Chapter 53: The Iron Bank
300 AC
Robb
He looked upon the last great remnant of the Targaryen legacy in the city, the Dragonpit. The building was in ruin. The dome had collapsed, its walls were blackened and small pieces of the walls had been crumbling off. Even so, it now stood as the largest building in what remained of the city.
His men had entered and searched parts of the ruin, but much of it was still buried under all the rubble. Some of his lords had suggested blowing it up with wildfire, the same way they had done with the Red Keep. However, he had rejected that option. Instead the building would be torn down stone by stone. Its materials would be used to rebuild parts of the city, construct bridges across the Blackwater and fortifications to go alongside them.
In his mind, he was already seeing a Riverlands with a strong southern border. He would erect border castles and towns alongside the Blackwater river. They would control the bigger crossings and deny enemy armies the ability to easily march into the fertile lands behind. He planned on doing so for the entire length of the river, as to deter both the Reach and Storm Kingdom from ever moving on them in the future.
He knew these plans would cost fortunes and take decades. Realistically, only his grandsons would be able to finish them, but that didn't mean he couldn't do a whole lot in his lifetime already. Having the materials of buildings such as this close at hand could easily reduce the time and costs for his plans to be executed.
A few hundred laborers had been raised from the remaining populace and they would work on the project as he marched south. He had ordered one of his lords with experience in construction works to assign overseers and expected two-weekly reports on the progress when he was in the Stormlands.
The city was becoming less populated, now that twenty thousand civilians had left for the Vale. All the selected orphans and prisoners had also been sent north. This had somewhat loosened the strain on supplies for these people, although the situation was still dire.
However, the war took preference as of now. The united army now counted thirty-six thousand soldiers. Twenty-four thousand of those were sworn to him directly. Twelve thousand came from the North, eight thousand from the original Riverlands, two thousand from the Northern Crownlands and another two thousand from Cracklaw Point.
With the new additions Lord Harrold had brought, the Vale had eleven thousand men. The Stormlords and Southern Crownlords had another thousand men at the capital. Yet, that last number was misleading as the Baratheons would supply more than that. Hundreds more would join them on their march and Lord Davos had also taken part of their forces to be able to retake Tarth and Greenstone after their recent naval victory. These troops would rejoin them in the future.
He had been informed Lord Morrigen would take over control of the troops of the Storm Kingdom once they reached Bronzegate when he arrived there with additional reinforcements. He had heard good things about the man, so he looked forward to his arrival.
He wouldn't leave with the whole army. He needed a force to keep control of the former Crownlands. He didn't trust most of them enough to stay loyal to him against a Targaryen enemy. Everybody knew where their loyalties had lain over the past three centuries. Letting them rebel in their rear could jeopardize his supply line and end his whole campaign.
Because of that, he had chosen to leave Lord Deddings with three thousand Riverlanders in control of King's Landing and the Northern Crownlands. The Riverlands had lost too many troops already and would take decades to fully recover from their losses. Making sure these troops survived would be a good thing in the long run. In addition, another thousand Valemen would position themselves just south of the Blackwater to keep those parts under control and make sure the R'hollor zealots like House Massey didn't try anything foolish.
He had other troops spread all over the Riverlands as well. There were big Northern garrisons at the Twins under Lord Cley Cerwyn and the Golden Tooth under Osric Karstark. Other smaller ones were dotted around too and thousands of Riverlanders were spread across the area. They had by now recaptured all previously lost keeps and driven out the bandit and deserter groups who had taken refuge in them. Still, many bandits remained in woodlands and remote areas and these soldiers were needed to keep the peace. Especially with all the refugees from the Crownlands that had flooded into the region.
On top of that, the Manderly fleet fielded some eight hundred foot-soldiers as well. These would be needed to recapture the islands of the Stormlands and could help with establishing supply lines by ship in the future.
All of that left them with thirty-two thousand able bodied men to march towards Bronzegate and confront the Targaryen pretender. All preparations had been made and they would leave on the morrow. Before that, he needed to have a talk with Lord Harrold Arryn in private.
He got back on his horse and the white destrier reacted to his movements immediately. The horse was as majestic as he had ever been. He reminded himself to thank his brother once more for the gift. He had long struggled with naming him but had finally settled upon Snow. Both as a play of words upon his white coat and the brother who was responsible for him having the destrier. For now, it would be a little confusing, but his brother would soon have his own name and house so that should solve a lot of things.
He rode back to their camp and talked with Robin Flint, Dacey Mormont and Patrek Mallister on the way there. After arriving at his command tent, he rinsed of the sweat from his body and put on a white tunic, lined with black furs. In the center was a majestically stitched grey running direwolf. The tailor had very clearly drawn its inspiration from Grey Wind, a thing which he deserved praise for. To go along with it he wore an elegant pair of grey trousers. Dacey had told him the clothes made him looked regal and he trusted on her judgement. To top it off, he wore his bronze and iron crown.
