Crouching Viper Hidden Dragon
A Rose with Thorns
Highgarden…..
Jon was led into the main chamber by Ser Loras. Accompanying him was Tyr Anasazi, one of the Dothraki that made his way North and eventually followed Jon to Dorne. Jon liked Tyr but, he would have rather had Rhade by his side. Not to say Tyr wasn't good company, which he was, but, Tyr tended to be a little rash more often than not. More than once, Tyr's big mouth had gotten him and Jon into situations that turned out to be more trouble than they were but, he really couldn't stay mad at his friend. Tyr's mouth may have gotten him into trouble a time or two but, with him as a friend, life was never boring.
Jon was stopped by Ser Loras when they reached an ornate door. He told him to wait while he went inside to announce them.
Jon and Tyr looked around the lavishly decorated castle. They had never seen so many riches on display before. Tapestries, paintings, and gold plated candelabras accosted their view.
Tyr whistled. Jon looked at the painting he was looking at and had to agree. It was a painting of a beautiful woman with a crown of roses atop her head.
"I wouldn't mind mounting her." Tyr said.
Jon looked at the painting and had to agree. She was beauty. Whoever the artist was,captured the woman magnificently.
"Were I as young as I was back then, I would have certainly have liked to see you try my strapping young friend." An old woman said from behind them.
Both Jon and Tyr were shocked. They were so enraptured by the captivating painting that they didn't notice anyone behind them. Jon looked at the old woman in all her finery and deduced it was his host, the real power of Highgarden, Olenna Tyrell herself.
"My lady, excuse, me and my friend for our behavior. Had we known it was a picture of you, we would not have been so…vulgar." Jon said.
Lady Olenna only scoffed.
"Nonsense, I am flattered that men as strong as you would think so highly of what I used to be. We're I not so old and infertile, I would have thought about mounting you as well." Lady Olenna stated while looking at Tyr.
Tyr lets out a laugh.
"I like her." Tyr said causing lady Olenna to smile.
"My lady, I am Jon Sand and this is my guard, Tyr." Jon said before bowing to her.
"My lord sand and Tyr, welcome to Highgarden." Lady Olenna says with a small bow.
"Come let us go into main hall and meet with my oafish son and his family." Lady Olenna said.
Lady Olenna made her way to the doorway and stopped before opening it.
"Fair warning gentlemen, my oafish son is very protective of my granddaughter. He has designs for her to marry royalty. So, I would keep the gawking to a minimum once you meet her." Lady Olenna said.
Jon and Tyr nod in agreement. They came here to make friends not enemies.
Lady Olenna lets them in. The hall was huge. All around them fine banners of the golden rose hung from the rafters. Guards and ladies lined the walls waiting for their arrival. All eyes were on them as they made their way to Lord Mace Tyrell. Jon took in the fat flower and his family as he made his way to the bottom of the dais. Lady Olenna was right, her granddaughter was beautiful. Were it another time and place he could quickly see himself falling in love with her.
Jon and Tyr bow.
"My lord Tyrell, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jon Sand and this is my guard Tyr. We come from Dorne seeking to make trade." Jon said.
Lord Mace was as fat as Jon had heard. He sat on his high chair flanked by his wife and children. Mace looked at Jon with a sneer. He knew who Jon's father was and it rankled him. His son Willas's injury was still fresh on his mind and he made no intention of hiding it.
"If Dorne seeks new trade, why does Prince Oberyn send his bastard to do his dealings?" Mace responded.
Tyr tensed up and was a breath away from putting a hand on his Arakh when Jon made eye contact with him. His eyes told Tyr in no uncertain way to stand down.
"My princely father is busy my lord. He and Prince Doran are organizing our cargo ships and expanding Dorne's marketplaces in order to accommodate our trade with the Dothraki Nation." Jon responded.
"Really, that sounds plausible, but, why send you? You are a lowly bastard. Why not send one of his Lords or Ladies to this meeting. Anything less than a lord brokering trade agreements is ridiculous." Lord Mace said.
Jon had been prepared for this lord's prejudice by his father. His father had met Lord Mace more than a fair number of times. In his estimation, Mace Tyrell was a simpleton. A noble who believed everything he was ever taught about nobility. To him, bastards and lowborns were as capable as the handicapped and the mentally ill.
Jon took a scroll and handed it to a page. He hated playing up his position but, to men like Mace, nobility meant everything.
"My lord as of two moons ago my uncle, Prince Doran Martell, has handed me the lordship of Wyl. I am the new lord of Wyl." Jon said.
Mace takes the scroll and read it. It confirmed Jon's new lordship of Wyl.
"Very well Lord Jon, what does Dorne have in mind?" Mace said with a decidedly lighter tone.
"Simple my lord. Trade. Trade on scale never seen before between our two lands." Jon said.
"Bold words Lord Jon. How do you propose to go about it?" Lady Olenna said.
"As I told my father. Easily." Jon said.
Lady Olenna smirked. It was not often that she was presented with such confidence.
"Go on." Lady Olenna said before Mace could get a word in edgewise.
