Chapter 77: Act 2: Chapter 22

Eighth day, Tenth Moon, 253 AC (+41 days)

When White Harbor finally rose into view, my party breathed a sigh of relief. We were a small party, only five in number, including Ryden and myself, and we had ridden at a good pace from Redbridge. We had briefly stopped at Winterfell to greet Lord Stark and sent a raven to Lord Manderly, but we were able to get by with only a day's delay and quickly moved on.

The trip itself was simple, and we designed our route so that we could avoid many of the different minor lords' holdings and avoid introducing ourselves. Once we passed Winterfell, the trip became much smoother as the lands became more populated and the dirt roads more numerous and well maintained.

As we approached the gates to the city, we skipped around the line of waiting merchants that waited off to the side and made out way directly to the guards at the gate.

"State your business," said one of the guards, who appeared to be the Captain, as he wore finer armor and had removed his helm during the heat of the day.

"I am Master Michael Ragnar, along with my son, Ryden, and my retainers. We are here at the invitation of Lord Manderly."

"Ah, pardon my Master Ragnar; you are expected. Please, if you will wait just a moment for my squire to get my horse, I will escort you to Lord Manderly."

"Very well, Ser?" I asked, leadingly.

"Ser Arton Porter."

Ryden's eyes lit up. "Are you truly a knight, Ser Arton?"

Ser Arton nodded. "Yes, Master Ryden. I, along with a good portion of the city are followers of the Faith, and I pursued knighthood so that I could serve my Lord Manderly."

"It is an honorable path you have taken," I commended him. That was how you were supposed to address such things, right?

Ser Arton smiled and inclined his head.

Guess so. After a moment, a young boy came leading a horse along with four more guards. Ser Arton mounted his horse, and he, along with the guards escorted us to the castle. The city was remarkably clean, much more so than King's Landing had ever been, and the cobbled streets themselves were straight and wide.

The people on the road before us split and let us pass as Ser Arton led our party. We received many curious looks as none seemed to recognize my banner.

The houses that lined the streets were made of whitewashed stones, that had steeply-pitched roofs of dark grey slate. The castle dominated the skyline, being built atop a hill rising above the city's thick walls and was just as pale as the rest of the city, and truly gave the city the name of White Harbor.

Ser Arton and our escort brought us through the portcullis and into the main yard of the castle. The guards here were dressed differently than Ser Arton and the other city guards. They wore fine armor with cloaks of blue-green wool, but their most striking feature was their silver tridents that they held, rather than spears as someone might expect.

It was a dazzling display of wealth, one that was shown throughout the castle as well. The castle was adorned with banners and ancient weapons – even wooden figures from the prows of ships.

Lord Theomore Manderly stood before the great hall of the castle waiting patiently for us. He was a portly man, clearly not martially inclined, and finely dressed.

Dismounting, I made my way over to him, with Ryden by my side and we both slightly bowed our heads in greetings. "Hail, Lord Manderly, I thank you for inviting us into your fair castle."

Up close, I could see his shrewd eyes looking me over as I greeted him. "Hail, Master Ragnar, be welcome!" He snapped his fingers, and a servant rushed forward with a plate of bread and salt. "Please, have some bread and salt and enjoy my hospitality!"

Ryden and I ate our pieces, which we washed down with wine another servant brought forward.

"Thank you, Lord Manderly," we both chorused.

"Ah, call me Theomore. It might get confusing calling everyone Manderly," he said, chuckling.

"Of course, Lord Theomore," I replied, amused.

"Come on inside, let's get you off your feet! You must have had quite the trip!" We followed as he turned and led us inside the great hall. My guardsmen were led away by the Manderly's household guard to be shown to where they would be staying.

The hall, called the Merman's Court, was a sight to behold. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made up of light wooden planks, that seemed to fit together perfectly. There was artwork decorated everywhere, mostly of creatures of the sea, with a large dias at the other end of the room, where a large, cushioned throne sat.

We sat at one of the tables as servants loaded up food and drink for us.

Lord Theomore remarked, "I know I always prefer a light meal after a hard day's travel."

I smiled gratefully. "Aye, it is most welcome, Lord Theomore."

"Please, just Theomore. After all, in but a few years time there is to be a marriage," he said with a wink toward Ryden, who blushed.

"True enough, Theomore. Just Michael for me as well then."

We exchanged pleasantries for a while as we waited for Theomore's brother's family to arrive. It would be Theomore's niece, Alice, that Ryden would marry. Theomore was a talkative man, and it made passing the time with him easy, as he had an opinion on every subject and was willing to share it. Eventually, the family entered the hall as one.