He positioned himself on the wooden chair that had been serving him as a throne these past few weeks. It served nicely, although he longed for his actual throne in Winterfell. Oh, how he wanted to be back home. Sit there and act out justice, maybe with his daughter on his lap. He became sad when his thoughts turned to his daughter. It would soon be her first nameday. She was already starting to walk and Alys wrote she had started saying her first words. All of that, without a father. She didn't even know him. Alys had ensured him she and his family often spoke of him to her, but he knew it was not the same.
He steeled himself and shook those feelings off. If he wanted to see Eddara again, he had to win this war. To do that, he needed this meeting with Lord Harrold to go well.
Before he could do that however, a messenger arrived with news from the North. The raven had been sent towards Riverrun and from there to Rosby. The rider had clearly ridden at great speed and he immediately ordered his servants to bring the man food and drinks.
As he took the letter in his hands, he realized it hadn't come from Winterfell. No, this message came from Castle Black. Intrigued, he opened the scrolls and started reading.
To his Grace, King Robb Stark
I write to you to inform you of a battle fought here at Castle Black. Last night, we were attacked in the rear by a force coming from south of the Wall.
Luckily for us, a thousand Skagosi reinforcements had arrived in the area a few days earlier. The enemy force consisted of a large group of Bolton men, augmented by mercenaries, bandits and adventures from all over the north-eastern part of the North. They were led by the infamous Ramsey Snow.
An hour before the attack, I was contacted by my cousin Hother Lightfoot who had joined up with the Bastard of the Dreadfort. Due to our familial relations, he believed he could have me and mine turn our cloaks and attack our allies in the back.
I declined and alerted the Umber, Clan and Skagosi commanders. Together we repelled the enemy attack and decimated the opposing force. Ramsey Bolton managed to flee with a few dozen retainers, but his army is no more. Hother died fighting some Skagosi warriors. Although no Karstark men were officially present, I suspect my grandfather's hand in this. Alas, I have no proof for this, nor will any of the prisoners give it to us.
Your loyal subject
Alaric Karstark
He looked upon the letter in wonder. Ramsey had ultimately made his move, it seemed. It seemed the Skagosi had won them the day, as he knew the other remaining men were exhausted and spread out. An attack on them might have completely destroyed them.
What had Ramsey wanted to achieve? The only possible explanation could be that he wanted to ally with the Wildlings and recruit them to his forces to attack the North. If so, that made the man even madder than they had already thought before. Those raiders would never listen to anyone, let alone some bastard boy with dreams he couldn't possibly attain.
In any case, it seemed the disaster was averted. He would personally send his thanks to the Skagosi leaders and think of a way to reward them for this after the war. The island had long been too disconnected from the rest of the North. They had never been reincorporated into the fold after their rebellion had been crushed a century earlier. He would have to think on ways to undo that. In any case, he had to ensure that they stayed at the wall and held the line. The last thing he wanted was for the Wildlings to break through and ravage his northernmost vassals.
He pondered upon that for a while, before turning his mind upon House Karstark. His wife's family was quickly becoming a problem. Lord Rickard had been loyal to the bone, serving as a second father to him. Harry would serve him in much the same way. Yet, with the loss of his father and Edd, only he and Torr remained. This war was far from over and, although he dreaded even thinking about it, it wasn't impossible for something to happen to either of them.
If that were to happen, a succession crisis would occur. The two most obvious claimants would be old Arnolf or his wife. The fact Alys was a woman would be a problem. It would be made even greater by the fact she would reside in Winterfell and not Karhold. In time it could be given to a second son, who could take the name Karstark. Yet, that would be twenty years away at least. The local people would never accept a twenty year-long power vacuum.
In contrast, you had Arnolf Karstark. Castellan of Karhold for over forty years to both Lord Rickard and his father Lord Beric. Although ancient, the man had two healthy sons with experience in running the keep. A strong case could be made for their claim. A claim he would never support. No, after all Arnolf had done to go against Harry neither he nor his sons would ever get Karhold. He would make sure of that. Even Alaric or Osric would be better choices than their brothers, fathers or grandfather.
He would have to discuss this with Harry and Torr, he realized. He would also need to agree with them that Arnolf would need to be replaced once the war was ended. The man could not be allowed to retain his powerful position. It was a threat to both his in-laws and the stability of the North.
The power of his descendants would also need to be curbed. Of his two sons and six, now five, grandsons he had only ever truly trusted Os. Now, it seemed Alaric had proven himself to be trustworthy too. Both of them had gone against their grandfather to prove their loyalty to them in their own ways. He would reward them both in time. Loyalty such as that must never go unrecognized.
He picked up a paper to scribble down his thought in preparation for his future talks with the Karstarks. He also added that he would write about it to Alys. It was only logical that he asked her for guidance about her own family. He put the paper away in the desk and thought back on the coming talks. He calmed himself and tried to mentally prepare for the coming discussions with Lord Harrold. The North would not be better off with him mulling over things he couldn't yet change.
Not much later, the Vale lord arrived. He pointed him to a seat in front of him and offered him bread, salt and wine, which the man accepted heartily. He looked upon the heir of Jon Arryn. His sandy hair, aquiline nose and deep blue eyes unmistakenly marked him as an Arryn. The dimples in his cheeks made him handsome and had certainly made many maidens blush. A thing strengthened by the news that he had already fathered two bastards by two different women in the Vale.