"As you know Dorne is experiencing a boom with trade from the East. With that trade, Dorne will become a doorway to eastern spices, silks, and medicine." Jon said.
The court of Highgarden had heard of the new goods coming into Dorne but, as yet, none of the goods had filtered into the Reach's hands.
"I plan to build Wyl into a large trading town. Once our ports are built up, we will have ships coming from Dorne weekly if not daily."
Lady Olenna and Lord Willas nod. They had an inkling of what Jon was planning but, wanted to hear Jon's reasoning themselves.
"Once goods reach Wyl, they will go on river barges that will take less than a week to get to Knightsvale. From Knightsvale they will take wagons with Dothraki horses on the leash, and take the roads to Nightsong. "Jon said.
"I see." Lady Olenna said.
Jon smiled at the old woman. It seemed her brilliance had skipped a generation if she was already following where he was going with this.
"What do you see mother?" Mace asked.
"Simple father. " Willas stated.
"He plans to ship his goods from Nightsong to Dorne. " Margery stated.
Skipped a generation, indeed. Jon thought.
"You are correct my lady. I do plan to ship my goods to Dorne but, it will take a lot of effort. On both our parts." Jon said.
Mace frowns. He didn't like the sound of that.
"How so lord Jon?" Mace said.
"Well, as you know, Nightsong is sort of isolated. The roads going into it are few and far between."
Mace nods.
"The travel from Wyl to Nightsong will take a little more than Half a moons turn but, from Nightsong to Horn Hill will take almost a moon and a half. I propose building a major road from Nightsong to Ashford. Once in Ashford, goods should take no longer than half a moon to travel the river that leads directly to Highgarden." Jon said.
Mace scrunches his forehead.
"A major road like that will take a considerable amount of dragons to build. I doubt the spice and silk traded would be worth the expense of a road like that." Mace said.
Jon frowned. It seemed that this lord really was a simpleton. He wasn't talking about pounds of spices while he was talking about tons.
Spices were cheap in the East and even after they had reached Dorne, they were still affordable for the common man. Eastern spices were one of the few luxuries that almost everyone could afford. Demand was high and it was still climbing. For this Lord to simply write off this precious commodity was inconceivable to Jon.
Jon thought over his response when an idea came to his head. He was playing this all wrong.
You don't win the fat flower with arguments you win him over with food. Jon thought to himself.
"Perhaps my lord would want a sample of our goods?" Jon said.
"Hmmm, what do you have in mind?" Mace said.
"I have brought many wagons with me on my journey. Many of them are laden with spices which we hope to trade. Perhaps my cook can prepare a meal with those spices for my lord's family." Jon said.
Lady Olenna almost laughed at Jon's audacity. She had already agreed to the deal in her mind but, she wanted to see how Jon would win over her son. When he suggested an exotic lunch she almost fell over.
Mace smiled. "Very well, let us return in five hours. Is that enough time for your cooks to serve a feast?"
"More than enough my lord. Just give us free reign of your kitchens and we can begin." Jon said.
Five hours later….
Lord Mace Tyrell was stuffing himself full. It seemed that Jon's friend Vikas was a hit. He had met Vikas while he was tending his family's small restaurant in Vaes Dothrak. He was a master of eastern spices the likes of which he had never seen before. When he made his way to Westeros he gave Vikas an offer he couldn't resist. He'd put up a proper restaurant in Dorne for a share of the profits. Vikas jumped at the chance to expand. He'd gone from a two table stand to a full blown restaurant in Dorne. When Jon decided to go to Highgarden, he called on his friend once more. He was going to use Vikas and his skill to make the wealthy citizens of the reach addicted to his spices. He was going to have him cook for the lesser lords before getting the Tyrells interest but, that plan flew out the window when he met Mace Tyrell.
"How is your meal my lord?" Jon asked.
Mace took a piece of the naan bread and quickly picked up a piece of butter chicken with it. He had never had such an exquisite meal before. In front of him was a course of butter chicken, chicken masala, and a dish called Rogan Josh. He had tasted flavors that his taste buds had never known. Some of the meals were a little spice but, Mace liked spice. Spicy foods often brought a contrast to the foods common in the Reach.
"It's exquisite. A meal like this must have cost you a fortune in your spices." Mace said.
Jon just laughed.
"My lord, the chicken and the lamb are the most expensive part of this meal. The spices themselves don't cost that much to produce. In fact, shipping them from Essos really hasn't added that much expense to the price. The meal you are eating can be had by common folk willing to forego a day's pay." Jon said.
Mace was shocked. The quantities of spice in Dorne had to be tremendous is even the common folk could afford it.
"How much spice are you trading with the Dothraki?" Willas asked.
"Tons. We import it by the boatload. "Jon said.
Jon then looked at Lord Mace.
"Imagine my lord, this meal assembled before you is just a taste of what is to come. With your meats and our spices, the profits would be endless." Jon said.
Mace nodded his head in agreement.
"Agreed. We'll have your deal lord Jon. After this meal, you, mother, and Willas will discuss the particulars. It's high time for Willas to be taking more of his lordly duties and this is the perfect time to start. I will abide with whatever he and mother come up with."
