Everyone, Thank you for your reviews and comments, I always read them even if I don't respond to them. I will respond to the last three* chapters in the next chapter (apologies about the lack of response to review - been a bit busy! If you have questions, ask them and I will def answer in the next one)
As always, please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think or if you have questions.
Note: If you would like to read ahead, the next three chapters after this chapter are available on P. .^T.^R.^E.^O.^N./ Boombox117
Mid to Late 114 AC – Claw Isle
Bartimos Celtigar POV
As they returned to the piers, they stood by as they watched the two and ten large ships fade into the distance and he saw his wife's expression breaking into a complicated look. A look he recognised very well.
"Time will fly by. We will soon enough speak with her again, my love." Bartimos said quietly to his wife who turned to look at him.
"A year is never soon, Barty." Cassella said, her expression cycling through a myriad of emotions before she looked away and back towards the ships. "It is strange, how a gift can be so cruel." His wife murmured mostly to herself but Bartimos couldn't help but agree.
To have spoken to his daughter, after years of not…
Prince Aegon had allowed them to speak with their daughter for the first time in years, through the magical contraption known as a glass candle. It had shocked him, his wife and his father, to see magic so plainly when that piece of glass lit up like the morning sun, and even more so when a voice, Princess Gael's voice, had come about at the other end.
His father had been the first to understand what this means when he'd asked Prince Aegon if they were to speak with their family in Elamaerys, and it had caused his wife to almost wail in relief at the chance, completely casting away the reluctance and opposition to magic in that very moment.
And when they heard Daemera's voice, and immediately his daughter's voice…
Bartimos had not been spared from a strong grip of emotion, even if he had bared it with a hard face.
They'd talked for hours that day. Hours and hours, where they mostly let Valaena talk herself hoarse. Talking about all that she had done, from her sewing to her learning how to ride, from the dragons she lived nearby, one of which she had touched with her very hands – Cassella had been most displeased about that – and of course how much she missed them and how she wanted to go 'home'.
Bartimos could not maintain a heart of stone in the face of his daughter's quiet tone of voice and the desperate desire that was in her voice. However, he knew that his daughter would never find a better match in the Kingdoms than one of Prince Aegon's sons, even if it was at a colony.
Her future was secured.
Now more than ever with the wealth and fame Prince Aegon had secured for his line.
Her children will become dragonriders and her children would rule a portion of land that was larger than any single House in Westeros could offer her, even if it would take her own grandchildren to bear the fruits of that future.
In the face of all of that…how he could ever be selfish enough to take her away from that future? No. He had done the right thing in sending her with her aunt and uncle and matching her with one of Prince Aegon's sons.
And from what Valaena had said, the boys were fine boys whom she got along with, better than Prince Aegon's daughters at the least, whom Valaena had said she had difficulties with. Something which Prince Aegon had later clarified being the friction the girls had with each other after an argument that had been settled.
Yes. He'd done the right thing in sending her away. And soon enough, he'd get to speak with her again. A year would fly by. And one day, when the time was right, hopefully in time to see her wed, he would see her again. They would see her again.
Bartimos extended out his arm and the act caught her look and she turned to look at the arm before she took it, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "He should have told us sooner. We could have talked her sooner." She murmured.
Bartimos hummed. Yes, Prince Aegon could have told them sooner. He had the opportunity to do so at the Velaryons. Did he think they would have betrayed him?
"He could have stayed longer too. The Gods know that His Grace would have welcomed him longer at court." After Prince Daemon had died, the King had sequestered himself within the Red Keep and rumours had been rife.
Some of them spoke that the King wanted his only living brother to stay, to take Prince Daemon's place but that Prince Aegon refused. Then again, there were also rumours, dark rumours, that said that Prince Aegon had paid the Darry knight to murder his brother, or worse, used dark magic to twist the mind of the Darry.
That place was a snakepit…
His wife sighed again as they walked back towards their Keep and he saw her look back of her shoulder. "I should have gone with him." She murmured, a look of misery on her face.
"And leave the rest of our children motherless?" Bartimos remarked and she turned to him, a look of distraught on her face before she closed her eyes.
They had three children beside Valaena. Clement was his heir, one and ten namedays but the other two children, Arthor and Dacey, were much too young to be without their mother.
"We will be able to speak with her again come a year's end and within seven, we will be there to see our daughter be wed." Bartimos commented and it caused his wife to meet his gaze, who seemed to have calmed as she tightened her hand around his arm.
Prince Aegon had left a dragonglass candle in their care so as to allow them to speak with their daughter and their kin on Elamaerys regularly. It was a kindness that he was grateful for.
And similarly, he'd reached an agreement with his old friend that he and his wife would come to Elamaerys whenever they wished via Lys.
His heir, Clement, would be of age by the time his daughter was to be wed, wedding at seven and ten namedays to his second son Polaerys, much older than expected but it was a point that his old friend was insistent on for her safety, and it was the most opportune time to leave for Elamaerys.
She let off a small smile, even if was seemingly forlorn, but it was good enough for Bartimos who tapped her hand that was latched onto his arm.
"The day can't come soon enough though I can't say that I look forward to near enough a year's journey to this Elamaerys." His wife said as she upturned her nose.
From Claw Isle to Lys to Elamaerys…
Yes, it would be near enough a year, Bartimos thought. The journey to Lys was near three moons and from Lys to Elamaerys that was about five moons, given that it took that long from the Summer Isles.
Truthfully, he was quite interested in how they were charting their way. To be that long on the water…how did they ensure they were not lost?
"It won't be quite a year but yes…it'll be a difficult journey." Bartimos said to his wife. And that journey shielded Elamaerys quite substantially and it was doubtless that Prince Aegon depended on that. He knew his old friend well. He'd mentioned the length of the journey several times during his stay at the Red Keep.
"Hmm. Mayhaps he uses magic to make the journey go faster." His wife said though it was said with a much quieter tone of voice, as if she feared being overheard despite there being no one around them for many paces.
"I would say I doubt it but I cannot say truthfully I know what is possible and what is not." Bartimos admitted. Given what he has seen with the glass candle, and what he'd seen Prince Aegon do that night at the campfire when he'd placed his hand in the fire without burning…
Suddenly the tales of Myr didn't seem so unbelievable anymore.
"Do you think he had a hand in Prince Daemon's…" his wife didn't dare finish those words and had stiffened slightly under the harsh glare he'd sent her way.
"Prince Aegon is many things but a kinslayer he is not." Bartimos said with a harsh tone of voice. "Do not repeat such words ever again, Cassella."
His wife looked suitably chastised under his words and he relented. "Prince Aegon has his enemies at that insipid court. Do not believe what those snakes have to say." He'd seen them twist things before. The lies they spun and the dishonour they tried to pin on his old friend. He wouldn't have his own wife believe those tales.
Especially since Prince Aegon had done nothing but honour his House more than anyone else had ever done from House Targaryen. Marrying two of its daughters to his sons, his brother Aethan rising to cast his name into legend and fortune by helping the Prince freeing an entire region from the bonds of slavery…
Prince Aegon has been good to his House. Even if he was capable of magic, it meant nothing. Did nothing to besmirch his name and his standing in his House.
"I know you are upset that you are separated from Valaena but though she misses us, it is clear that she's been well taking care of. Would a man of the ilk you insinuated him being have taken such good care of our daughter?" Bartimos continued, knowing what was at the root of her worries.
Cassella bowed her head. "No." she admitted. "No he would not have." She met his gaze and there was a bit of fire in her eyes. "That is not to say that I am unwarranted to be concerned about magic. His use of magic. The Seven say that it is most foul to use and he uses it despite his shows of piety and faith."
Bartimos hummed. Yes. Prince Aegon had shown himself to be most pious at court, and was known to visit the Sept in Kings Landing on multiple occasions. He was sure that Prince Aegon had not been that pious, if at all, when they'd been young men…
"Dragons are magic, Cassella. Would you say our overlords are most foul?" He knew it was unfair but in his eyes, there was little difference. Dragons were unnatural and a most blatant sign of magic. Yet they were accepted. Why? Because ultimately, magic was not the issue, he did not think.
The look of discomfort on her face made way for a look of petulance that made him reminisce back to their early days of marriage, when they had been but young.
"Do not put words in my mouth, husband. It is not the same." Cassella chastised and Bartimos' lips twitched.
She continued. "The dragons can be understood. They are beasts and the Targaryens control them. The kinds of magic Prince Aegon may be capable of is different."
"Perhaps. Yet it is magic that allows us to speak with our daughter." Bartimos pointed out and the words made his wife pause.
"Yes." She conceded, albeit reluctantly.
"And is that evil?" Bartimos posed to his wife. "To be able to speak with our daughter through magic? Does that make us evil for wanting to use it more?"
These words rendered his wife silent for a long moment as they continued to walk towards their Keep. Finally, she spoke up. "No, it does not."
Bartimos said nothing in response, having decided that the topic was closed. He might have been apart from his friend for a decade, but he still saw his old friend in that scarred face of his. He was the same as he was on that cold night.
His friend still had a good soul even if he's grown up to become more than Bartimos ever thought he'd be.
A conqueror in the mould of his ancestor, the greatest of his House.
And…a Dragonlord that was reminiscent of the old tales his kin used to regale him with when he'd been but just a boy.
Tales of sorcery.
They continued to walk towards their Keep and finally, after some time, they made it back to Clawkeep, a castle that overlooked the rocky cliffs that faced Crackclaw Point.
"My Lord, your father awaits you in his solar." One of the houseguards said to him and soon enough, he was on his way to his father's solar.
He arrived at his father's solar and a muffled call from within called him forth. He saw his father huddled over his desk reading a letter.
"Father?" Bartimos asked curiously and his father looked up, and, with a silent gesture of the hand, his father ushered him closer. His father lifted the letter in his hand towards Bartimos and Bartimos took it, curious as he was.