For a moment, both men seemed to be sizing each other up. They had of course seen each other already over the past few days, but never talked privately before. Both had had too much work in preparing their armies for the coming march, while Lord Harrold had to reestablish his control over the thousands of men already present here.
He started the conversation and deemed it smart to start with the coming campaign. They talked for half an hour about the plans for their supply lines, the orders for the thousand Vale men, who would remain behind, and many other things. Lord Harrold informed him the force of Valemen that would be left behind would be under the command of Lord Ruthermont. He didn't know much about the man and he told himself to gather information quickly after this meeting.
After this, he finally opened the conversation about the future of the Vale. "What are your plans, now that you are Lord of the Vale, Lord Harrold?"
Those deep blue eyes looked back at him for a moment, before he answered. "First of all, I want to rebuild. Our kingdom has lost much in the recent civil war. Many of our nobles have died or been send to the Wall. Some regions are heavily damaged and have been depopulated. Our naval power, in both trade and military capacity, has taken a hit too. Some of this has even been in part due to the actions of your bannermen, although I thank you for the aid you sent our cause."
He nodded simply in gratitude for the acknowledgement. He would not deign the small remark an answer. His men had done what they had to do and punished the traitors. He would not lower himself by giving excuses, let alone pay recompenses, for it.
"To do so, I agree we must first get rid of the Targaryen threat. After that, it is my intention to cherish good relations with both your kingdom and some of the Free Cities to help rebuild our prosperity. I also thank you for allowing us to resettle some of the refugees from King's Landing in our lands, as it will help our recovery in the future." The Arryn lord continued.
He nodded, signaling he agreed with this plan. "Cherishing good relations … in what capacity?" Both knew what he asked, would they join his kingdom or proclaim their independence?
"That is a thing we are still discussing but rest assured that whatever we decide a long-standing peace and alliance will be signed between the Vale, the North and the Riverlands." Lord Harrold answered diplomatically.
Internally, he groaned at this answer. Yet again, he received no clear answer. From the outside he kept his cool and simply accepted the answer. "If you would accept, we wish to wait to sign any form of official alliance until the Targaryen threat is fully dealt with. By that point, everything should be decided." Harrold finished.
He looked hard into those eyes and responded. "Aye, I can agree on that, on a few conditions."
Harrold Arryn raised his left eyebrow at that. "What may those be?"
"First of all, you confirm my overall command during the campaigns in the Stormlands. You will, of course, be part of every discussion and your voice will carry a long way, but if decisions need to be made in the moment that prerogative will belong to me. I think I have proven my intuition on the battlefield to be sound enough to warrant this." He stoically replied. He knew how big his reputation had become and would leverage it as much as possible.
Lord Harrold didn't agree to it immediately. "I expect you will always hear my council, even when making those decisions in the moment?"
"Aye, of course. As long as the situation allows it of course. If you are in the thick of battle or incapacitated, I can't postpone decisions to wait for you to respond." He replied, making it clear that the Vale lord would be respected, but he would never hesitate to act without him.
Lord Arryn accepted, albeit reluctantly. "The second condition is that after the war you will sign a treaty ensuring an alliance between our countries, in whatever capacity that may be. This will include mutually favorable trade agreements, the recognition of existing borders and a reward for Houses Manderly, Locke and Flint for helping you in the civil war."
"The first two points, I can easily agree to. However, I would like to ask what you mean with rewards."
"The rewards can be worked out in the future. I was thinking about temporary trade benefits for their houses, maybe marriages or trade quarters in one or two ports. I think they deserve it, after all they have done for the Vale." He simply responded.
His ally seemed to be deep in thought about that. "I will discuss it with my lords. I will agree that a certain reward will be given, although I make no promise about its size or capacity."
He agreed with that. Those negotiations could be held at a later date. "My third condition is that you swear on this by the Old Gods and the New." He stated. Both men new the seriousness of breaking an oath to the Gods and thus the severity of this demand.
Lord Harrold looked him in the eyes and slowly answered. "I, Harrold Arryn, swear to fulfill these promises on the Old Gods and the New."
Satisfied, he smiled slightly towards the Vale Lord. Afterwards they talked for another hour about the politics in the army and their respective kingdoms. Both agreed intermarriages could be a good way to ensure their future alliance to hold, although with both of them married and Harrold having no siblings or first cousins this would prove difficult to achieve.
After Lord Harrold left, he continued on his tasks for the upcoming march.
(Thirteen days later)
They had finally reached Bronzegate. Their journey had been long and tiresome. However, his efforts had born fruit. They had passed the Kingswood unopposed. Still, it hadn't been pleasant. The Stormlands proved true to their name and the constant winds and rains had hindered their progress.
In the meantime, it seemed the Targaryen Pretender had achieved another victory. Haystack Hall had fallen to their enemies just a few days ago. This meant their army was only around twenty miles away from their current position, a thing he could appreciate. He would rest his army at the castle for a few days and then march to hopefully take them out in one decisive battle.