After the meal…
Jon, Willas, Lady Olenna, and Margerie sat on a veranda overlooking the sea. Jon had brought another item for dessert that their hosts were not familiar with. Jon took a knife and plated it for all his guests. He was glad that Lord Mace and the others had retired before their meeting or else he wouldn't have enough to serve the others.
"What is it? I've never seen it's like before." Margery said.
"It's called a fudge brownie. It is a form of chocolate cake." Jon said.
"Chocolate?" Willas asked.
"It is made from the beans of trees that grow exclusively in the southern parts of Essos. The Dothraki discovered it near the ruins of Old Valerya. It has quickly become the number one cash crop of Vaes Dothrak. When you taste it, you'll know exactly why."
All four dig into their dessert and were astounded. They had never before tasted such sweet luxury. It was a dessert meant for a king.
"Would this be one of the items up for trade?" Lady Olenna asked as she savored another mouthful.
"Yes. Unfortunately, until Khal Drogo sets up more plantations, it is going to be very expensive." Too expensive for common folk was left unsaid.
Lady Margery then asked a question all of them have been wondering.
"Lord Jon, how is it across the Narrow Sea." Margery asked.
Jon took a drink of his wine before answering.
"It is a wondrous place. It is a place where danger and wonder go hand in hand. Cuthroats, murderers, scholars, merchants, and noblemen mingle freely in the east. It's not like it is here in Westeros where lines of association are made at birth. In the East they have a saying, ' When the game is over, the king and the pawn go in the same box'."
Margery thought about what he had said and was intrigued.
"Weren't you scared of living over there? If what you're saying is true, the person who murders you could be sitting a stone's throw away. Castles and walls are made for a reason. Both are there to keep the nobility safe." Margery said.
Jon laughed.
"Why would I want to live in a world like that? My lady, safety is over rated. Castles and walls are just gilded cages who live life to its fullest." Jon said.
Margery scoffed.
"My lord with all due respect. I would rather live behind castle wall than live outside of them. I couldn't survive fearing death at every turn." Margery said.
Jon laughed again.
"My lady, those who live deeply have no fear of death."
Kings Landing…
Bronn was enjoying himself. Littlefingers whores were top notch. They tended to his every need and as a sellsword, his needs were many. Bronn had just finished with his whore when he noticed something at the corner of his eye. He looked onto the staircase as he saw the Hand Jon Arryn and the kings own brother Stannis Baratheon make their way out of the establishment.
Jon made his way back to the whore he had just finished with and asked her a question.
"I didn't think the king's brother fancied establishments like this?" Bronn asked.
"He doesn't but, his brother sure does." The whore Madelyn said.
"Hmm, why would he come to a place like this is?" Bronn asked nonchalantly.
"Prolly, to give money for the king's bastard. That girl Amy gave birth to her last spring." Madelyn said.
Bronn nods then tosses Madelyn a five silver stags.
Madelyn smiled.
"Fancy another go?" she said.
"No, I got work to do." Bronn said before quickly making his way out of the establishment.
Bronn searched for nearly thirty minutes before finally spotting them. They were at a local blacksmith Bronn had frequented while he was in Kings Landing. Normally, he wouldn't go to such an expensive and overpriced blacksmith but, Prince Doran paid him well. Bronn made his way towards the shop when the King's hand and his master of ships exited. They paid Bronn no mind as he made his way in to see Tohbo.
"What do you want?" Tohbo said tersely.
"What, I'm just a sell sword looking for a new dagger." Bronn said.
Tohbo's mood lightened a bit at the prospect of doing business.
"Well, come over here then. I have the best daggers in Kings Landing."
Bronn took a look at one of the daggers and put it in his hand. It was a fine blade.
"How much?" Bronn said.
"Two gold Dragons." Tohbo said.
"Two gold dragons! I like your steel but, two gold dragons is outrageous. I could get the same dagger at the two blacksmith shops I saw on the way over here. One dragon and a silver stag."
"One dragon and three stags." Tohbo countered.
Bronn thought about it and made a counter offer.
"One gold dragon, two silver stags, and I share this bottle of Dornish red with you."
Tohbo looked at the Dornish red and salivated.
"Deal." Tohbo said.
Bronn smiled as he took out the Dornish red from his satchel. He was about to ask what the Kings hand was here for when he heard Tohbo shout.
"Gendry! Get me some chars and some glasses." Tohbo said.
The moment that Gendry walked out it was obvious what the men were here for. Gendry was the kings bastard. He had been seen the Baratheon brothers many times and just by looking at Gendry you could tell where his parentage lied. He had the Kings hair and his eyes. Plus, to say that he was built like an ox was an understatement.
Why would the King's hand and his brother be looking for his bastards? Bronn thought to himself.
Hi Everyone. I hope you liked it. I'm having problems with my fanfic account, hopefully, they answer soon. It seems that my last three chapters have zero views. Hopefully, it gets fixed soon. But, in the meantime read and review people. It's the only way I know people are reading my stuff.