His eyebrows raised at the letter that came from the King and it rose even higher when he read what it was about. "Prince Aegon did say he told the King about the bastards but I thought that'd be the end of it." Bartimos said with a hint of incredulity in his voice.
"As did I." His father said gruffly. "But it seems the King has interest in the two bastards." Bartimos looked up from the letter and towards his father. Though he was stone-faced, he could tell enough that his father wasn't exactly happy.
"For now it seems like he wants to be kept apprised to their raising." His father stated.
"Do you think that'll change?" Bartimos asked as he sat down opposite his father.
"For the good of the realm, I hope not. It would be better for the bastards to never know the seed from which they came." His father said and Bartimos couldn't help but agree to that sentiment.
Bastards were dangerous. Royal Bastards even more so. They were treacherous by nature, it was in their very blood with how they were borne. There was no need to invite such treachery into the heart of the realm.
"I've ordered the marriage to occur at the eve. There will be no further delay." His father said. The woman, Falena, was to be wed to one of the horse-keepers Gerren, a man of nine and ten namedays of age, and who had the looks of Old Valyria.
They'd already spoken with him and the man had agreed to claim the boys as those of his seed. The coin Prince Aegon had left behind and the house he was to be granted were a good motivator to accept the bastards as his own.
That and of course suitable matches for any children that come from their union, including his trueborn sons being permitted to squire and become knights.
"The problem will be the woman." Bartimos commented. 'And the King' Bartimos thought to himself silently. If the King did not let this lie and let the bastards live as they ought to live, far from the temptations that was in their blood…
"The horse-keeper will report any treachery on her side." His father stated. "And if she proves to be treacherous, the bastards will become motherless." Bartimos sat a little uneasily at the harshness. His father continued. "But it won't come to that. She knows what will become of her. What could become of her sons." His father looked him directly in the eyes. "She won't be a problem."
Bartimos nodded at that. His father raised his hand and Bartimos returned the letter. "It is a shame that Prince Aegon didn't take these bastards with him as he did with the bastard girl. Or at least leave them where he found them."
He'd seen the bastard girl of Prince Daemon's in Aegon's arms. It seemed like his old friend had grown attached to the bastard child. "Better they remain here instead of causing trouble there." Bartimos stated. He did not doubt that his old friend had left them here for that exact reason.
A bastard girl could be tolerated but two bastard boys? Of the seed of the tempestuous Prince Daemon?
"Hmm. Yes." His father said and there was a glimmer of approval in his father's eyes. A glimmer that soon disappeared. "I have sent ravens to the Sunglasses and the Bar Emmons to inform them that the ships have departed."
The Sunglasses, the Bar Emmons and House Thorne had all each sent several kin to Claw Isle to join up with Prince Aegon when they learnt that the Velaryons were too sending some of their kin to join Prince Aegon.
The news of Aethan's success and the news of the Velaryons had struck something at the Houses and they were keen to find themselves a branch of their House at Elamaerys, something that Prince Aegon had not opposed.
Though he'd only agree to allowing them to set up a branch if they would agree to serve for five years on Velos and keep order to the town in his name.
Prince Aegon intended the town to be an outpost of a sort that was rebuilding the ruined island into something worth holding to.
The brother of Lord Thorne had been the only one to refuse these terms.
The others had agreed and the men would serve at Velos whilst their families, if they had any, would leave for Elamaerys.
"That is all." His father said and Bartimos nodded at that before he stood up and left his father to his work.
-Break-
Late 114 AC – Lys
Johanna Swann, First Magister of Lys POV
The knock made her pause in her writing, her eyes turning towards the door. She wasn't expecting anyone at this time…
"Come in." She said after a moment. There were only a few persons that could be let in to the First Magister block within the Commune building by her guards and with Aegon having left only this morning…
Her guards opened the door and escorted by two of her guards, came in Lysandro Rogare, a boy of now five and ten namedays old, almost a man grown now.
He did not yet look the part, boyish looks still gracing his features, boyish looks that already was very pleasing on the eye, which wasn't surprising considering who the boy's parents were. His father had been a handsome man and his mother no less beautiful.
"First Magister." Lysandro said with an easy smile accompanied with a respectful tilt of the head. There was one thing that belied his age, however. And it was the sharpness in his eyes. That was nothing inherited. No…that had come from staring death between the eyes and coming away with it intact. More or less. And thanks to Johanna. A debt that would not be repaid any time soon, Johanna thought.
Nor would let the boy forget that.
"Lord Rogare. I have been expecting you." Johanna returned the greeting before she waved away at her guards, who bowed and left her alone with the still standing Lysandro.
"Please sit." Johanna intoned as she gestured towards the seat opposite her desk.
Lysandro took her up on her offer and sat down, before he took to look around in her office. This was his first time in her office. Normally, it was his mother that came to grace her office and represent the interests of her family.
"Wondering how you will fit out this office when you win the election in a few decades?" Johanna asked with a teasing smile on her face.
She thought it almost certain that Lysandro, or his brother, would one day choose to run for the office of First Magister of Lys.
The Rogares were popular within the city, amongst both the commonfolk and the nobility. At least the nobility that weren't exiled from Lys or under submission.
The Rogare Bank, in conjunction with herself and other key conspirators, had divvied up the industries within Lys that belonged to the families of the Eleven Lysene Magisters that sat upon the High Council and belonged to other merchant families that had been determined to be dispossessed of their assets.
With monopolies held by families breaking and shops and textile and goods factories turned over to smaller operations in the hands of selected commonfolk who in turn hire other Lysene, with most of them coalescing into Guilds, the average Lysene had a greater income than before, with the spared noble families holding shares in some of the larger factories which they were advised to bankroll.
Especially now that the trade alliances were bearing fruits.
Lysene colourful textiles – fine wools, linen and velvet – was proving to be a major success in the Summer Isles, especially with more of it becoming accessible to the commoners of these islands.
The rate of production in their textile industry had soared ever since their rebellion had succeeded, and it tripled ever since the trade agreements with the Summer Islander representatives had been reached and the plentiful supply of dyes from Lysene owned dye-making factories in Tyrosh.
A greater rate of production and a significant drop in prices of dyes thanks to their investments in Tyrosh helped drive down the prices of textiles, allowing them to sell the textiles of lesser quality at a price that garment makers in the Summer Islanders could sell dresses and clothing at prices available to commoners there.
Similarly, with the greater availability of dyes to the textile makers in Lys, more colourful patterns – often in feather or leaf patterns – could be made and the Summer Islanders, particularly the nobles and the merchants there, loved it.
Similarly, they've increased the production of Lysene perfumes and beautification elixirs on Lys, with many new perfumes being made thanks to enterprising individuals now that the monopoly chokehold by the few families was removed, which was proving to a greater hit in the Summer Islands than their wines were.
And it wasn't just these industries either. There was a growing sector of merchant companies who have grown to recognise an important gap: that the Summer Islanders were a rich material land but very poor in gold and silver.
With the Summer Islanders now opening up fully, at least to Lys and Liberty Bay, so too had opened up the profitability.
The Summer Islanders preferred to pay in goods instead of gold or silver, often times those goods being emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds.
All of which was plentiful in the lands of the Summer Isles.
And so, these merchant companies, which included companies headed solely by merchant families, were growing richer and richer as they bought Lysene made goods and sold them on at the Summer Isles in exchange of these precious gems, which in turn are sold in cities like Lannisport, Qarth and Braavos, which had grown somewhat used to a steady supply of precious gems thanks to Aegon and his people, which she was now hoping to fill.
And with more Westerosi ships coming to Lys, particularly from the Westerlands, the Reach, Driftmark and Dorne, purchasing these goods along with paintings, sculptures, and many more artisan goods, it was clear to the common people of Lys that this was a time of good fortune – if you worked for it, which was relatively easy given that there was more demand than there was supply at the present time.
Much of the good fortune was directly attributed to her and her compatriots which, of course, included the Rogares.
And with the Rogare Bank willing to provide generous terms with their loans, which anyone with a decent head on their shoulders should be able to take advantage of and set up their businesses without much danger given how sought after their goods are – especially once Johanna pushes these merchant companies to travel further East in earnest to sell Lysene wares – the Rogares were set to be a staple in Lysene society, more than they already were.
"I am content enough with my present role as Chairman of the Rogare Bank, First Magister." Lysandro said as he turned to look at her, a faint smile on his face.
Lysandro had fully ascended into the role of Chairman six moons ago, having been deemed competent enough for the role. There had been some pushback, citing that Lysandro was far too young though in reality it was because the position has become far more powerful than it had been ever and few of the subdued noble families wanted to see a Rogare that is so closely allied to the 'usurpers' fill the position.
The four dozen or so noble families that'd survived the rebellion intact, minus a head and a few members of their families, such as the Mopanar family, were still the major source of discontent within the new order, even if they were doing it through official channels.
Most of them retained their wealth, minus the monopolies and assets deemed too important to the prosperity to Lys, and so retained significant amount of influence.
Without the Rogare Bank, they would have an easier way to have members of their faction elected within the city if they only had to compete with Johanna's faction which although wealthy and popular were not insurmountable, especially since they had all, more or less, come to acceptance that the Old Ways of Lys were largely dead.
A false move or the wrong word, the commonfolk of Lys, the former slaves in particular, would see them hang if they threatened the new order.
Nonetheless, their influence still paled in comparison to hers and once she issued her support of Lysandro's accension, it had been the end of it. She and her cohort had done well to defang the remaining noble families and the merchant families from their physical power with the rules she and the Council had instituted in Lys, rules that prevented private armies being held by anyone.
"But my brother could be tempted." Lysandro said with a coy smile on his face. "In a few decades of course. After you had your fun and retire in luxury." he added.