If there was one thing he didn't want, it was an extended campaign all throughout the Stormlands. Ravens from the citadel had arrived, winter had finally come. It was already snowing in the Vale and Riverlands. It wouldn't be long before they would be bogged down here too. They were already facing ice cold rainstorms, snow could extend this campaign with many weeks or even months. A thing he dreaded more than anything.
Even so, he couldn't march immediately. His army was exhausted and the reinforcements under Lord Morrigen were delayed by the weather. They were said to be close and could arrive at any moment.
The one great victory was the fact House Buckler had at last bowed down to Queen Shireen. The vanguard under Ser Aemon Estermont and Lord Flint and their two thousand men had played a role in it. More importantly had been the role of the Buckler heir. He seemed much more sympathetic to House Baratheon and the Seven than his father Lord Ralph. In the end, the son had managed to convince the father even though the latter didn't seem wholly convinced.
Whatever the case he had a warm bed for the night. A thing he greatly looked forward too, although it was only noon. He spent the next few hours talking to his lords and getting briefed on the situation at Bronzegate by Lord Flint. The stern Northern lord had put up a perimeter of scouts and fortified a campsite on a nearby hill. Their much bigger camp would be built around that.
Just when night started to fall, horns were blown. They signalled the arrival of Lord Morrigen and his troops. When he went out to greet them, he noticed Lord Davos was there too. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He had been dying to meet the man he had heard so much about. After his recent naval victory, his desire to meet him had only increased.
There was another man riding next to Lord Davos. He immediately noticed that he wasn't from Westeros. He was tall, thin and had a gaunt looking face. He was dressed in a big woolen coat, probably gifted to him by the Stormlanders. He had a long beard that seemed to disappear into the folds of his coat. On his head he wore an expensive purple hat and glimpses of other expensive foreign clothes could be seen under the woolen coat.
As he looked at the man, he noticed him looking back at him. Both men silently stared into each other's eyes. After he had greeted Lords Morrigen and Seaworth, Lord Davos introduced him to the man. His name was Tycho Nestoris. He was a representative from the Bank of Braavos.
He had wondered how long it would take before the Bank would rear its head. It seems that him destroying the Red Keep had been the final straw for them to jump into action. The Braavosi was calm and courteous, addressing him with all the Westerosi protocol expected when meeting a king. He spoke the Common Tongue fluently, and to his surprise, only a faint accent could be heard.
After a while, Lord Buckler invited them inside. The lord barely hid his disdain when meeting his Lord Regent, although he did acknowledge him as such. Lord Davos didn't seem to mind it. As they ran inside, he saw Lord Morrigen talk to his squire and shock overwhelmed him. The young man looked somewhat like King Robert Baratheon, in honesty he looked more like the Robert from his father's stories of the Rebellion.
The lad seemed tall and muscular and when he noticed him stare, he quickly bowed his head and went to the stables with Lord Morrigen's horse. Lord Davos had seen his look and approached him. "You have a keen eye, King Stark. Gendry is indeed King Robert's son, albeit born on the wrong side of the sheets. The boy shows great promise and he wanted to fight so I gave him over to the custody of Lord Morrigen. That way he might earn his spurs and make a name for himself."
"Make a name for himself? Then I assume this is not the future Prince Consort?" He responded.
"No, that would be his younger half-brother. Edric's mother was a noble woman from House Florent, Gendry's worked in an alehouse. For the nobility, the choice was clear. Although I must admit Edric will make a finer consort to Shireen than Gendry ever would. He's a great lad, but a bit rough around the edges. He grew up as an orphan in King's Landing and still has difficulty when addressing nobles. I hope this war will make him come around."
"So, the lad is the Queen's cousin? And the brother to her future consort?" He summarized in question.
"Yes, you could say that." The reply came.
He looked towards the back of the tall muscular boy before looking into Lord Davos' brown eyes. "If it is to your and Lord Morrigen's liking, I will introduce him to my brother Jon Snow. I think the lad could benefit from meeting someone with a bastard name that has risen high in an army."
The slight man looked back at him with a puzzled expression. "Of course, I would accept King Robb, but may I ask why you would go to such trouble for a boy you don't know? Someone that isn't even your own subject?"
He chuckled. "His father and my father were like brothers once. Together they overthrew the Targaryen dynasty. I plan to finish what they started and will welcome every Baratheon if they would join me in this. Baseborn or not, I do not care. My father wouldn't, he would care for his friend's son. I will try to honor that memory."
The Stormlord looked at him for a time, before smiling and nodding. Making some more small talk, they went inside. Not too long after, they reached Lord Buckler's solar. They seated themselves and Lord Davos told Lord Ralph to go, a thing which clearly enraged him. Yet, he still did as he was told.
They sat together in the solar. Two Stormlords, Lord Davos and Lord Morrigen, two Valemen, Lord Harrold Arryn and Ser Andar Royce, and two Northerners, he and Lord Umber. He had wanted Jon to be his right hand, but he was busy fortifying their camp together with Harry while the Blackfish was organizing their scouting network. As such, he had chosen the Greatjon to accompany him. The man had plenty of experience in both warfare and diplomacy and the giant man had fought together with Lord Morrigen in the Rebellion, a thing which seemed to ease any tension between their factions away.
