A/N: Ana Karen, you are the first person to reach out to me when I asked for help. Thank You. This Chapter is dedicated to you.
POV Eddard
Ned returned with Ironeyes to the Company's mansion the next day with a particular agenda in mind, yesterdays realization about the true nature of slavery has shook him on the same level as his realization of the Walls true purpose, while the latter realization materialized a ball of ice cold dread in his heart then the realization about slavery lit a simmering rage in his belly.
This institution of slavery, this abomination of human creation has made despair a fucking way of life, how can suffering and inflicting suffering become the norm, how can slave owners not realize the monstrosity they are perpetuating and why are the slaves not putting an end to this in steel and blood? He needs answers, he needs them before he does something he and everyone else are going to regret.
His sheer rage was so overwhelming yesterday that he almost dragged Robert out of his room from the pleasure slaves he was bedding to bash his head in for bedding women who do not even have the illusion of choice of saying no. What the fuck is the difference between rape and having sex with a woman who could not say NO? Of course there is none. The only thing that stopped Ned was the fact that Robert does not know, it probably did not sink into his skull that there is a difference between women he is bedding now and the whores he is so fond of visiting back home. The Whoremongers back home know better than to take more than a small cut from earnings of a woman a Lord favours, after all a word whispered midst fucking might well get said whoremongers hand cut off on charges of thievery or sent to the Wall. Things here are different, Ned would talk to Rob about it after Ned himself gets a better understanding of the hows and whys of Essos. Ned is sure Rob will see things his way too, he has faith in his brother in all but blood. On the matter of sating Robs appetites, well, there has been never any shortage of willing women throwing themselves at Rob, it was only when he was feeling particularly lazy that Rob needed to pay in coin to get a woman in his bed.
Ned knew he was in foul mood and his temper is in turn effecting Ironeyes, the direwolf has his lips peeled back in a terror inducing fanged grin with a calculating look in his eyes that said he was looking at his next meal. As they reached the Companys Manse the gate guards took one look at their party and visibly flinched before their hands went to the hilts of their short swords, that reaction finally jerked Ned out of his own mind enough to see his own guards are on the edge, obviously effected by Neds own mood, Ned was so out of it since yesterday he did not quite remember what he told his guards this morning or his walk to the mansion.
Ned took a deep breathe, held it for a moment, released it and did that again for another four times before dragging a hand down his face, physically trying to smooth out the angry frown that seemed to be etched onto his face. Then he ran his hands through Ironeyes fur to soothe his companion and spoke to his men and the gate guards with the best smile he could manage, "My apologies, men, I was too much inside my own head to consider what my behaviour conveyed to others and I am sure Ironeyes silent snarls did not help matters any."
Cassel, captain of Neds guard cracked a smile of his own and said, "His snarls, methinks yours were scarier, my lord, the very image of the Stark Lord in a Fury."
Neds strained smile became a little more genuine as he nodded to his men, then focused on the Manses gate guards and said in his unpractised High Valyrian, "Extend my regards to Master Wylde and convey my desire for a meeting."
The guards took a long look at Neds party, after which their own postures relaxed to match Neds partys then one of them bowed and replied in accented Common, "Of course, My lord. At once."
Master Wylde hurried out to meet Ned middle of the walkway just as yesterday, as he drew closer Ned observed Master Wylde eyes widen at the sight of Ironeyes, no doubt in shock, Ironeyes is already larger than any normal wolf could ever dream to be and his companion has a lot of growth left in him, Ned has a better sense for Ironeyes since their bond evolved, that sense told him Ironeyes is still a juvenile for his kind, equivalent of a ten year old human child, if that.
Once he drew near Master Wylde bowed twice to Ned, mostly out of what Ned sensed to be excitement and greeted, "Lord Eddard, how wonderful to see you so soon, and to see a living direwolf in the company of a member of the House Stark! A sight straight out of myths and legends I believe. How marvellous."
Ned gave a shallow bow, barely more than a nod of his head in return greeting and said, "Master Wylde, let me introduce to my companion, Ironeyes, he is the second of four siblings, same as me. Just as he is with me his brothers and sister are companions to my own brothers and sister."
"The blessings of the Old Gods made manifest, no doubt about it!", Master Wylde exclaimed in enthusiasm and continued, "How can I be of service to you today, Lord Eddard?"
"I have some questions I need answers to, they are regarding a weighty matter. If it would not be too much of an imposition I would like some of your time", Ned answered, careful to not come across as too imperious, trying to convey respect accorded without seeming servile or demanding, Master Wylde is obviously favourably disposed towards Ned and Stark name, Ned wanted to cultivate that regard into something more solid. Something in the line of a relationship between a lord and his vassal.
"Of course, Lord Eddard. It would not be an imposition, it would be my pleasure in fact, let us retire to my solar. I will endeavour to answer your questions to the best of my ability", saying so Master Wylde led the way to his solar.
Once they were seated in the same arrangement as yesterday but with Ironeyes spread out on a luxurious rug between them, Master Wylde handed Ned a poured goblet of wine and asked, "What is it that you want to know about Lord Eddard?"
Ned gazed into his wine to organize his thoughts, before swirling the goblet and taking a healthy gulp of wine, settled himself deeper into his chair and looked Master Wyldes eyes and said, "Slavery", the word sat heavily between them for a moment, before continuing, "What is the Companys stance on it, Master Wylde?'