Yes, undoubtedly. And it wouldn't just be tempting for Drazenko. It would also be tempting for Lysandro. To have his brother rule as First Magister whilst Lysandro ruled as Chairman of the Rogare Bank…
"May that time be many years from now." Johanna said with an amused glint in her eyes before she sat back in her chair, eying the boy, the young man, intently.
Lysandro understood her look and his smile fell from his face as he began. "I must congratulate you, Lady Swann" he began, addressing her by her title instead of her position, which was indicative of what this meeting was for. "- for regaining parity with my family in shares in my bank again." Lysandro said with a bland look though from his eyes alone, she could see that he wasn't happy at all.
Not surprising, after all.
After reaching an agreement with Aegon before the rebellion, she'd owned thirty percent of the Rogare Bank even if she kept the keyholder seats save for one whilst the Rogares kept their fifty percent untouched, something that undoubtedly pleased the Rogares to have a majority share in their Bank once more.
However, now with Aegon returning those shares to her, even with the strings attached as he so aptly remarked, she once more had parity with the Rogares about the Bank, something that of course Lysandro was incredibly unhappy of.
"Just as I have you to thank in convincing our friend in not taking away all of his coin." Johanna stated with a light smile on her face.
Aegon had taken out three million out of the Rogare Bank and from what her spies were telling her, it was possible that he'd intended to take out the almost seven million gold coins from the Bank, only for Lysandro to convince him to keep a significant portion of the gold in the Bank.
The bland look remained on his face but she could tell she had hit a nerve. Undoubtedly because he thought that his ranks were closed. One of the benefits of being such an important figure in the Rogare Bank, whilst also being the First Magister, was that there was nothing hidden from her from within the Bank.
Even amongst those Lysandro considered to be loyal.
If she wanted to know something…she'd know.
"Hmm. Yes. Of course you know." Lysandro commented and she watched him relax slightly. "I take it no one else knows?" he asked blandly but he was several decades too young to be able to suitably hide his nerves.
"Of the major capital flight?" Johanna asked wryly. If people knew that Aegon, a close ally of hers personally and an ally of Lys, was taking away his coin from the Bank…well, let's just say that some people might get a bit nervous at that.
And with the Braavosi on their shores…
"No, no one else knows. For now." She stated. Of course, in the next Keyholder meeting, they would have to disclose the drop in coin the Bank has, but with the Keyholders being her and the Rogares' men, they could keep it quiet from anyone else.
"Good. I have already begun taking measures to ensure it is kept quiet." Lysandro said and there was a look in his eyes that suggested that he wanted her to do the same. She nodded slightly. After all, it was in all of their interests to keep it quiet.
"What did you agree with him about to prevent his total flight?" Johanna asked and the curiosity was quite genuine. From what she knew, the discussions had happening behind closed doors just between the two men.
Lysandro smiled blandly. "It was a private discussion, Lady Swann. I am not one to disclose the affairs of one of the most important clients of Rogare Bank."
Johanna raised her eyebrow at those words. "I see. In that instance, what can I help you with?" she merely asked.
Lysandro lost the smile at that. "That's it? No enticing, no threats, nothing?"
"Whatever you agreed with Aegon is quite immaterial. With his removal of his interests in the running of the Rogare Bank, which happened before he went into your Bank, also came a removal of involvement that is key to the affairs of Lys." Johanna said to him.
With the Rogare Bank, they invested quite heavily in Liberty Bay, competing with Braavos, and taken controlling interest in many areas of Liberty Bay, including several tin, copper and iron mines, which was similar with what they were doing in Lys proper.
The Rogare Bank bought Lys influence and sway within the city itself and in cities that would soon prove to be a fertile ground for commerce, and Aegon's removal in the affairs of the Rogare Bank was much appreciated.
Even under the circumstances.
She didn't need to know, not right know at least, what exactly Lysandro has spoken with Aegon about, even if she was interested in what they might have talked about.
After all, Lysandro was inconsequential, as the Chairman of the Rogare Bank, to the games Aegon was playing and nothing they had discussed, or agreed, would be anything that affected Lys in any meaningful way.
"And whatever you might have offered him as the Chairman of the Rogare Bank, I will learn eventually anyway thanks to the system you've championed." Johanna added, unconcerned as she was to tell him about one of the means she'd use to get her answers.
The new audit system those two scholars of Aegon had come up with, which Lysandro had implemented with the same vigour as he'd done with the double-entry bookkeeping, made it more difficult to cover up trails. And of course, she would learn it from her spies within the organisation if all else failed.
Besides, she was quite sure that Aegon had kept his and that of his people's coin in the Bank so as to allow a means of those same two scholars to purchase goods his people needed from that Consulate post he was creating nearby the Commune.
Irrelevant.
"You should be interested in what we discussed, Lady Swann, for it was not done in my capacity as Chairman" Lysandro said with a cocked tilt of the head, a smile on his face that was predatory. "His involvement in Lys will soon be rooted in more ways than one."
Her eyes narrowed before she let up and stared at him intently, which he met without difficulty. Hmm. The boy had come a long way from how fearful he'd been when he'd signed over a large chunk of his family asset years ago in exchange of ensuring the survival of himself, his siblings and his mother…
"And what would this involvement be?" she asked and he smiled blandly at her.
"I would be willing to part with this information with information about why he gave up his shares to yourself." Lysandro said and it was rather blunt, unrefined.
She smiled amused at the young man and his…antics. Smart he may be, but he was years too young to be play this game.
She leaned forward and picked up her quill. "Not interested. You may go, Lord Rogare." Johanna said before she looked away from him and began her work once more.
She had much to do, after all. She didn't have time to deal with this.
With Braavos growing into a much larger threat and Myr proving to be a larger headache than anticipated…then there was the more immediate danger in Volantis which Aegon had suggested was being taking over by fanatics…
She began to write and when she had finished her sentence, she looked up from her parchment and towards Lysandro who looked a little unnerved. "You're still here?"
This comment made him slightly red and she quirked an eyebrow at that and the boy grimaced before he spoke up. "You really want to know what I know."
"I will learn it soon enough." Johanna remarked dryly before she began to write. And she would. If this…involvement was significant enough, she would learn of it, one way or another. She only needed to be patient.
"If you don't leave in the next few moments, don't think I won't have you escorted out, Lord Rogare." Johanna commented without looking up from her parchment.
"Fine. I will tell you." Lysandro said with frustration in his voice and Johanna looked up to meet his frustrated gaze and she only gave him a look before he continued. "He wants to bind the nobility of Lys with his own people."
"Oh?" Johanna mused aloud, not doing much to keep the surprise out of her voice.
"Why?"
At this, Lysandro smirked a little. "He plans to ennoble many of his men and wants 'appropriate brides' for his men or their sons." At this, Johanna paused for a moment to think it over.
"A reward." Johanna mused before she met his gaze. "And I presume you will be facilitating this?" The Rogares did have bonds still with the nobility. Even the subdued nobility that had been spared from the culling and the exile.
"In return for him not removing all of his capital." She added.
"I have agreed to this, yes." Lysandro commented and she narrowed her eyes slightly at the way he said that. Undoubtedly, there was more that he was not saying. Lysandro continued. "Of course, it won't happen now. Not as these men are."
She'd met a few of these men of Aegon's. They were little better than common sellswords with not a hint of noble blood in their veins. The saving grace was that most had the looks of old Valyria about them.
It wasn't enough.
No, what would be the most enticing part for any of the noble families was the relationships these men had with Aegon. And it would be more enticing for the subdued noble families who would see this for the opportunity it was.
"I see." Johanna commented before she met his gaze, a hard look entering her eyes.
"You agreed to facilitate this, a matter that has the possibility to threaten Lys' stability, without any agreement from any member of the Council of Lys?"
This made the young man stiffen slightly before he relaxed and met her gaze. "This matter is not a concern of the Council of Lys, nor that of the First Magister. Marriages in themselves are no threat to Lys, nor should they ever be allowed to become anything more than marriages, First Magister. And besides, given that Lys is in an alliance with Elamaerys, surely the First Magister is not worried that our ally could ever become a threat to the future of Lys?"
For a moment they stared at one another before she broke out an amused smile. "Very well." She said. It was true, after all. The marriages shouldn't be a threat. If anything, it would help solidify the alliance more than one that was brokered by Aegon and Lys. Now, the future nobility of Elamaerys would have a familial link to Lys and thus create a means to entice Aegon to act in its defence.
Nonetheless, it also meant that acting against these families beyond a certain degree was going to be…difficult.
Which Lysandro knew very well. Which he would surely use as an angle to entice these families into agreeing to the matches, and, at the same, get further in their good graces, especially the subdued families, some of whom considered the Rogares as traitors.
Not that she thought he would help advance them. Lysandro was young to the game, sure, but he wasn't without his wits. Even an inexperienced young man would know empowering your enemies was folly.
"And your family? Are they included in this agreement?" Johanna asked.
At this there was a reaction that made Johanna raise her eyebrows. It seems like Aegon might have pushed on this and with this reaction…
It looked like it was a match that Lysandro wasn't fond of. Surely he wouldn't have sold his sisters to someone little better than a commoner?
"Lysara will marry Alton Celtigar, the sole son of Aethan Celtigar."
"One of the commanders." Johanna mused.
A second son of House Celtigar, the man had risen high amongst the ranks of Aegon's men. He was always likely to have done that, given his noble heritage, but it seemed like he'd had merits of his own.
"It is not a bad match." Johanna commented as she met his gaze and she saw him suppress a grimace. It might have been a sour look too.
"It is adequate." Lysandro answered and there was little inflection in his tone of voice. Lysara was the youngest sibling of Loryssa Rogare's brood, and from what she could infer, the most dearest of the family.
"Your mother agreed to this match?" Johanna couldn't help but ask. Whilst Lysandro had all but ascended to the Head of family, he was still young. Even in her homeland, it was not uncommon for regents to remain until the six and ten nameday.