After bread and salt were quickly brought in, accompanied by an arbor red from a particularly nice vintage, they got down to business. Lord Davos explained his naval victory in detail and told him that both Tarth and Estermont had now been liberated. Sailors had brought news that Daenerys Targaryen was on her way to Lys. Her pace had been slowed by storms and she had been forced to go into harbor for a while not far from Volantis, but was now once again on her way.
She still hadn't interfered in the Volantene city, which he found most odd. Yet, she hadn't completely remained on the sidelines. It seemed some of the rebelling slaves had been accepted in her army, replenishing her numbers from the losses she had incurred at sea.
The news only served as a reminder of how they needed a quick victory over the Pretender. Still, there had also been good news. Lord Melcolm had succeeded in buying a Tyroshi fleet of some sixty warships. They would block the Targaryen princess when she tried to pass through the Stepstones.
In turn, he talked to them at length of his plan for the upcoming battle. How they needed to retain momentum and strike quickly at the enemy force. He showed them some of the possible battlefields he envisioned them fighting on. All either between Bronzegate and Storm's End or between Bronzegate and Haystack Hall.
An hour passed discussing the situation of the war and what they would do with both the pretender and the Targaryen princess. At last, Lord Davos began to talk about the Iron Bank envoy. How he had wanted Queen Shireen to pay for all, but how that was simply impossible. Lord Seaworth had promised him a meeting with them it seemed, but he agreed with his approach to the situation.
He disagreed with his solution. Lord Davos proposed to split it between their kingdoms. A thing he thought to be wholly unfair. It would leave out all their enemies of paying any of the debts. It was a debt of the whole of Westeros and all of it would have to pay. He instead proposed to split the cost of one million two hundred thousand golden dragons evenly between all nine regions of Westeros.
All regions would have to pay a little over one hundred and thirty-three thousand dragons. A much more manageable sum. The Vale would pay just that, while he would double it for both the North and the Riverlands. The Crownlands sum could be split between houses Stark and Baratheon.
This sparked a great debate between them, but in the end they all agreed. In the end Lord Arryn promised to pay his ninth of the debt. House Baratheon would pay a ninth plus thirty percent of the Crownlands share. In total some one hundred and seventy-two thousand dragons. His kingdom would agree to pay just over three hundred and fifty thousand golden dragons. The total sum of two regions and seventy percent of a third.
They vowed they would pay not a copper more. This meant that four ninths of the debt would go unpaid. Lord Harrold worried this might bring upon them the ire of the Iron Bank. He didn't agree with that and had rejected the thought, saying the other regions would still have to pay.
The Dornish had joined up with the Targaryen Pretender. After defeating them, they could put it in the peace treaty as one of their demands. The same would work with the Westerlands and Iron Islands after their defeat. The only possible problem could be the Reach. Yet with the help of the Iron Bank envoy, he might be able to pressure them into action in time.
After they had agreed upon their strategy together, they called in the envoy. The exotically dressed banker entered with a neutral expression on his face. He looked upon all of them, clearly recognizing that an agreement had been made between them before his arrival. As such, he gestured for them to make him an offer.
"King Stark, Lord Arryn and Lord Seaworth, I can clearly see in your eyes that you wish to propose me a deal. I am listening." He said as he sat down in his chair.
He looked upon both his allies before speaking up. "The debt of one million two hundred thousand golden dragons owed to your bank was not made by any of us but by the Iron Throne. The Iron Throne and everything it ever stood for is gone, including your debt. However, seeing the importance of good relations between Braavos and our kingdoms we propose a plan to pay off the debt anyway."
The face of Tycho Nestoris betrayed nothing, as he gestured for him to continue. "The lands of the Iron Throne once united Westeros. As such, we choose to see the debt as something the whole of Westeros owes you. We are of course part of that, but there are others too. For the last three hundred years Westeros has been divided in nine regions. It is our opinion the debt will need to be divided equally among those regions. Five of these regions are in our joined hands, as such we propose to pay off five ninths of the debt to you directly. That would total on six hundred and sixty-seven thousand golden dragons."
"An interesting idea, yet that would still leave me with five hundred and thirty-three thousand golden dragons of unpaid debt. Why would I take this offer if I can simply ride across the field to this Aegon if he would agree to pay off the entire sum?" The Braavosi replied seemingly casually. However, there was nothing casual about it, he could see the calculated look behind those eyes. A thing proven by the quick calculation of the remaining sum.
"Because if you do that, you won't see a simple copper." He simply shrugged in reply. He would play this little game with him if that's what he wanted.
"Why is that?" The banker asked him, his voice as casual as ever.
"In a few weeks nothing will remain of the Pretender's force or advisors. We will defeat them and hunt them down. The seas are ours and they have nowhere to go. It's only a matter of time before they all hang from the trees you travelled through to get here. When that happens, there will be no one left to pay you." He simply replied, while biting of a piece of an apple the servants had presented them with.
The Braavosi took a pear and silently took a bite out of it as well. "What makes you so sure of your victory? Surely he will tell me the same thing?"
