Chapter Eleven
…..
Training Camp of the Unsullied Near the Gods Eye
Fog covers the Godseye like always and the very dumbest or the very bravest of men would dare risk the roads on this sacred place. It is after all the only place where it's said that the powers of the Old Gods remain. It doesn't help that these days, there is a continuous fog on it that deters even the most armed knights and their escorts from crossing.
If one would dare cross it though, not far from the main dirt road, Delianah's secret side project runs.
The sound of shields banging one another, the stomping of feet in synchronized cadence, the counting of instructors together with the hundreds of throats following the repetitions, the clash of weapons hitting one another in a spar can only be drowned by the shouts of the Unsullied instructors on the other parts of the field. T Five thousand men can be found here and none in Westeros are the wiser about the presence of the first ever professional army in its lands.
However among the rest of the black and grey clad Unsullied, one stands taller and separate from the rest. Pale in complexion, his once beach blonde hair is cut short into a cropped cut just like all Unsullied on their first day of "Recruitment". He is one of the Unsullied that Lord Viktor purchased from Essos. Assigned by the Castellan under direct orders from the goddess that freed them, he is to train these volunteer civilians into a fighting force that can defend his goddess' lands.
Dragon Shit, his former masters at Astapor named him in mockery of his rather Valyrian features. He was born on Lys at one of the whorehouses and was sold like many to the slavers of Astapor. There he was beaten almost to death, forced to murder other kids to prove his mettle to be one of the Unsullied, had his manhood cut and burned without making a sound, and he earned his spear and shield when he took a young babe from its mother's arms and threw it in the sea.
It was a life that can barely be called a life, forced to follow the whip without a thought. He owed everything to his goddess for freeing them from the life of blood, sweat and whips that the Wise Masters had subjected him to. He would do his best to train these green boys to men of steel and purpose like his brothers and him. He would not fail his purpose as Commander of the Unsullied here.
For Dragon Shit is different from other Unsullied. Despite the rather unfair circumstance of his current life, he views it as penance for the life he lived before. Decadence brought by wrong company, pride of wealth and status, taking great pleasures in inflicting torture to those whose lives he deemed lesser than his own. It is an irony that he is now suffering under the whip he took so much pleasure from using before.
You see, Dragon Shit knew who he was, before he became Dragon Shit in this world. Before, his name was Draco Malfoy.
….
White Harbor, Seat of House Manderly
Eddard Stark always appreciated bluntness and directness like any Northener. He personally abhors the plots and the double dealings that the Southeners seem to enjoy. However even he is caught off guard by the forwardness that this young relative of his wife's house thrusts in his face.
Currently they are in the private solar of Lord Manderly with himself, his heir Robb, Lord Manderly himself, their guest, Delianah Tully and her personal guard, Amelia who refused to leave her lady's side. Despite the isolationist practice of the North compared to the other kingdoms of Westeros, Eddard knows about the girl who learned from Oldtown and is rumored to be the cleverest person currently on Westeros. Even back at Winterfell, he has several caskets of Firewhisky that he bought from a merchant from White Harbor, very useful on staving off the cold on bad days.
"So…..," Eddard Stark begins looking at the tall girl who looks none the least fazed even though being eyed by a Lord Paramount. She looks regal on her red wine coloured tunic and pants(Practical he admits when riding those longboats of theirs) "…..about your proposal. It seems impossible my lady,"
A frown mars her young features. "If might I ask why my lord?"
Eddard winces as he puts down the ledger that she had given him when she first stated her desire for coming here. "It's just impossible my lady. You're asking me to cut off trade from most of my usual sources and buy this rice solely from you. Are you even sure that you can supply the whole North with your lands alone?"
A scowl is now present in her features and Eddard Stark raises an eyebrow at it. It is considered impolite after all to do that in the presence of a Lord Paramount.