"She has. It is an adequate match. Alton Celtigar will inherit his father's new title and lands from his father." 'Somehow I doubt she was all too pleased' Johanna mused as she watched the young man intently.
Yes, the Celtigars were a noble family, Valyrian even, but nonetheless, this was no match that would see the girl in comfort. Elamaerys might as pleasant as Lys in terms of weather but it was a place of nowhere.
It was a colony.
And colonies were hardly suitable places for ladies born into great wealth and great cities. 'Yes…Aegon likely pressed Lysandro into agreeing to this term…' she mused to herself.
"Was that all that you discussed with Aegon to get him to keep some of his coin in our Bank?" Johanna asked. The matter of appropriate matches for his men and their sons was something that honestly didn't surprise her. Not so much anyway.
In both the matter of adding more people to his precious Elamaerys and in dealing in unconventional ways to further his agendas. This time, the agenda was rather simple to understand. Reward for his men and thus increasing their loyalties to him by giving them noble ladies.
Still, she wouldn't be surprised if this idea had come from Lysandro directly either. It was a fine way to start building himself a coalition much like she'd done.
"There were other…requests, of course." Lysandro commented with a look that she understood well enough.
She remained quiet for a moment, considering it all. She would have to tell him anyway about threat of Braavos…
"Lives." Johanna said after a long moments of silence. "Settlers for Elamaerys." There was more, of course, but this was what interested Aegon the most.
He wanted fifty thousand settlers, of their choosing, over the next five and ten years, with an added provision to extend the agreement for another five and ten years with the same numbers in five and twenty years.
There was also an additional provision in the agreement to allow his people from this…Consulate, to recruit poor families at a maximum of five hundred persons every year. She had to set her foot down at that. He'd wanted two thousand.
An entire square of homes, homes that once belonged to fairly wealthy families, had been purchased by Aegon in the weeks he'd been in Lys which was not located far from the Commune, and would be turned into this Consulate over the next few years. Building works had already begun to create this building.
It would host the Consulate and representatives of Elamaerys, including an ambassador of a kind, and it was through this ambassador dealings with Elamaerys would be conducted…including the selection of these settlers.
Of course, she had not the authority as Lady Swann to agree to this so the terms were altered slightly so as to encompass a trade deal that she could sign off as First Magister, the representative of the Lysene government.
The porcelain wares that Aegon's people used to sell in Lys would be sold at a cheaper rate whilst Aegon would sell them a thousand Elamaeri Steel armours spread over ten years – even now, she doubted that the Steel wasn't actually Valyrian Steel – at a cost of two thousand gold coins each with future orders from Lys prioritised over anyone else.
Given that Aegon had a set price of ninety thousand gold coins for an Elamaeri Steel suit of armour, she didn't think there'd be the demand would be all that high, near Valyrian Steel or not….
"How many?" Lysandro asked with a frown on his face.
"A few. Nothing to concern yourself with." Johanna responded and Lysandro made a face but relented. He knew that he was lucky he was getting that much.
Of course, if he really was interested, he could learn from it from his mother in a few weeks when the next Commune was to be held. Her closest allies knew of the agreement, of course, but she would explain the agreement with the rest of the Councillors in that session.
"Not surprising I suppose." He finally said after a moment. "Though I'm surprised he would give up his shares in the bank for just that when there are plenty of colonists in Velos." He said as he met her eyes.
Smart boy.
Yes, it wasn't the only thing he'd wanted in return for the shares but it was the most significant. In all honesty, after what he'd told her – a week after they'd signed the agreement – she suspected he would have gifted it to her freely had she refused from the start so as to get what he wanted from the Braavosi…
Lysandro continued. "I've seen the contracts he's signed with several merchant companies. The amounts of food he's buying through the merchant companies…"
There were tens of thousands of people now on the Isle of Cedars with a good portion of that number in Velos. The forty thousand that had been on the Lysene Islands were now all on that island, ferried across to Velos on Myrrish Cogs after the last of those on the Disputed Lands had left under a year ago.
And from what she heard, the ruins of Velos were rapidly restoring into a proper city, especially with the amounts of workers that were coming from all around Liberty Bay. In ten years, it would look no different than an ordinary city.
"No, he has no real need for more settlers from Lys." Johanna said as she leaned back in her chair, piquing his interest. "If he had to, he would have turned over his share in the Bank without anything in return."
This confused the young man of five and ten namedays, no doubt wondering why he would have done that.
The Rogare Bank was rapidly becoming a powerhouse that extended out from just Lys. Their fingers were dipped in the economies of the Liberty Bay cities, Tyrosh and of course Myr.
With Lysandro deadly intent on making the Rogare Bank the greatest Bank in the world, that was only going to grow. To pull out of the Bank now…
It didn't make sense.
"He made a deal with the Iron Bank." These words from her lips caused Lysandro to stiffen and she could see the fury building in his eyes. She wondered how long it would last after what she had to tell him…
"What deal?" he asked with barely concealed anger.
"A deal to return something that was lost to his family. Something that Aegon prized beyond anything else." Which she imagined he'd gotten delivered to him during his stay in Lys. There had been Braavosi merchant ships at port and from one of these ships, one of her informants had seen Aegon's men taking a chest of some kind from it.
It hadn't taken her long to find out what the Braavosi could have that the Targaryens would want back. She hadn't known the tale but those from merchant families, those who she could trust and had dealings with Braavos, did.
And what a tale it was. Elissa Farman had absconded with Dragon Eggs to Braavos where she had sold them.
Jaehaerys found out about it and threatened Braavos with dragonflame, only to back down, his threat idle. Or, mayhaps more likely, rendered toothless under the threats of the Braavosi…the Faceless Men.
"What could be worth that much?" Lysandro asked with a look of incredulity before he frowned, the fury in his eyes dimming and she realised he was thinking properly again. "And why would he do that? What is it to Braavos…" Lysandro's eyes widened and she smiled and it wasn't a kind smile.
"Yes…you're beginning to see."
"They wanted him out of the Rogare Bank." Lysandro gritted his teeth but she could tell there was a glimmer of worry in his eyes. "They're seeing us as a threat."
"They are." Johanna confirmed. Likely they had not expected the Rogare Bank to be capable of posing as much of a hindrance as they were presently being in Myr.
They were offering competitive loans to the beleaguered noble families and whilst they were not able to get a dominant position in Myr, at least when it came to loading the noble families with debt to their Bank, they were able to force the Iron Bank to put in more resources and effort in pushing out the Rogare Bank from running amok in Myr.
And then there was the pushback Lysene Representatives were putting up against the Braavosi when it came to the disbanding of the slave trade and slave labour in Myr. The Braavosi wanted to implement a transition period of ten years whilst she and her Council were pushing for that transition period to be less than two years from the moment of agreement.
She knew exactly why the Braavosi wanted the transition period to be as long as possible...it was to save on the costs of the goods of the industries they were invested in.
And it was frustrating to say the least, mostly because it allowed the Myrrish to play them against each other with increasing effectiveness, but also because the Braavosi had increasingly looked like they were in it to only profit instead of also seeing Myr become a city without slavery.
And now they were escalating matters further…
Silently, she cursed Aegon's name for placing Lys at the forefront of this mess. She could only dread when the discussions about the compensatory settlement of granting fair rights to the former enslaved were to begin…
The divvying up of Myrrish assets was looking increasingly less attractive…
"Even without Aegon's warnings, we should have seen this coming." Johanna continued and Lysandro sat back in his chair, a concerned frown on his face.
"They will likely escalate further, won't they? Getting him, a Dragonlord, to disentangle himself from the Rogare Bank in return for whatever they had he wanted, will have made them bolder."
"Yes. Aegon was a measure of protection against their acting against the Bank, I suspect. A measure that won't be here anymore." Johanna stated before she directly stared into his eyes. "I have sent a ship to bring back representatives of the Rogare Bank to Lys." This angered Lysandro.
"So we will bend over like whores, no offence" Lysandro bit out, his face contorted in anger "just because the Dragonlord has done so?"
"I will ignore that comment this once because you're still young and I rather like your mother enough not to leave her with four instead of five children." Johanna said, her voice hard as she stared him down with a cold look, and the young man blanched slightly at her threat before he gritted his teeth, his eyes looking away.
"My apologies. The words were beneath me."
Johanna nodded slightly before she continued. "The Braavosi themselves are not what concerns me. What concerns me is the ties they hold to a rather troublesome bunch that we cannot afford them resorting to."
"The Faceless Men." Lysandro said with a sour look and Johanna was surprised by his knowledge. The Faceless Men were famed, of course, but Lysandro was still a young man. She wondered where he could have learnt of them…
"Yes, them. As it is, Lys competing with the Braavosi in this new status quo to become the most powerful Free City with the most influence. Pentos is isolated, Myr has been rendered into the poorest of the Free Cities and Tyrosh is an unstable mess." And Volantis was fast becoming a crazed place under the iron chains of the R'hllorists.
Then there was Norvos and Qohor. Norvos rarely involved itself in the power plays that was frequent amongst the Free Cities and Qohor was similar in this.
"If we push too much, too fast, we find ourselves in a position none of us want to be in." For it was certain that death would come for us that we would not be able to escape. "It is time to pull back slightly and reassess." This did not please Lysandro.
She wasn't surprised. He was still only a young man intent on proving himself. That in itself was a good trait to have but it also came with pride and pride was dangerous.
Lysandro remained silent for a long moment, staring directly at her and for a moment, a look she couldn't quite decipher passed across his face.
"You have something planned." Lysandro stated.
Good…he was regaining control over himself and was thinking.
"I do. It is clear the Braavosi view Myr almost as if it is their territory…we let them have it, for now. We pull back from Myr and pivot to somewhere else where they have grown lax."
"Liberty Bay?" Lysandro said with a frown on his face.