"Well, if that's true that would make him a fool." He simply shrugged. "We have another four thousand fresh troops stationed north of here, the seas are ours and Moat Cailin and the Bloody Gate are impregnable from the Riverlands. Even if they defeat us here, war will continue for many months to come. In contrast, if we defeat the Pretender here in the Stormlands, he is finished."
"He has Dorne." The Braavosi responded.
"Aye, that he does. Everybody knows the dangers of attacking the Dornish desserts. My own house almost fell in a succession crisis due to the death of my kinsman Rickon Stark there. Yet, it matters not. The majority of the Dornish army is here. If we defeat it, Doran Martell won't have enough forces to defend his lands. Martell is a smart one, he will broker a peace deal to save his family's power. On the off chance that he doesn't, we simply raze all their coastal settlements with our fleet while tearing down some of their strongholds in the mountains. We could never conquer Dorne, but we will destroy their wealth and defenses and neutralize them for the next fifty years. More than enough time for us to pay back your debt."
"Your whole plan hinges on the fact you manage to kill or capture this Aegon. If he flees what then? Besides, destroying Dornish trade would not be in the best interest of my employer. Trade is the main source of income of our great city. Why would we support you in this endeavor?" Nestoris retorted.
"No, it doesn't. Besides it will never come to it. Doran Martell will make peace in return for his brother, nieces and daughter who are all in the Stormlands, if we have Aegon or not. He will come to the table to retain his family's power and his hold on Dorne." He replied with a smile. "In the following peace deal we could put a clause that the Martells will need to take up one ninth of the Westerosi debt. That would solve a quarter of your problems already."
The odd man before him stroked through his long beard. "It might. What about the other parts?"
"After the Targaryens are dealt with, we march on the Westerlands. The same clause could be implemented there. In time, the Iron Islands will taste our fury too. The same could be done with them, although it might have to wait until the end of winter." He explained, having expected these questions.
"What about the Reach?"
"That's the only tricky part." He admitted. "None of us have any desire to go on a long gruesome campaign along the Mander. However, there are possibilities. The ironborn are ravaging the Reach at the moment. This will quickly weaken their strength. On top of that, they are in the middle of a civil war. I expect them to be too tired and weakened by the fighting. They will have to settle for peace because of it. If not, some pressure from your bank may persuade them to take the debt on anyway in fear of your retaliation. The Tyrells have never been entirely secure in Highgarden, it wouldn't be too difficult to prop up another claimant and they know it."
The Braavosi looked at him in silence. "It is an interesting proposal, King Stark. Yet it still hinges on your victory over the Targaryens, why would I back you?"
"Let's not play these little games, Master Nestoris. I haven't lost a single battle yet and have defeated Tywin Lannister, long thought to be the greatest general in Westeros. I have beaten back and decimated the armies of the Reach and my vassals have thrown the ironborn from my shores. My allies have defeated another incursion in the Vale and defeated the Targaryens at sea. My numbers are greater than ever and the majority of them are battle-hardened veterans of many a campaign by now. You know this and I know this. That is why you asked for an audience with us and not the Pretender. It is why you are here. Do not presume me to think you wouldn't be here if you didn't think we would win."
A little annoyed, the Essosi man seemed to acknowledge his thoughts. "You both support this proposal?" He asked his allies. Both men nodded.
"How would you divide your parts? Surely you wouldn't equally share in the debt with your different strengths?" Tycho Nestoris asked with a smile. It was clear he wanted to play them out against each other, maybe to get them to pay more than they proposed.
"We have already agreed upon that." Lord Davos simply replied.
"You have?" The man asked, a little surprised.
All three of them nodded. "The Vale will simply pay one ninth necessary as one region of Westeros. In total a little over one hundred and thirty-three thousand golden dragons." Lord Harrold spoke up.
"The Stormlands will pay one ninth plus thirty percent of the Crownland debt, seeing we will retain the islands of the Narrow Sea and the lands south of the Blackwater. This will total at one hundred and seventy-two thousand golden dragons." Lord Davos added.
"We will pay two ninths, for both the North and the Riverlands. In addition, we will pay seventy percent of the remaining Crownland debt, as we annexed the more fertile areas of the region. The total sum will be around three hundred and fifty thousand golden dragons." He spoke the last part slowly, to make the Braavosi understand how big his part in this was.
It seemed the man understood. "You pay more than half for your allies, even with your lands ravaged by war?" The man tried to chip away at their unity once again.
"Aye, it is only just to do so. Besides, with the funds we have and will continue to reap in the Westerlands we can repay you easily enough." His message was clear. You need me, not only to pay my own debt but also to force the Westerlands and Iron Isles in submission.
Both seemed to understand each other, yet the long-bearded Essosi tried one last time. "How will you pay all the other debt? The Iron Throne owed many millions I was told. Will you pay those in the same manner?"
He smiled at the weak effort. "No, most of those were owed to the Lannisters, Tyrells and the Faith. Those debts are permanently cancelled and are of no consequence to us."
The Braavosi once again went through his beard in thought. "You vow to aid us in collecting the debt from the other regions?"
