"You do know that I can always fake my death right? It might even have the side-effect of keeping them safer." I told the Sealord, almost in a deadpan. Of course, this was overThe Prince of Egypt so, the situation had... evolved... The Volantene Envoy was one Haegar Talnarys, from an Old Blood house...
Normally, he would have been simply offended by the whole play -what with the whole Anti-Slavery tone of the play- but recognize that it was an unfortunate coincidence, ar at worst a play by the Sealord.
It turns out however, that one of his hired helpers, hadlovedthe play. Most likely because he was a recently freed man, with family still in chains.
The basic story and one or two of the songs had thus made their way to Volantis, which had led to a series of events that had me scratching my head. The Old Blood was in a panic, as apparently there were slaves praying toElohim, many slaves, and there were translations ofDeliver Usbeing passed around as far as Ghis...
The Volantenes got even more scared when locusts came out of the Disputed Lands -of course, forgetting that this would happen rather frequently, hell this was not even the largest infestation of the damn things in the last couple of years!- The Old Blood was apparently trying to get the Red Temple's help in... curtailing this phenomenon, but without too much success.
The Red Temple on tge other hand simply couldn't hold onto the slaves when there was hope, and it did not come through a R'hllor-approved channel.
So, in a panic, some idiot had the brilliant idea of threatening Braavos with war -not officially, but they did threaten to attack Braavosi ships headed east- unless I was to be given to them, and somehow got two of the Triarchs to sign off on it.
The Lyseni were apparently siding with Volantis, while Myr and Tyrosh were very pointedly staying out of the whole ordeal and from what I'd heard, had passed laws to curtail abuses on Slaves. It was not freedom, but it wassomething, which seemed to calm things in those two cities, of course, they didn't want to be stuck between Braavos and Volantis when they came to blows.
"And you would be found out, I am sure that you would not be able to stop writing after all." The Sealord told me, Ferrego Antaryon was a very calculating man, with a cunning that was perhaps a match for the famed Spider. He just didn't have need to show it off.
"Fair enough," I said simply. Of course, I had known him for seven years already, and while I still kinda owed him -as he had saved my life quite a few times- I had also helped him in his rise to power. Sure, he was already from a rich and prestigious family, but even within the Antaryon family there had been other people trying to rise.
"Now, You know I've said that we would eventually have to come to blows with Volantis... That they demand that one of our citizens be given to them under the threat of war for the henious crime of writing a play that was quite loved for the Uncloaking, you know that I cannot accept such a demand."
I must interrupt the scene, kind audience, to explain some things about Braavos. For while it is grouped among the Free Cities, it truly is an entirely different world than any other Post-Valyrian city or nation.
For the Braavosi, letting a man do any kind of work without pay is absolutely anathema, which of course is to be expected from a nation whose founding fathers were escaped slaves, and managed to become the undisputed master of finance, commerce and the seas. In War, Braavos counts on two types of military forces. They often hire any of the sellsword companies of Western Essos.
But that is for the minor squabbles with the neighbors over this or that bit of undeveloped lands in Old Andalos -albeit in such conflicts, the Braavosi tend to arm and train the local Andal tribes, remnants of a once proud people and who to this day make life hell for any Qohorik, Norvoshi or Lorathi army in the land-
There is, on the other hand, a true Army of Braavos. Thirty-thousand Citizen-Soldiers with the best gear that money can buy, and who are paid by the City to be full-time soldiers.
The last time Braavos sent its sons to war, was against Pentos, a couple of years after I arrived, over the forced enslavement of a group of Braavosi citizens for debt.
The whole affair ended with Pentos becoming a Braavosi satellite, the Prince of Pentos paraded through the canals of Braavos (tied to a pole in a boat), and Slavery being officially abolished in said city.
When such a war happens, Braavos truly mobilizes, and let me tell you, it is terrifying. The entire city joins the war effort in any way possible. Blacksmiths make gear and weapons to be paid at only a token amount -for it is anathema in Braavos not to pay for someone's work- the Banks -for the Iron Bank is not the only bank in Braavos- open their coffers to finance the war effort even if it means operating at a loss.
Tradesmen and Caravans aid the logistics of the Army. For Braavos, any war where they actually get serious is a crusade to not let the Torch of Freedom that is lit on top of the Titan ever be snuffed out.
And I had never expectedThe Prince of Egypt to cause such a war.
"Well, at least you and the Zalynes will agree on this." I said after a few moments, and the Sealord laughed.
"We have already sent a reply to Volantis. so it is a matter of waiting to see what comes of it." He told me once he had settled down. Any war with Volantis had a fairly simple plan.
The Braavosi fleet would first take one of the Stepstones (or even bribe the pirates to operate from one of the islands) gather a force there and take one of the smaller cities of the Orange Coast, then use that base to strike at Volantene -and Lyseni- shipping, until the economy of both cities collapsed and they surrendered. Braavos, after all, had no interest in, or way to hold Volantis.
So now all we could do was to wait and see what would come of this.