"Yes. After the Regency Councils of the cities banned further investment into their mines and their industries, the Braavosi have lessened their interest in the region." They did gain quite substantially before the ban. The Keyholder families had all managed to get their hands on assets in that region. More so than Lys.
"And how are we to take advantage from this when the ban also extends to us?"
"By reaching an agreement with the Regency Councillors." Johanna said with a trace of a smile on her face. "Whilst a number of mines are now wholly owned by the Braavosi, there are still many other mines that are in the hands of the cities."
Her smile grew. "These mines owned by the cities, though less attractive and less productive, have one particular characteristic that the cities can take advantage of."
Lysandro frowned, not quite seeing where she was going with this.
She continued. "People. Miners. The cities can directly employ their people to mine only mines that are owned by the cities. As it is, the mines owned by the Braavosi are paying the same rate as the other mines are, or at least there is little difference but with investment from the Rogare Bank to own a small fraction of the share in these mines, along with our influence with our friends in the Summer Isles…" They could offer greater wages, the cities offer better incentives and benefits…the list was endless.
"We can make the Braavosi mines unproductive." Lysandro finished, a small smile growing on his face but it did not last long. "The Braavosi will catch on, won't they?"
"Not if it dealt with delicately." She denied. "We won't own a significant share in these mines and it will appear as if the Regency Councils arrived at this strategy on their own."
Lysandro considered it before he spoke up again. "There isn't much benefit, payback, in this strategy." He pointed out.
"There is if we act as the third party in the trade. The Summer Islanders are a metal poor land, and this includes gold and silver. Both of which we have plenty and both of which we are able to gain relatively quickly with how many ships pass through our ports." And with her intent to increase the trade of their textiles, and Summer Islander gems, to more places in Westeros, they would continue to increase liquidity.
"Why would they agree? They have the ships now to make the trade themselves." Lysandro pointed out.
"Because we will sell them our fine textiles, our wines, our perfumes, at a cheaper rate to them and because we will offer them, a local chapter of the Rogare Bank and its accompanying services." Johanna said. The Bank was more than just an place that offered loans or acted as a place to store coin. It was a trusted institute.
With millions of people now free from slavery, there was a desperate need for a Bank of repute in their cities. With so many of its people now earning an income, having a save place to store their coin and a place to make transactions, loans, etc, and the Rogare Bank would be that place.
Lysandro considered her words for a long moments before he thought it over. "It could work but it would need a lot of work."
"Then it is good that I have the Chairman of the Rogare Bank sitting in front of me." Johanna said with an amused smile and Lysandro scoffed.
"I'm not sure it will be worth it, nor am I sure they would be willing to let us be this third party but fine…I am in." Lysandro said but then his expression changed. "You will promise me that this matter of the Braavosi isn't over."
"Will I?" Johanna questioned with a raised eyebrow at the words and the way it was said. Lysandro seemed to hold his nerve as he continued.
"The Braavosi can't be allowed to get away with meddling in our affairs. This will only be the beginning." Lysandro remarked with an unusual harshness.
He wasn't wrong however.
This was only the beginning. Now it was Myr…and later…why not Tyrosh?
That would not be something they could let go either. Not with the dye makers located there. And it wouldn't do any good either. There were some creatures that were core to the dyes that could only be found on Tyrosh, like the snail from which royal purple was harvesting from and was a base for many of the unique colours that proved to be extremely popular in the Summer Isles.
And then there was Lynoros which they were already beginning in creating with the few thousands of men they had placed there to build fortifications using the liquid stone.
She could see eventually the Braavosi pushing in on their quest to make the Disputed Lands into Lynoros.
"I agree. They will be dealt with in time." Johanna finally said and the look in her eyes seemed to make Lysandro satisfied.
"What other…requests did Aegon have of you?" Johanna said, changing the subject.
Lysandro was surprised by the change of subject before he looked a little put off. "He purchased a couple of Mints from the Rogare Bank and placed an order for another one."
Johanna let her eyebrows climb and Lysandro scoffed. "Yes, I had the same reaction but I suppose it makes sense. Given the spoils."
Yes…there were likely a swathe of different sized coins.
"Interesting…he may end up using common coin with Lys." She mused to herself. It wouldn't matter, of course, but it was interesting.
"Yes, I thought about that too. And the possibility of common coins across this alliance of ours." Lysandro said and she saw the look in his eyes. It seemed as if he was thinking of something she was unaware of.
She decided not to press on this. Ultimately, it would nothing but sate temporary interest. "Was there much more?" Lysandro shook his head.
"Only that he was placing a number of large contracts with a number of merchant companies for a range of things." Lysandro grimaced lightly. "If it continues, the coin he has in my Bank won't last too long."
No doubt all contracts supporting Elamaerys and Velos. Which was good for Lys and its people.
"He'll likely deposit more sooner than later. Transporting coin over such long distances from this Elamaerys cannot be easy. It would only make sense to have a way to pay for bulk purchases via the Rogare Bank."
Lysandro nodded though he wasn't completely convinced.
"That was it anyway." Lysandro said as he stood up. He sent her a last long look. "You will keep me informed about future happenings with my Bank, will you not?" The tone of voice he used was more a statement than a confirmation.
She smiled at him. "Of course, Chairman." She let off an amused smile which made him twitch a little but nonetheless he bowed his head stiffly and made out from her room.
It won't be long before he continuously challenged her, she mused to herself. She shook her head and began writing again, blissfully forgetting the disruption that had taken her from her work.
-Break-
Late 114 AC
Aegon woke up in a startle, consciousness fading back in as the ship bobbled over the waves, his hands that held the dagger tightening for a brief moment before he relaxed and let his head fall on the pillow, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.
He wasn't able to relax for long though.
"Ah, finally you're up. Your mutterings were becoming a nuisance. More than usual." His uncle's acerbic tone of voice made Aegon tilt his laying head towards the man.
His uncle was in the far corner of the cabin room, seated behind a desk that lay beside his bed, huddled over Aegon's notes on Statistics and Probability after he'd finished off another set of mathematical notes, though both of these subjects had been Aegon's strongest subjects in mathematics thanks to his education and his career in his old life.
He'd known his uncle was a difficult man to be around but his memory had served to dull how difficult he really was…
It was a shame he couldn't give his uncle the other smaller cabin, if only to add a barrier to himself at least this early in the morning but it was were Larissa and Maegelle slept. He wouldn't have minded Maegelle being in his room but the girl liked to wander too much and with his night terrors…
Aegon sighed again, this time silent, before he stood up from his bed. Rex, the old girl whined softly as she lay beside his bed and Aegon greeted her with an affectionate rub of the head, which made the old girl's tail waggle.
"When you're done cleaning your stench off, come here and explain to me what you mean with this Uncertainty theorem." His uncle remarked and Aegon's eyebrow twitched before he shook his head and took of his tunic and made way towards the large deep bowl that sat upon a platform on the other side of the room.
He took the towel that was by the flagrant bowl and dosed it into the bowl before he used to clean his body from its natural scent, methodically cleaning up every crook and cranny around his body, even dipping the towel in his undergarments to clean his goods. After he was done, he took up the wooden stick that functioned as toothbrush, and using a paste of mints, he cleaned his mouth with it.
He was starting to get an ache in the back of his teeth and though he did cleanse his teeth at least a few times a week, he hadn't done it properly ever since Corinth. His teeth, despite the lack of oral care for many years, were naturally strong and had little problem with decay, thanks to his diet, but now that he was getting older, he needed to take more of it.
He would have to introduce oral hygiene to his people at some point…
Soon enough, he was done with the first part of his morning cleansing ritual and began his exercises, simple exercises such as press ups and sit ups with a few forms of squats mixed in the sets.
It was some time later that he was done and after cleaning himself again with the towel, he put on a fresh tunic and the belt that held his daggers, before he finally made his way towards his uncle, who had ignored his presence the entire with the way he was steeped in Aegon's notes.
Since before they left Claw Isle, Aegon had given Vaegon all of his notes on statistics and probability, ranging from regression analysis to uncertainty principles. His uncle, though clever, was largely unused to these principles which were mostly theoretical with only a few of them proofed as Aegon wasn't exactly a real mathematician.
He had used these principles in his work, yes, but he was not an expert. And it was exceedingly difficult to figure out how to come to the end result, the basis of the techniques and formulae, so much of what he'd written was mostly observations with many examples and ideations.
No, Aegon was no mathematician and he knew it. But what he did have, was foresight and an ability to steer better minded peoples to the right track.
And he was doing so. He had a number of scholars who were dedicated to particular subjects of mathematics, such as Jollos Foren, who for example, was fast becoming an expert in all matters geometry and had taken on a number of students to help with some of the geometric problems he was having trouble reconciling.
Some others were entirely devoted to arithmetic and algebra, whilst again there were others who were more focused on creating and furthering mathematical relationships or expressions such as differentiation, integration, and so on.
"Explain to me" Vaegon began as he tilted the parchment towards him. "This concept of probability distribution and why it is different from variability." Aegon didn't have to see the parchment to know what his uncle was talking about. The parchment had a number of graphs, distributions with explanations and formulae that described relationships and likelihoods of true values of uncertain quantities.
Aegon began to describe in depth what he meant with all of this, how it was all related, and why there was a difference between uncertainty and variability, the latter being a distribution of frequencies of multiple instances of said quantity, which differed significantly from uncertainty which was a probabilistic determination instead of confirmed or derived value gotten from observation.
He used a few examples, namely that of his war against the slavers, and he used the weather to deepen the observations in his theories.
His uncle understood most of it, asking questions here or there, often times contesting his interpretation, at times forcing Aegon to dive deep in his knowledge to come up with an argument to support his theories, which truthfully required him more to connect the dots in the present rather than relying on old memories that was far more vague than it was clear, and before they knew it, it was noon and time to eat, both of them having ignored and forgotten the morning meal.
