "You will marry. That's the only way our legacy can be secured!"

"Fuck you, and fuck your legacy!" another, younger voice, yells in turn "I am done! I am leaving!"

The door slammed open, and Gerion Lannister storms out, with his brother hot on his heels.

"You can't leave." Tywin insists

"Watch me." Gerion says "After all, it is as you always said 'the Lannisters can do whatever we want'.

"The last Lannister who did as he wanted almost brought our house's reputation down low." Tywin says quietly "It took me years to build it back up. And you seem to have inherited our father's worst characteristics."

"Worst?" Gerion snorts "Try the best. Regardless, I won't be held down by your chains, brother. I am leaving to search for Brightroar."

"I suppose I might as well let you go." Tywin says with a sigh "However, you will marry as soon as you come back."

"Yeah, all right." Gerion says flippantly, making a mental note to never return

He had everything prepared. That very day, he boarded the ship and sailed out of Casterly Rock, never to return.

He found Brightroar, all right. The only question was where to go next.

He finally decided to travel to Braavos, as he had heard that the city was quite a lovely place to be at this time of the year.

It also had everything he had ever wanted.

Once he had arrived there, he found that and more.

He stayed in a rather reputable inn, and he enjoyed their drinks, food, and...other things.

Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He looked up to see a familiar face above him.

His mouth opened quietly.

"You...you are Tysha..." he finally manages to say

She nods.

"You should come back, with me." he tells her "Tyrion would be thrilled to have you back."

"I am not going back. I belong to the Many-Faced God now." Tysha says softly "Besides, I will not go back into the arms of the man who raped me on his father's orders!"

"That's Tywin's doing." he says bitterly "Tywin ruins lives."

"He ruined yours?" Tysha asks

"Aye." he says "To tell the truth, I am not going back either. I will not be my brother's puppet anymore."

"Join us." Tysha says impulsively

"That's not what you wanted to do originally." he says, smiling

Tysha pulls a knife out of her bodice.

"I wanted to give you the gift of the Many-Faced God. To avenge myself against the Lannisters." she admits "But after hearing your words, I cannot do that to you."

"Suppose I do join you." he says "What do I need to do."

"Give up something that means a great deal to you." Tysha says

"Did you?" he asks curiously

"Aye, I did. I gave up my love for Tyrion." Tysha admits "Now there is only hate left...death is coming for him and his family."

"Well, then." he says, and stands up "Let's go, then."

Tysha stands up with him, and they walk out of the inn.

Gerion Lannister joins that evening, and gives up Brightroar, as well as his family name, as the price.