"Aye," he simply replied. His allies also agreed.
"I believe we might come to an agreement then. Although I would like to look it over once more before we put it on paper."
A sigh of relief came from his left, where Lord Harrold was sitting. He internally groaned at the inexperience of the man to show his emotions like that. However, it didn't seem to have any consequences.
They respectfully bowed to each other and agreed to finalize the details on the morrow. Once everyone was gone, he sat back down at Lord Buckler's desk. He pulled out the maps of the surrounding areas once more and started checking his future battle plans for possible weaknesses. After a few minutes, he was disturbed by a knock on the door.
Upon his call, a guardsman stuck his head inside. "What is it Wyndar?" He asked the veteran who had fought with him in all his battles so far.
"Lord Nestoris is back here, Y'r Grace. Says he wants to discuss some more details."
"Let him in." He simply responded.
"Ah, King Robb. Excuse me my simple Essosi tricks, but I had the feeling you and I had more to discuss in private." The man explained his presence.
"What may that be?" He asked, although this had been his plan from the start. He hadn't thought he would come back so quickly though.
"Well, your importance in this plan is not to be understated. You will pay a little of over a third of the debt yourself and it is clear you are the man I need to talk to if I want the parts owed by your enemies repaid. Now I ask you, what is it you want." The Braavosi simply responded, lifting his right eyebrow in the process.
He smiled at the apparent bluntness of the question. He always felt more at ease with a blunt demand rather than sweet-powered words and suggestions.
"Trade, I want trade. I will need to feed my kingdom through the coming winter. The North lacks food as it always has and the Riverlands fields and stocks are largely destroyed. We have managed to replenish some of the stores and animal stock with what we raided in the Westerlands, but it is not enough. Especially not without the export the Riverlands normally promise the North."
"You want a preferential trade agreement for our food exports." The man mused, his hands once again finding the way to his large beard.
"Aye and a good price for it too. In return, I promise you the payment of eight ninths of the Westerosi debt without any effort on your end. I also offer you the future markets of the North, the Riverlands and the former Crownlands. In the past, you only had to deal with King's Landing. Now, you will have to deal with many different kings, tariffs and markets. I promise you access to over half of Westeros. I give you White Harbor, Maidenpool and Duskendale. I give you access to the Blackwater and the river systems of the Riverlands."
"Not King's Landing?" The man asked surprised.
"The city will be greatly reduced in importance. In time, I plan for Duskendale to outshine it. It will be a border town in my kingdom, instead of the beating heart of a continent. Yet, if you wish it you will have access to it."
Tycho Nestoris nodded. "A big proposal, you offer much for a simple food agreement throughout winter."
"Not simply for this winter. For every winter there is to come. In addition, I would also like a general trade agreement. I have some things you and your city want. We can sell it to you over any others, if you allow our traders entry to your docks." He replied.
"What may those things be?" The Braavosi asked, clearly intrigued.
"Wood … your trading fleets need constant replenishments and your native forests have long been diminished. The North has it in abundance. Be it around Karhold, in the Hornwood, the Wolfswood or other places. We could supply you with wood for a thousand years without noticing it. On top of that, we can supply furs. Aye, Braavos is a little more to the south than Winterfell, but from what I hear the cold sea winds still bother you in winter. There should be a great market for thick Northern fur with the coming cold."
"I'm impressed, King Stark. How long have you been planning this?" The banker asked him.
"For a while," he laughed. He had spent many hours talking about it with Jon and the Manderlys on the march to Bronzegate. He knew this was his one chance to help his homeland. If this deal worked as he intended, they would not only recover much faster from the fighting that happened there. He would also be able to curb the historic population losses they always suffered in winter. He dreamed that it would be a first step to grow the population of the North. If he wanted to strengthen the areas on the western shores and the New Gift, he would have to repopulate them. He couldn't do that if the population fell back once again.
"I can tell. Well, Braavos would of course welcome such an agreement. However, I would need to have the agreement of the Sealord before it could come into effect. I am in a position to negotiate a possible treaty, but not in any position to ratify it."
"I understand. Yet, I believe it to be in the Sealord's best interests to accept, especially after the loss of large markets in Westeros, albeit momentarily."
"Yes, it might be. To make things clear. You expect a preferential position for your kingdom in our exports for food during the following winters. Let's say a term of sixty years, with a possibility to extend it after that? In return, you propose the same in exchange for furs during winter and wood all year round. You also expect a general trade agreement, I predict with reduced tariffs on both sides. On top of that you will open your towns and ports to us, if we do the same."
"Aye that's about it. I can even sweeten the deal a little more." He added.
"How so?" The man asked, clearly interested.
"I can offer you the same agreement with the Night's Watch. They have more wood than they know what to do with. It could diminish your dependency on your own lands and neighbors even more in this regard. They are absent from any conflicts between kings and squabbles over lands. It would mean an uninterrupted and guaranteed influx of logs for eternity if you wish it to be so."
"It could, but it would also slightly lower your exports. Why do this?" The banker asked.