And as they ate, their broths, bread and wine having been brought to them, they continued their discussions about uncertainty which led into other topics of probability, and it was times like this that reminded Aegon why he never quite got enough of his uncle and kicked him out, despite his acerbic nature.
It also reminded him of how wasted the Citadel was. The Maesters were not unaware of mathematics, of course. If anything, they were the greatest collectors of mathematical works from around the world, and likely the most competent mathematicians in the Known World.
They knew algebra, which used Common Tongue and Numerological equivalences, which they used it calculate the motions of the stars – which they confused for planets – and they used it in geometry.
They knew how to use quadratic interpolation, they were even aware of differentiation just as they were aware of non-Euclidean geometry.
The Maesters honestly quite competent in mathematics. The only problem was that is all they were. Competent. They learnt what was known and only what was known, never building on the foundation of knowledge.
Even the Maesters were did not specialise multiple subjects, focusing only on a few, did little to further the body of knowledge of the Citadel.
They knew what others knew and that was all there was to know. If Aegon was being honest, there was one thing that could revolutionise the Citadel and truly kick off a golden age…and that was the scientific method, a culture that promoted observation and questioning and testing and analysing and deriving a conclusion that others were free to test and argue for or against. That and of course opening up research and knowledge to a wider audience.
This was the only thing they really lacked and it was to his greatest favour that the present culture of the Citadel would prevent them from leapfrogging his Elamaerys in the decades and centuries to come…
After Aegon finished his meal, he left Vaegon to his work and made it out of his cabin, walking along the length of his ship before he made it to deck. They were about to make the pass around shattered Valyria and would be at Velos within the fortnight.
Half of his people were now at Velos, having started the relocation during his campaign in the Disputed Lands and were under the management of Ser Maero and Keller who oversaw the colony development with the help of Uthrik and a few thousand Unsullied who volunteered.
The massive influx of people, near enough a hundred thousand people in Velos and its immediate surroundings, necessitated this increase of the presence of his people, including in managing the logistics of feeding these people, which was admittedly quite a significant drain as wheat, barley and more was near enough a daily deliverance from all around Liberty Bay, from the Summer Isles and from Dorne.
They would have to keep a constant presence in Velos for a long time, especially with what Baerros proposed the city to be for Elamaerys, and he was considering ensuring that a large chunk of the Isle of Cedars was under Elamaerys control, even after most of the people of the Disputed Lands, and elsewhere, have been transferred to Elamaerys.
He wasn't even sure how many people were on that island, given that the Regency Councillors had sent people to the other side of the Isle of Cidars, where the exiled nobles were, to make the land productive, something that was slowly happening.
Fortunately, the lands took well to common crops, and with the advice that some of the Corinthian farmers, some who had come as part of the volunteering group and also some of the fighting men who were also farmers by nature, had given, the rate of farm creation was going well, especially at the valleys around the north east of the Isle, which likely had been farms before the Doom.
Part of it had been because of the Dothraki and it seemed to have been a good decision given that in his absence, his men had reported that there was an increased presence of Dothraki in the Lhazarene plains.
'And then there is New Ghis…' Aegon thought warily as he pulled himself out of Mīsaragorn's mind and gazed upon the waters. Ser Maerro had confirmed to him that the reports coming from the Regency Council of Astapor about a small army having seen around the ruins of Old Ghis were true.
An army that looked to be the lockstep army of New Ghis.
It seemed to be an expeditionary force of some kind. Possibly intent on restoring the port of Old Ghis so as to prepare a landing ground of a future invasion…
Why were people so stupid…? He couldn't but think.
They knew that provoking him was a bad idea and yet here they were, all but sabre rattling their tails with their intentions plain to see.
They weren't acting overtly in this moment in time, as far as anyone knew, with how their ships travelled to and from Liberty Bay without piracy, but the provocation of placing boots on Liberty Bay proper, when they were the only slave city in the immediate region that was left standing and that hated the Liberty Bay cities with blinding passion…
The optics were not great, obviously, and surely the Ghiscari should know that?
Why wouldn't they wait, be patient, and act when he was no longer there, knowing that Aegon could deal them great damage or worse, especially after having seen for themselves what he was capable of when he burned down the estate of the man who sent assassins after him? Even if that was going to be years from now?
The Regency Councillors had met up several times in the last few moons, and from what Uthrik and Keller had told him, they were going to ask him for his support to get rid of New Ghis.
Something Aegon was not ecstatic about…
He spoke with the captain and his first officer briefly, whom informed him about the messages that had been signalled across the fleet, most of which were simple confirmations that all was fine, before he, as he stood on the foredeck, reached out to Mīsaragorn and saw through his eyes.
His dragon was around the northern of the Sea of Sighs, slowly making his way towards the isle where the seals were located. The animals were fast becoming his favourite meal. Thinking about it…Mīsaragorn had a liking to animals with a lot of blubber fat…
He was glad he asked for a few dozen shipbuilders and the barge Liāzmariña was transported on to be brought over from Elamaerys. They might have to make another barge if he was too large for this one, as Aegon thought likely. Certainly he wouldn't be able to fit underneath the opening that sheltered the dragons from the rain and allowed them to hibernate in relative comfort.
Velos had a natural harbour which had a port being slowly rebuilt, originally intended the Corinthian Carracks that'd soon begin trading again and a small shipbuilding capability, but would also now be built to be capable of shipbuilding Corinthian and Elamaeri ships.
At least in a very limited capacity.
Aegon stopped seeing through Mīsaragorn's eyes and made his way back down the ship, making way to the second cabin that would have been reserved for the captain had it not been for their extra passengers.
"Egg!" a childish voice called out as Aegon arrived in the cabin where a child of two namedays was playing with some wooden blocks he had carved out for the girl. Larissa stood up and bowed towards him.
"My Prince." the woman intoned and Aegon offered her faint smile. She had taken to the girl quite easily and Aegon was grateful for it.
Whilst he did change his mind in taking the women from Kings Landing because the need to keep Seleyse and her successors firmly into his employ, he did not trust them to leave Maegelle in any of their cares, even if they had taken his warnings about forgetting that Maegelle was ever born in a whorehouse.
The young girl toddled over to him, her hands rising and Aegon picked the young girl up, who began to play with his beard. She liked the beard quite a lot, for there was never a day when she did not pull at it.
He let her.
He turned his eyes towards Larissa. "How has she been today?"
"Active, my Prince." Larissa said with a wry smile on her face. "She's been up since first light and doesn't seem to have tired herself out yet."
"Hmm." Aegon made out before he looked towards the girl who babbled, the word 'Egg' an often occurrence.
He hadn't sure how to…what the relationship he'd have with the girl. Whether or not he'd fully adopt her as his daughter. Mostly it was because of him having changed his mind and taking in the women from Kings Landing, the chances of Maegelle's origin coming out was going to be high.
And it would have ramifications. Ramifications that he mostly avoided with Breannei but even then, there was still knowledge out there that Breannei was not a trueborn borne from the union of himself and Gael. Perhaps he should broach the topic with Gael…she always had a better instinct for this kind of thing…
He smiled at her as she giggled as he tickled her in the ribs, a giggle that let into an outburst of delighted laughter as she wriggled in his arms.
He kept the smile even as he continued thinking. With his brother dying and the situation of the succession crisis worse than he even thought it being, he needed to have eyes and ears in Kings Landing and for that, he needed Seleyse.
And so he needed to take the women even at the risk of exposing Maegelle's origins of being a daughter of a whore becoming significantly higher.
He'd convinced her to remain in Kings Landing for longer than she intended, and he'd met with this Mysaria a few times before he left Kings Landing. He didn't quite like her. There was insincerity in her that made him distrustful of her.
He could have had his perception tainted because of the breach of trust between he and Seleyse but he at least still trusted Seleyse to a small certain extent.
He did not trust Mysaria and it was the reason why he had Seleyse not inform the woman of the dragonglass candle, instead choosing another woman, Marya, one that he'd known at the same time he'd come to know Seleyse and who Aegon convinced to stay in Kings Landing, and to be the person who would inform him of any developments, in exchange for her daughter and her intended, a baker's son, to be gifted a manse in Lys. With the plentiful number of dragonglass candles he had, he could afford the chance he was taking with Marya.
He also changed a few other things, like arranging for the master-scribe Payten, the man who looked after his accounts in the Iron Bank and who was permitted to draft out a certain amount every quarter, to come to Claw Isle and inform him of his accounts there.
Whilst he trusted Marya more than he trusted Mysaria, he was still a little unsure that Marya was capable of informing him in the same depth Seleyse was capable of. It was why he intended to send a few of his men to Kings Landing and imbed themselves there.
Seleyse had tried to assure that Mysaria was trustworthy but Aegon couldn't find it within himself to go against his instincts, that Mysaria was more of an opportunist than she was someone like Seleyse who had a measure of a code of honour. And with how she was long considered to be a successor of Seleyse…getting rid of her was a surefire way to open himself up to betrayal.
He'd been tempted to do away with all of this, to cut the strings, especially since he had utilised Bartimos as another front of information, but he knew Bartimos and he knew that using his friend as an informant was disrespectful and wrong, given that Aegon had the leverage with how his daughter was in his hands.
No…he couldn't do that to his old friend.
For now, he'd park it and let it rest…
Aegon spent a number of hours with the girl, playing with her blocks and reading out to her a story from a storybook he'd written for her, one that Larissa and he used to teach her her letters, and soon enough it was time for dinner.
Aegon ate his meal amongst his men and with Maegelle sitting beside him on a pile of sails that brought her up on her seat. It was common enough for the men, to see him eating beside them though it was more recent that Maegelle was doing the same.
Some of the men found her antics amusing, for she was quite a hyper child who liked to babble and some of the men liked to talk back, and it was not a bad way to lighten the mood in an otherwise dreary and repetitive day.
Soon enough, he brought her back to her cabin and left Maegelle with Larissa before he returned to his cabin and continue off where he left off yesterday.