"The Company is unequivocally against slavery, we consider it an abomination against the laws of both Gods and Men", Master Wylde answered proudly with head held high and chest thrust forward, before deflating and said, "However, the Company is complicit in trade of goods produced by slave labour and it is our greatest shame. Those of us, the Company leadership I mean, have always been careful in choosing just what we trade in, but regardless of how careful we are most trade goods of Essos are produced by Slave Labour. The Myrish Glass we export for Glass Gardens of the North are made by Slaves, Cloth, Lace, Gems and Jewel craft, even Basic Food Stuffs are tainted by slave labour. The Grain Trade, the very first of the Companys venture into Trade all those centuries ago, that grain was produced by slaves. Once we had some solid footing in Braavos, we tried to produce our own grain to sell, most fertile lands are already being cultivated, even so, we are men of the North, hard land was no obstacle to us. Once we had the harvest we tried to sell, but nobody was willing to buy from us, not for the price we were asking, a price that only covered our costs with no margin for profit, not even Braavosi. It seemed for all their vaunted ideals money mattered more to them. The Company had to eat the loss of twenty percent of our total treasury then. Even so we continued to produce grain if not for trade then for our own consumption, the excess was stored, even if we cannot make a profit our cousins in the North would always be willing buyers, it was enough. At least the food we were eating wasn't tainted by slavery. Those farms and grain silos were the very first of the Companys assets that were targeted by our enemies when they finally made their move against us."
After he finished speaking, Master Wylde shied from Neds eyes and stared intently at his own wine, as though looking for answers. His very being radiated shame and contrition, man drew into himself as a child waiting for condemnation and punishment from a parent might.
Ned kept his face and voice carefully neutral and asked, "But the Company never participated in Slave Trade themselves?"
Master Wylde jerked up and said a touch indignantly and emphatically, "No! We never did and never will participate in Slave Trade. Not one member of the Company, from the very highest to the lowest, even own a slave. While Freeing of a Slave does not even exist as a Legal Concept in most of Essos, the Company freed thousands of slaves."
That perked up Neds interest and seeing the question in his demeanour, Master Wylde answered without asking, "If we ever have to buy a slave, whether it is because of our need for that slaves skillset or if a member of the Company wanted to free someone, we offer them a choice, continued employment with us or transport to some destination of their choice. Six in ten take the choice of transport, once they finally start to believe that we are not playing a cruel game to test their loyalty. But the remaining four continue with us. We freed many slaves this way. In Essos, children of two slaves are slaves by birth, hence the mothers masters property by default. By the very fact that we do not practice slavery we prevented many children from being born into slavery. Many of our members in the present day are in fact such children."
Ned slowly nodded his head in thought before saying, "This conversation was enlightening, Master Wylde. Tell me as someone who has a decent idea of how Westerosi Economy works and how Essosi Economy works, can you tell me why Essos is so much richer than Westeros? And just how Slavery plays a part in it?"
A few long minutes went by as Master Wylde considered how to answer Neds question, Ned finished his wine and went to refill his goblet and Ironeyes made a circuit of the room, investigating the new place after done with his nap.
As Ned seated himself back, Master Wylde began speaking, "There is no true equivalent class to the Westeros Small Folk in Free Cities and the surrounding regions those Free Cities claim to rule. All of unskilled labour such as most of the farm work and even most of skilled labour, like blacksmithing and other craft work is done by Slave Labour. Essentially wealth of Essos is built on Slavery, not just via Slave Trade, in fact only a fifth of Free Cities wealth is earned by Slave Trade by my estimation, the remaining four fifths of it is made by Trade of products made via Slave Labour. Slave Labour makes it so that the profit margins are enormous for merchants and Magisters alike. But it is my belief that even if we take Slavery out of the equation Essos would still be richer than Westeros based on the fact that Essos does more Trade than Westeros and has more skilled workers than Westeros. Lys, Tyrosh and Myr do more trade between themselves than Seven Kingdoms does with all of Essos. For a given size of population Essos has more blacksmiths, weavers, merchants, jewel smiths, builders, healers, even bakers, any craftsmen essentially than Westeros. Its skilled labour and a brisk trade of goods made via that labour that makes Essos rich, Slavery just makes Slavers richer than they otherwise would have been at the cost of human suffering."
Ned digested the answers Master Wylde gave, scrutinizing everything he knew from his own studies, every fact, every answer a stroke of brush that completed the painting of his picture of Free Cities.
The silence persisted for another half hour before Ned finally broke it, "Master Wylde, I need you to do me a favour."
"Of course, everything that is in my means I will do," Master Wylde declared with conviction.
"I need you to buy some slaves for me", Master Wyldes eyes popped in shock as he opened his mouth, Ned simply raised his hand and continued, "Your answers cleared up somethings for me, I gained some understanding of how Free Cities function. But I want to understand the human element of this. I need sometime to think on it, but I will provide a list of candidates, I want you to procure them for me. Something in the lines of whats life like for skilled slave and unskilled slave, I want you to interview them. Of course I will provide the list of questions too. I would have preferred to do the interviewing myself but by your own word next batch of recruits leave in a month to Disputed Lands. I have things to do in that time and a language to gain at least some measure of proficiency in. I trust you and the Company to do this for me, all costs incurred will be settled by House Stark. I will of course draft clear set of instructions for how I want this done, all of this is a rough idea at this stage. The slaves will be freed. You have a Starks word on it."