"I would not propose it if it's not feasible at all my lord. I have devised a way for our farmlands to have four harvests in a year compared to the usual two in this continent. Plus this rice that I am offering you would be a lot better compared to the usual crops that you and your lords purchase from the south. Also you have read from my proposal the qualities that it has that makes it superior from the other crops that you buy in the Reach and the Riverlands,"
"Yes, I have," answers Eddard. It seems to be a little too good to be true. Food that would not spoil as long as it's in a dry area and can be cooked quickly with an excellent taste to it. There's also something about carbohydrates and energy that went all over his head before he simplifies it by understanding that it gives more energy compared to the usual food supply the North buys from the South.
"But you have to understand my position my lady. I cannot guarantee anything that you are submitting to me without seeing it firsthand. I cannot just alienate the North's usual suppliers without reason and fully seeing for a few years the results of your proposal,"
To his surprise, a Cheshire grin appears on the girl's face. "Of course my lord, I understand that. I would think you a fool if you said yes to my proposal immediately,"
Eddard can literally hear the angry grinding of teeth from Robb and Lord Manderly at the insult. Eddard however has much thicker skin than the two. You don't survive Robert's Rebellion intact by being easily baited by words after all. Besides, it's not as if there is no grain of truth in what she said. He'd be a fool to say yes immediately.
"Alright my lady; I sense that you are wanting to propose something," Eddard Stark says leaning on his chair backward with arms folded.
"Indeed my lord," Delianah Tully replies with that Cheshire grin never leaving her face. "With me are nine hundred sacks of rice grains my lord. I propose that you buy them from me and test them yourself to check if what I'm saying is true or not about the practicality of my product,"
"I…buy them from you? All nine hundred," Eddard blinks at first because of the audacity of this girl selling to his face directly for a test. It is never cheap to buy grain from the South though. Long and bitter experience taught him that. Secondly, he is impressed. Five of those "longships" and they carried almost nine hundred sacks with them? He needs to take a peek on them, later.
She must have seen his less than favorable reaction for she laughs without warning before standing up from her chair. "Don't worry about the price my lord. Compared to the usual sack of grain that you buy from either the Reach or the Riverlands, you can say that I sell to you my product at let's say a quarter only of the price of the usual stuff that you purchase from them….per sack,"
At that all three people are stunned at her words. A quarter price per sack? That's literally a godsend for the North. Sure it's not cheap due to the ancillary costs but it is not cutthroat in price compared to the usual stuff pricing that the North is usually forced to buy. With only a quarter to pay instead of the usual rates that they purchase from the merchants that travel by Riverlands and Reach (with an added tax from the Bloody Freys), the money that the Northern Lords accumulate are sometimes not enough to feed properly the rest of the population. Its worse when winter comes and the price of food grains skyrocket even more straining the already poor larders of the North thanks to lack of harvest down south.
Smirking at the rather stunned faces of the people in the room, Delianah Tully walks out of the hall followed closely by her guard. Not after parting words though.
"I do expect your hospitality while I'm here until tomorrow Lord Manderly,"
….
Jon Snow watches in no small amount of fascination as the dock workers of House Manderly unloads sack upon sock from the "longboat" as one of the sailor's that belong to House Tully calls it. At first glance the boat seems unimpressive to the eye, long, narrow and small. It also lacks a cabin that most ships have. Actually in Jon's opinion, it is in his first opinion, simply a very large fishing boat.
Once you look at the armed men manning it though, the large amount of cargo it carries, the banner of House Tully and Harrenhal alongside with the silver trout sigil, it is more than proof enough that this vessel braved the open sea from the South with its passengers and cargo intact.
"Impressive aren't they?" a sudden feminine voice makes Jon jump nearly ten feet in the air. As it is though, he just lands on his ass. A tinkling laughter follows and Jon frowns as he looks at the source. A girl of maybe twelve or thirteen is standing over him. It doesn't need a genius to know that she is highborn. She is not wearing a dress but rather a form fitting corset of dark violet that reaches to her outer thighs and transparent wine colored silk covering everything else from her neck to her boots. Her hair is black as midnight but with streaks of red on it. Pale skin and a cute nose; she's the most beautiful person the seven year old has ever seen.