His uncle was in the same position as he was earlier in the day, though he was combing through one of the books from the cabinets, clearly having been finished with creating his own understanding and hypothesis from Aegon's notes.
Aegon said nothing as he walked towards his desk, knowing that Vaegon disliked small talk or anything other than what was in his immediate interests, and he sat down in his seat before he opened up a large collection of parchments that was rife with numbers.
The spoils from the war was massive. In total, their spoils ran at hundred and eighty million gold coins and about two hundred and sixty five million silver coins.
It was obscene, the amount of coin they now had.
And it was a problem. When they left Corinth for the war, they had an army of two and ten thousand, a navy three thousand strong, and four thousand supporters.
Just over two thousand men had died in the campaign but they had dependents, at least most of them, and so their share would be inherited by their family or wives.
And whilst the supporters did not fight, they had been critical to the campaign, having largely contributed to repairing arms or executing this or that job to ensure the logistics of the campaign was kept running smoothly and their services was to be considered equal to the contributions of the army.
Divvying up their share of forty percent of the spoils, resulted, on average, of about four thousand and two hundred and forty gold coins and, on average, six thousand, two hundred and fifty silver coins.
That was a massive, massive, increase in personal wealth when you consider that on average, a middling Lord in Westeros, would earn about one thousand to ten thousand gold coins every year from his lands.
And on average, the average Corinthian/Elamaeri, excluding the guardsmen, the merchants and the army, earned about five to ten golden coins a year by the end of their stay, which did not include the other benefits they got, that bolstered their income or at least allowed them not to spend, such as an allowance of extra food they did not have to pay for.
On average, he paid better than most Westerosi ever saw, and though it was not a main reason for having convinced, it was a promise he'd given and kept.
Though, it had to be said, had not been for the gratitude of the freed slaves, who earned quite a bit less than the average Dragonstone native, at least at the beginning, and had it not been for the wealth the Summer Isles had in gems, and had it not been for the payment in gems and furs the local Summer Islanders by Corinth had given in exchange for foodstuffs, the disparity in expenditure and income would have been more severe and he would not have been able to have several millions in coin by the time the bulk of their people had for Elamaerys, which had swelled massively in a short period of time.
By now, there were about ninety thousand people in Elamaerys, or at least would be by the time the fourth journey arrived, with almost eighty thousand of them of working age.
Most of whom had been providing labour for several years under deferred payment which totalled more than one point five million gold coins, a number that rising every day as more and more people arrived.
And yet, for all of that expenditure, on average, the average Elamaeri won't be owed more than between thirty to forty golden coins if they were Corinthian and therefore supplied years of labour with elevated pay for their labour, and at most ten golden coins if they had come on the first journey after the war was finished, the number of golden coins dropping for every subsequent new settler.
And then would come the men, and the few women, who had come with him on his war…who would come with thousands of gold coins and about one point five times that amount in silver coins.
Effectively creating a whole new class of people for this was generational money at this moment in time, which was a problem in itself but the most important problem he needed to solve was the influx of gold that was entering the economy.
If he was to payout this gold from the moment he returned, he would be crashing the nascent economy and devaluing gold substantially to take into account of the new purchasing power that existed. Which was unacceptable.
And it was why he would need to refine his plans for limiting the amount of gold in the economy.
Some of it was rather simple.
He would have to fix prices for particular items and groups of items for an extended period of time so as to allow the normalisation of the economy to occur.
Critical items such as foodstuffs.
The farmers, including the soldiers who were farmers at heart, would be granted the chance to increase their lands by twice the number, paying at one golden coin for every two acres, and offering them the chance to secure more farmland for their second and third sons whom would be able to purchase farmland at a reduced rate.
Of course, there'd be a limit as to how much farmers can buy land. Unproductive land was wasteful and Aegon would not allow wastefulness.
He would push for farming families to 'go forth and multiply' knowing that they could secure their spare sons' future by setting down a deposit that would automatically allow their sons a right to at least two hundred and fifty acres of land.
He would also introduce a pension scheme that would allow folk to retire at a particular age without having to labour for the rest of their lives.
With regards to his citizens in the city, he would have to be creative.
The industries of Corinth largely worked for a single purpose…to earn Aegon money. The merchants were the means that sold these wares to all around the Known World, for which they received a percentage, but ultimately, Corinth had worked to make Aegon money.
He no longer needed the economy to work for him and he no longer needed the economy to be a closed system.
He earned enough money through the spoils of the campaign, having something ridiculous like thirty six million gold coins and over fifty million silver coins, money that should tide his family for many, many generations.
And then there was the fact that the lands of Elamaerys belonged to him, to his family, and it was land that bequeathed to his people by himself, who either bought land from him or were given by him.
So no…he no longer needed the industries to work for him. He could instead sell it. He could sell it all to his people, allow them to form guilds and associations and so on, the only money he'd take from them was through a low taxation rate.
That should help reduce the amount of gold coins in circulation, at least at the beginning. Aegon had little doubt that eventually, per capita, Elamaerys would be richer than Westeros and Essos, but that would have to come in time, when they were fully open for trading with the rest of the world.
Slow and steady was the name of the game, and it was better to allow a native economy to flourish that limited inflation and recession.
Which came to his final point.
The need of a central Bank. The Bank of Elamaerys. He'd always planned on creating a Bank of Elamaerys when he returned, regardless of the change in circumstances with his divestment in the Rogare Bank, but his original intent had been to create a Bank, or rather a Vault, where his people could deposit their coin.
The ideation of anything further hadn't been thought of but he was thinking more about it now.
With Baerros convincing him that it was time to begin trading in earnest again, even if it is at a limited capacity, he was starting to think more on what he wanted to do with the Bank of Elamaerys and whether or not he could do it now.
He was thinking about a number of things though the ones that took precedent in his mind was issuing out governments bonds and introducing the concept of interests to the wider public, including the payments from interest on savings accounts.
Most of this was in mind of the people who had come on the campaign with him, those men, and a few women, who had in excess coin that could destabilise the economy thanks to their increased purchasing power.
Introducing these concepts would help increase the attractiveness of keeping their money in the Bank of Elamaerys instead of spending it all, knowing that they are earning money by only having their coin located in the Bank.
There were a few other methods he hoped to use to whittle down the coin they could use in circulation, such as convincing his soldiers to invest their money or even build their estates on their lands using fused stone, something he was getting close to figuring out, he just had to make sure his justifications and reasoning were sound to anyone with a least bit of wit.
Explaining economic theory and inflation and devaluation wasn't exactly the best way to go about it so he would have to do it in a roundabout way that would help his people buy in to his measures.
And then there was the matter of creating standardised coin.
The Astapori marks were as different from the Meereen marks as the Meereen were from Elyrian coins, with Meereen marks having more purity of gold than any other currency he had on hand.
He would have to smelt them all and create standard currency.
It was why he bought two Mints from the Rogare Bank – at an elevated price no doubt – and intended to work over the few moons on Astapor or Velos to fashion a currency that suited best.
He intended to fashion the system similar to that of Westeros, Dragons, Moons and Stags, and so on, which was a currency and weight well known to the rest of the Known World…
He continued to work on his financial and economic model and the initiatives he wanted to introduce for long while, long after the night had fallen and long after he created a flame to hover above his desk and lighten his parchments, and it was during this time, that Aegon heard a sharp scrape of the chair that forced him to look towards the origin, his uncle.
His uncle had stood up from his seat, his eyes focused on Aegon, or rather his hovering flame, and Aegon wondered what it was he was curious about.
His uncle had long enough seen his displays of 'magic'. Not even a few days after they departed Claw Isle, had he seen his use of 'magic' when he used the dragonglass candle to speak with Gael.
The look of shock had been a pleasant one and even more so the look he'd gotten when he'd created a fire in the middle of his palm.
The discomfort in his face when Vaegon was speaking with Gael was just the cherry on top of the cake…
In any case, Vaegon had spent two days questioning him about magic, and what he knew, how he could use it, even discussing his experiences in that astral realm, and though some of his answers had left Vaegon wanting, especially when he'd discussed with him about the nature of two realms that existed, it seemed to have satisfied him for he had not asked many more questions after that.
Aegon thought the further lack of questions was because it collided with his rationality, the idea of magic, though he could not quite tell, if he was being honest.
"These Ancestral Songs." His uncle began, causing Aegon's brows to rise in surprise and he turned towards his uncle fully, quite curious as he was to know where this was going. "How sure are you that it exists?"
"Fairly sure. It might not the right words to describe it, but I can see it at the centre in people. Not everyone, certainly, for it seems as if there are certain bloodlines who are more favoured than others, otherwise everyone in Westeros should have a First Men Ancestral Song." Aegon explained with a curious lilt to the end of his words.
His uncle seemed to frown at that, contemplating something. "Perhaps it is not bloodlines but something else." His uncle said after a long moment of silence. Aegon hummed at that. It could be. He was by no means an expert. There was logic in his reasoning, in his observations but it wasn't as if he had received enough information to develop a concrete hypothesis.
As it was, much of his theorising was a matter of updating his reasoning with new observations. Perhaps one day he'd find another piece of information that invalidated his current hypothesis.
His uncle continued. "What is it that you see in me? And how does it compare with your brothers and their children?" Aegon stared at his uncle for a long moment.
His markings, the Valyrian Ancestral Song, or at least the Dragonlord Ancestral Song, was in him, of course. However it was more alike to that of Viserys.
Dimmed.
He explained as much.
"So there are those who have these…Songs…but they are not as concentrated as others. Why?" his uncle asked though it seemed as if he was more asking himself.
He answered nonetheless. "I believe it might just be chance."
His uncle scoffed and it was derisive. Aegon found no offence in it. It was merely Vaegon's nature…
"Chance? That is not an acceptable answer. That introduces an element of uncertainty in your Songs, nephew." Ah…so that is the connection.