"The Night's Watch is a shell of its former self. When it fails, it is House Stark's duty to pick up the pieces. All coin they make themselves is less me and my lords would need to pay for it to sustain itself. Besides, the forests have come too close to the Wall, or so I have been told. It would be much more secure if more of it was cut down. The stronger the order, the less worries for me and mine. If it costs me a bit of coin so be it." He shrugged at the end.
"I understand. I agree to the general premise of the proposal. I propose we meet again here in three days to finalize the numbers. I need to talk to some of my accountants and need to take a look at our trade in food, fur and wood before I can discuss the numbers. Besides, on the morrow we need to sign the debt agreement. Some work needs to be done for that as well."
He mused over the proposal. His army would need to rest for a few days and three days wasn't too long. Besides, he would need to discuss it with his lords. First and foremost, House Manderly, but the Karstarks, Umbers, Glovers and others about the fur and wood trade too. He would also like to talk to representatives of Houses Rykker, Mooton and Cox. The ports of Duskendale, Maidenpool and Saltpans could be important in this deal as well. He would also have to talk with his uncles. As their overlords, the Tullys might know more about their trading history.
"Aye, I agree. In three days, right after breakfast if it pleases you." He replied.
"It does." In a very un-Essosi manner. The banker clasped his hand. "It is a pleasure doing business with you, King Stark. I hope this to be the start of very good relations between my employer and your house."
"As do I, Master Nestoris." He responded, while nodding his head, somewhat mimicking the traditional Braavosi greeting.
This is it for this chapter!
With the Dragonpit, even more of the Targaryen legacy is crumbling. You get insight in Robb's army composition before the campaign in the Stormlands. 32k troops to begin with, but it will grow slightly on the march.
Trouble has come once more to the North, as Ramsey makes another appearance. Robb is annoyed with the situation of House Karstark and makes plans on how to deal with it. At the same time, he longs to go home to his family and see his rapidly growing daughter.
Robb and Lord Harrold finally have their meeting, yet the fate of the Vale is still undecided. The Stormlords arrive at Bronzegate and bring Gendry with them.
Finally, the talks with the Iron Bank take place. The debt is settled and a future trade agreement to feed the North is made.
I thank you all for your patience in waiting on this chapter and your continued support.
Fannic
Reviews:
- The darkwolf95: I won't but ensuring that might make uploads a little slower.
- Kuman: How do you think Robb handled the debt?
- Kingmanaena: What do you think of Gendry's role for now?
- Suprumes85: Glad you agree. Yes, poor Brienne … Tommen is still alive for now.
- Angeluszuko-z: They will have a long decade of rebuilding in front of them. The Stormlands are heavily damaged and have lost much of its armies and nobility. Even so, the war isn't over yet and more will die. Still, if they manage to win and be careful in their diplomacy, they could get a chance to fix all of that in relative peace.
- George Christian810: Thank you! I looked up the battle of Salamis as inspiration actually, although it plays out somewhat differently. Good eye to notice that! Brienne died because in canon, it was Catelyn who saved her. Without a Stark delegation, she would have stayed with Renly's corpse and she would have had no way to escape anymore.
- Greatazuredragon: You're welcome! Glad you like it.
- Force Smuggler: Thank you so much!
- Minatom: Thank you! What do you think about how Robb handled the Iron Bank? Glad you liked the naval battle. I have less experience with them, so I was less sure of how I handled it.
The Manderly fleet is very strong, although not the biggest for now. However, they could easily expand on it in future decades if they win this war. Jon's naval knowledge is a great boon to Robb/the North on the west coast. However, he would first invest in defending the lands and secondly in trade. Only after that could they begin to worry about a fleet (except for a handful of ships to protect your harbor). It might be that that would be generations after Jon and Robb.
I am still debating a possible Dornish POV on a certain chapter I will write. It's not out of the question, but it's not certain either.
- Poly19hum: Thank you for both the compliment and the kind words! I really appreciate it.
- Mlkoolc86: Thank you for the compliment. Glad you like the naval battle, I struggled with it a for a little while. Thank you for the kind words too, it means a lot!
- Praetorian96: The added benefit would be low. The political situation in the Stormlands has been established already and troop numbers etc. will soon be clear. There might be a Dornish POV on the side of the Targs, but I'm still debating that for myself.
- KEZZ1: Thank you so much for the compliment, you're very welcome.
- DrollPaladin: Interesting request. He will of course have heard beforehand, but I'll make sure to include vivid descriptions of their conversation in the future. Thank you for the hint!
- Rebfan90: Thank you so much!
- Iacopo Passerini: The Golden Company has managed to secure a lot of the Stormlands and thereby its stores. They will also receive supplies from Dorne. They are not in immediate danger there. However, morale might be lowering. Dany won't be spoiled for now.
- Guest1: Thank you very much! I will look into it, but it's getting a bit late to do so, no?
- Guest2: Thank you! He will only be so harsh against those supporting the Targaryens, as it is already their second chance (they were pardoned after the Rebellion). Other than that, he will only punish the most ardent supporters and advisors. In King's Landing, he just jailed most of the Western nobility, however Cersei's household guard was sent to the Wall. They hold little land or titles, although being good fighters/knights and are too loyal to free.