"You're gawking," her comment snaps Jon out of reality as he realizes that he has been staring. Shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts, he immediately forms his posture and bows.
"Apologies for my reaction my lady. I am….,"
"Jon Snow, the infamous bastard of the honorable Lord Stark," the girl finishes for him making the familiar constriction at Jon's chest appear at the reminder of his status in life.
"And you are my lady?" he asks rather stiffly before realizing his blunder. Bastards after all should never address highborn in familiarity. Lady Catelyn made sure he remembered that every time a visiting lord appeared at Winterfell.
"My lady I-," he begins to apologize only to be cut off by the rather stern voice of the tall female bodyguard of hers.
"You are addressing Lady Delianah Tully of Harrenhal. You should know your place, bastard!" hisses the one in dark leather, her sword slightly unsheathed making Jon sweat at the sight and the realization that he is addressing the daughter of another Lord Paramount.
Of course he knows who Delianah Tully is, by name at least. He quite clearly remembers Lady Catelyn swearing to the high heavens the name of her father after she received the news that he sired a bastard and even had it bastard daughter of Lord Tully, she according to the bits and snippets that his father and Robb shared to him due to the isolation of the North from the South is one of the most brilliant, if not the most brilliant person in the realm. Apparently at the age of three, she went to the Citadel and studied there; the only woman that ever did. She also led the reformation of Harrenhal, transforming the once empty lands into a slowly developing Lordship that was becoming the spice trade source of Westeros and beyond, she found the mineral of Delianite which was deeply coveted by everyone, she invented new drinks including the Firewhisky that all Northeners love, she won the war of the feathers as jokingly called by the other Lords when three Houses of the Riverlands were infested with unknown wild animals. All in all, she was someone that Jon aspired. A bastard to a lady worthy of her title. At times, he sometimes envisioned that his father would ask King Robert to name him Stark and he would do great and magnificent things that would make his family and House proud. But Alas, until now he is still Jon Snow, the bastard of Winterfell.
"Enough, Amelia," the firm tone comes from said Lady of Harrenhal. "Go and help supervise the others from unloading our cargo,"
"But my lady, I am your sworn blade. I cannot entrust your protection simply from-,"
"Now!" Delianah cuts off making the other young woman snap into attention, bowing once before walking off leaving Jon looking flustered standing alone at the side of the dock with the now introduced Lady of Harrenhal. To his surprise, she smiled at him.
"My apologies Jon Snow. Amelia can be rather protective of me. It is her first time as my guard and her uncle, Lord Viktor is Castellan of my castle," she says with an eye smile. "She rather takes guarding me a bit overzealously,"
"Understatement of the century," Jon thinks to himself espying the older girl eyeing them from afar from where she is with the rest of the Tully sailors, turned workmen.
"Still, I apologize my lady for addressing you so inappropriately and asking questions," he simply says.
To his surprise, she laughs. "Never apologize when it comes into increasing your knowledge young Snow," she replies. "Now come, I asked for Lord Manderly's hospitality and he gave me a room at the keep. He however neglected to give me a guide. Come, and show me around young Snow before I die in boredom," Delianah says catching Jon completely by surprise as she entwines her arms with his. In instinct he tries pulling off but her grip despite her graceful form is like iron.
"Are you refusing a lady's commands Jon Snow?" she asks, her tone becoming sweet, extra sweet that it sends the hair on Jon's butt stand in attention.
"Of course not my lady, come," he simply replies walking to what he hopes is the right direction of the town square. He is just a bastard and deeply in trouble once either his lord father hears about this or worse, Lady Catelyn.
"Where is Robb when you need him?" he moans as he slowly heads to the centre(he hopes) of the town to show to her that weird merman statue.