"What else can it be then? You are no different than any of us, uncle. Your blood as strong as mine. As strong as Daemon's…had been. Why is your Ancestral Song weaker than ours?" Aegon questioned. Honestly, he had this question on his mind as well though, given recent events, it was far on the backburner…
"I do not know. You should know." His uncle said and Aegon rolled his eye at the comment. His uncle continued. "I cannot see this…Ancestral Song…or markings or whatever it is that you see but there must be a reason why some appear stronger and others appear weaker. You have already said that it almost certainly holds no bearing on the ability to bond with dragons, which I cannot find reason not to agree with but what does it hold bearing to?"
"You have an idea?" Aegon stated more than asked as he studied his uncle intently.
His uncle grimaced before he nodded and looked towards his desk. "I have a theory. One that makes sense." He looked towards Aegon, an inscrutable look in his eyes before he looked back to his desk, no, towards the candlelight.
He placed his hand at the above the candleflame and Aegon watched carefully as his uncle grimaced before he pulled away his hand and looked back at Aegon, his other hand cradling his mildly burnt hand. "Every man can measured on their intelligence. Most are dull, stupid. Some are adequate. Fewer still are worth the air they breathe." Vaegon looked sour for a moment.
"I believe that it is similar with this Ancestral Song."
Aegon considered that as he leaned back in his chair. "A measure of talent." He mused out loud. It was not a bad idea…
"Yes. Some are born with greater talent in their inheritance than others."
"Still means that there is an element of random chance." Aegon pointed out and his uncle waved it away.
"Of course, of course, but it also means, if it is a matter of talent, then it means that there is a natural limit to what can be achieved with what you have inherited." His uncle said before he continued. "I believe we should find out what that limit is. With me."
"If this is your roundabout way of wanting me to teach you what I know" Aegon stated a little dryly "You could have just asked. I would have taught you." There were few people Aegon was willing to teach at this moment in time. His children, Gael if she wanted, and now Vaegon. Vaegon was many things but he could be trusted to a certain degree.
"We will start on the morrow then." His uncle said, ignoring his comment before he returned to his seat and Aegon found a morsel of amusement in this. How long had he wanted to learn how to use 'magic'? It wouldn't have surprised him if it had been the moment he saw him speaking with Gael through the dragonglass candle…
"We will start on the morn." Aegon agreed. It would at least help him refine his teaching about spiritual energy anyway, perhaps he'd even gain some insights too.
'A measure of talent…hmm…we'll see'
A Couple of Weeks Later…
The isle of Cedars came into view on a fog-filled morn, and as they nearer, they could see the natural harbour packed with ships.
"Some of the ships are ours, aye, but some are not. They sail the sails of Meereen, Yunkai'i and Astapor, my Prince." The captain told him.
"Hmm. Make way for a spot that fits all our ships, captain." Aegon ordered and the captain gave his affirmation before the first officer began the round of calls, which were effectively to get the men ready for landing.
Aegon went below deck and made way towards his cabin though he made a quick pitstop. Two pairs of eyes came his direction when he opened the door and he smiled amidst the name-calling of 'Egg' 'Egg'. He turned his eye towards Larissa.
"Larissa. We'll be landing soon." Aegon informed and the woman bowed her head before she picked up the girl into her arms. Aegon smiled at the girl before he quickly made way towards his cabin.
"We're here then." His uncle said as soon as Aegon arrived in his cabin. He glanced at his uncle for a moment before he went towards the armour and weaponry stand in corner beside his bed.
"Aye." Aegon said before he removed the belt that held the Valyrian Steel dagger and dragonglass dagger from his around his waist. He then tightened the cords of his tunic around his body before he proceeded to put on the chainmail after which he put on his armour and put on the belt back on though he hooked on the sheathe onto the belt.
"Hmm. Expecting trouble, are you?" Aegon turned around and met his uncle's gaze, a trace of a wry smile on his face.
"Always." And Aegon wasn't lying. He only truly felt at ease when he was on the water or in the skies. He hoped he'd feel at ease when he was back home, with his wife…his children. Truly…he hoped.
"You can come to land, if you want. Or you can wait until it is time for you to go to Astapor. It shouldn't be more than a few hours before I let the ship go." Aegon said. He'd send his uncle to their pyramid base in Astapor, where the people who'd go on the fourth journey were presently.
He'd be on the Galleons when they set sail for Elamaerys. An extra passenger was no hassle and the sooner his uncle is with the bulk of the books and the scholars there in Elamaerys, the better.
His uncle did not take long to decide. "I will remain." Aegon nodded his acceptance at his uncle's decision before he left and made his way up to the deck.
After he arrived on deck, Aegon reached out to Mīsaragorn, wondering where he was exactly, and he got his response soon after Mīsaragorn had taken flight. He was on the Isle of Cedars, on one of the mountains in the interior, and was now making his way towards him. He'd soon get here, sooner than them laying down anchors.
After a small journey in a small boat, they came ashore where they were greeted by Keller, Ser Maerro and a band of his other men.
"My Prince, it is good to see you." Ser Maerro said with a light grin and Aegon placed a warm hand on the man's shoulder.
"Good to see you too. All of you." Aegon said with a pleased smile on his face before they walked further along the shore.
"Where is Uthrik?" Aegon asked.
"He's left yesterday for Astapor to handle something, he said." Ser Maerro explained. Aegon hummed silently at that, wondering what it was that he was handling. "He should be back within a few days." Aegon nodded before he looked back towards the front.
"I take it they are waiting on me?" Aegon asking musingly, a glance sent towards the cogs in the distance.
"They are." Ser Maerro said with a displeased grunt. "Had to tell them to sit their arses for a little while before ambushing you to help do their duty work."
A few of the men that had come greeting him chuckled lightly at Ser Maerro' words. Hmm. Interesting…
"The reprieve is welcome." Aegon said with an amused glint in his eye before he looked towards the buildings that was in their direct path. There was a much greater rate of building than expected…
"I believe Rhaegar and that old gladiator Tyqor are also here?" Aegon said half distracted as he looked towards a house on his left side was that nearing completion.
"They are." Ser Maerro confirmed and the seriousness in the man's voice made Aegon look towards him. The look was hard, grim even.
"Hmm. I see." Aegon said before he looked away, and back towards the buildings.
"I see things are going well." Aegon commented, changing the subject.
"The shipments of liquid stone has increased over the past few weeks." Keller said in answer, and when Aegon looked towards him, he could see a knowing look on the man's face. Things rarely are happen in isolation…
It did not take long for Aegon to figure it out. "I suppose it is in our fortune that they have found another step in their production." Aegon said with a thin smile on his face. He doubted they would stop their rate of production now, or the further works they were doing on the isle, if he said no. They were smarter than that.
Still…he admittedly could say that they were applying the teachings well.
Soon enough they arrived at Velos proper, which was filled with people, people who had cheered and greeted him as he walked down the streets of Velos. Nearly all of them were from the Disputed Lands and who'd stayed with him Fylloris for a time or another.
There were about sixty five thousand in Velos with the rest of them, about thirty to forty thousand, all within a radius of about ten leagues. Feeding these people was quite difficult even with the supply that came from the north of the island. Every day there were shipments from the mainland to help feed the populace and it would be quite a few years before the island could properly support the current population.
It was rather ironic, given that within the next five years, he expected the bulk of these people to be on Elamaerys just as when the island was able to support their numbers.
Most of the people had already given their agreement to settle in Elamaerys and he'd had censuses taken, including on what they wanted to do. A good number of them wanted a plot of land to farm for themselves and these ones would be given the priority to go to Elamaerys. The rest, whom had a number of different artisanal skills, would have to wait for some time.
Still, it wasn't as if there wasn't opportunities here anyway. Velos needed to built, he mused as he looked around, looking at buildings that were under construction.
They had to illicit some amount of help from the mainland, particularly those who worked to demolish buildings and build new ones, in getting some amount of organisation going in this city.
Keller, though he did not say much, was clearly quite unhappy with the load of work he was dealing with as he explained further some of the problems that were being had.
The army and the Unsullied were doing much in quell the misbehaviour and criminality but it was just general stuff, like disorderly behaviour, unwarranted and unsolicited behaviour, just people being arseholes, that was grating on Keller.
"I've taken their names." Keller said with a hint of glee in his tone of voice when Aegon asked if he or others knew the names of the individuals.
"Strike them from the list." Aegon looked towards Ser Maerro. "If they, the ones who have been warned, continue this…public disorder, you have my leave to punish them, banish them, whatever you want. The laws of our people do not apply here. Not yet." Aegon said to Ser Maerro who gave his acknowledgement to his words.
Soon enough, they were walking towards the main building that was fashioning as a hall of a kind, and it was where the select Regency Councillors were.
And as they arrived at the building, guarded by Unsullied, it was there that he saw Rhaegar at the front of the doors. "My Prince." Rhaegar said with a bow, and the rest of the guards bowed as well.
At least that hasn't changed…
"This one is pleased to see you return in good health, my Prince." Rhaegar said and Aegon smiled at the Unsullied.
"It is good to see you too though I suspect that you have not come to welcome me so grandly." Aegon said with a wry look on his face.
"No, my Prince." Rhaegar said in answer before he stepped aside and gestured Aegon towards the interior of the building.
Aegon glanced at Rhaegar before he hummed silently and made his way into the building. Hmm. 'No rest for the wicked it seems' Aegon mused before he schooled his face as he began to walk into the building. He had no intentions of using his remnants of his army to fight New Ghis.
If they wanted New Ghis eliminated as a threat…
Well, they would have to pay in their newly liberated blood.
His men, these men, had fought enough for a lifetime.
And Aegon, as though he was loathed as he was to darken his soul again, would be willing enough to bring along the fire with their blood.
But he would be sure to extract a heavy price for asking him do so.