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Ever since Dorea Sand and the others had learned to skinchange into big cats and little birds, the Red Keep had held almost no secrets from them. Those ordinarily inconspicuous cats and birds had become their most reliable eyes and ears.
Aside from Urrax, whom they dared not approach because of his terrifying draconic instincts, they had even thoroughly explored all the secret passages within the Red Keep.
Using the information they provided, Harold had led the Dragon Guards in a thorough inspection of the Red Keep's secret passages and drawn up precise maps. They had also repaired every passage that had collapsed or become blocked through years of neglect.
Some tunnels were too narrow for adults to enter, however, and the work had only been completed successfully thanks to help from the children of the Almshouse.
To make full use of these passages, Oggian, the newly appointed Master of Whisperers and director of the Almshouse, had taken in and purchased a large number of dwarfs under the pretext of recruiting court fools.
In this world, dwarfs held essentially the same status as pets and livestock, and were worth even less.
Even Tyrion the Imp, who would later be born into the ducal family of the Westerlands, was no exception. Small in stature but brimming with cunning, he was a noble, yet was despised by all of House Nilanster and the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms.
In fact, the castles of the Seven Kingdoms had always housed many dwarfs like the Imp. They appeared to be nobles, but their actual standing could hardly have been further removed.
The paintings in the great castles made this plain. Records of keeping dwarfs dated back to the establishment of the Andals' castles.
At first, it had merely been a peculiar interest among