….
White Harbor Inner Solar
The sound of the Inner solar of White Harbor would normally be quiet and broken only during the private conversations of the Lord Manderly of White Harbor. Currently though, the silence is being broken with the sound of clinking utensils as two middle-aged Lords sit on the table eating quite vigorously mind you from a pair of plates filled with rice.
"By the gods, I'm stuffed!" Lord Wyman Manderly exclaims finishing the last of his menu before eyeing morosely the now empty pan before turning his attention to the sack at the side.
The other occupant of the room notices his attention before growling quite loudly, easily imitating the sigil of his house. "Don't even think about it Wyman. We are here to sample the product not finish an entire sack all by ourselves,"
"That's not fair Ned! You know I want more. This little sample can barely fill me. Besides, it's my money that was used to buy all nine hundred of them," moans Wyman Manderly unhappily. On the outside, the Lord of White Harbor might be all pomp and orderly, but here on his solar where no one is listening or watching, he can be like young teens again with Lord Stark, or Ned as his friends called him when they're simply heirs before.
"Money that I'm refunding once I get back to Winterfell," growls Ned finishing his own plate of rice with a side dish of black squid before exclaiming quite happily at the full feeling in his stomach.
"I'll happily wave off the refund if you give me two hundred and fifty sacks of these,"
"No! They're coming back to Winterfell with me,"
"Fine, greedy bastard," Wyman grumbles before taking two glasses filled with Firewhisky, giving one to Ned. The two raised them and drink them in silence letting the nice fiery feeling burn in their gut.
"It seems the little lady is everything the rumors down South heard eh?" chuckles Lord wyman after a few minutes. "Everywhere, she goes it says, people prosper,"
"Now here she is on our shores," grunts Ned refilling his glass.
"Yes, here she is. Forgive if I may say Ned, but I am rather looking forward to the future with her around here at White Harbor,"
"Why so?" asks Ned.
Lord Wyman Manderly only smirks. "Because I see greatness in that girl Ned, trust me when I say that I believe that she'll outlast you and me. I propose that we agree to this trade agreement of hers. If it's everything she says, then we can be free of those greedy Southeners, minus her of course from selling their overpriced crops to us,"
"But if she's wrong or lying?" asks Ned.
"Then at least it'll be interesting to see how your Lady Wife box your ears off for trusting a bastard," exclaims Wyman earning him a chuckle from Ned.
They are rudely interrupted though from their drink when the solar of Lord Manderly is suddenly shaken nearly throwing the slightly puffed up Lord off his chair.
"What is that?! An explosion?!" exclaims Eddard Stark, hand immediately pulling Ice from the side where it is leaning.
The door however knocks five times hard followed by another explosion. A guard in Manderly colors in dust appeared as it opened bowing to the two of them once before speaking:
"My lords! We are being attacked by five ships bearing Ironborn colors!"
…
"Easy! Easy!" shouts the men as they slowly pull using ropes and pulleys the different finished parts on what is supposed to be a "big house" atop the largest archway of the hill castle.
Down below, Matthew tries his damnest to rack his head why in the world they are hauling the materials for a large house up there. It seems crazy begets crazy. At first he thought it was a joke when they asked to pull atop the different archways of the hill, materials that would be needed for what seems to be round roofed pavilions. Then they start hauling them quite literally and Matthew was stumped.
Still, he's ultimately glad Ellie is handling it instead of him. The last thing that he wants once he gets back to Essos is to be associated with a madman building a hill with houses instead of a real castle.
He has to jump out of the way though as a rider runs past towards the temporary residence of Lord Viktor in a full gallop.
"Wonder what that is about? There's never an urgency here ever since I came," he thinks before shrugging. Back to mocking the weird castle hill then.
…..
Author's Note: Here's another chapter. Hope you readers Enjoy.
PS: If you want to read a long story like this of world building. Try Be Careful What you Wish For from my works.