The middle-aged man that led the group, Mateo, was Alice's father and was an incredibly large man. He was past his prime, but the muscle was still clearly visible, even if it was slowly turning to fat. His wife, Kiara, on the other hand, was a complete contrast. Brown hair to his black, small figure to his large, and she seemed to glide over the ground, her body appearing motionless as she followed at her husband's side. Alice entered the room alongside her father and mother and looked even better dressed than her parents. Her brown hair was artfully curled beneath her headdress, which complimented her double layered dress, that, like her mother, helped to make it seem like she glided across the floor. All of their clothes were finely made, with a variety of complex designs made in not only dyes, but lace, weaving, and fur trim to accentuate the clothing.

I looked over to Ryden, who looked like a feather could knock him over, and stared at Alice with all the emotion only a horny teenager could. Holding back my laughter, I turned my attention to the newly arrived party as they greeted Theomore, before turning to me.

"And you must be Master Ragnar," said Mateo, in a booming voice that echoed around the large hall.

"Please, call me Michael! It is a pleasure to meet you, at last, Lord Mateo," I replied.

"Ah, let me introduce you to my family. This is my lovely wife, Kiara, and my beautiful daughter, Alice."

They both curtsied and murmured greetings. "Unfortunately, my son Marlon is with his cousin, Theomore's son, Wyman, out in the city and could not be here right now, but you will see him later tonight."

"Come now, let us let our guests retire to their rooms before dinner! After a long journey, they can now relax in comfort – let us not take that from them." Theomore interrupted.

He waved for a servant to come forward. "Kavvin here will guide you to your rooms and bring you to our welcome feast in a few hours."

"My thanks for your consideration, Theomore. I'm sure we will enjoy our stay."

The servant led us deeper into the castle and into the guest quarters of the keep. The room he brought us to was one of the largest of the bunch and well furnished. Thick rugs lay on the floor, and tapestries lined the walls to give a warm atmosphere in the room. The attached privy even contained a bar of my soap, which I was unsure if that meant they use it throughout the castle, or just stocked it in my room to solely impress me.

I sighed, and Ryden turned to me curiously. "What's the matter, Dad?"

"Nothing really," I replied. "Politics gives me a headache, and I can never tell what's truly important. You mother would have dealt with this easily; I wish she could have come as well."

"I'm sure it'll be okay," he said, distractedly.

I looked over to him, and he still had the same spaced-out look he had since he first saw Alice. I barely contained my snort.

Teenagers. Hopefully, they can connect more over dinner and the rest of the visit. I have a feeling this will be very trying.

The hall was loud and filled with many of Theomore's knights and other retainers, as they ate and laughed, all the while serving maids darted throughout the halls filling up drinks and bringing more food. The food, unsurprisingly, was excellent. Not only was there fresh meat, the wide range of spices and drinks put anything I had had so far in this world to shame. Meads, wines, and ales from all over Westeros and Essos were in abundance, as were the spices that I could not even begin to guess at names.

I kept a cautious eye on Ryden, who seemed to be inhaling a pale green wine from Myr, as he talked to Alice's older brother, Marlon. He seemed to be managing, but I gave him a few discreet glances to make sure he was aware of how much he was drinking. I was seated next to Mateo, who proved to be a very loud and jovial man, especially once he was in his cups, and was an excellent dinner companion.

Eventually, the main meal was slowly replaced by the maids and desserts were brought out. Pastries were in abundance, with elegant and meticulous detail paid attention to each one - it was amazing. There were sauces, like sack – a fortified wine – that highlighted House Manderly's wealth, and it was an impressive display. I had no idea if they ate like this regularly, or if this was just a show for my sake, but the fact that they can do it even once was incredible.

"This is quite the feast," I complimented, addressing Theomore.

"My thanks, Michael," he replied. "I find a good feast tends to make everything better!"

"I must say, some of these spices are quite incredible. I don't even recognize some of them."

Theomore preened. "Some of them come from afar in Essos, but that is the power of trade."

"It is underappreciated," I agreed.

"Very much so," he said, sadly. "But! That offers opportunity for the bold! This is how House Manderly has become such a powerful House! We are responsible for bringing the amber, furs, timber, and fish of the North to market, and if someone in the North wants goods from afar, we are the ones who bring it to the North."

"Trade indeed makes the world work."

"Exactly! No land can be truly wealthy on its own; some lands, like mine, can mine its own silver, but not gold; I can obtain fish, but not lemons; Barley, but not silk." He paused to take a sip of wine. "This has all been built on the back of hard work and trading, with boats being a central feature of that platform. The North is now at its wealthiest since Brandon the Burner destroyed the North's fleet."

"I can only imagine. My knowledge of history is sorely lacking, unfortunately."

He took another large swig of wine and ate a pastry. "We will have to remedy that. I will have my Maester send some books back with you."

Mateo laughed. "Aye, this is a feast – enough history! Tell me, Michael. Do we finally have another house in the North that is of the Faith?"

I chuckled as I replied, "Unfortunately not, Mateo. I hold to the Old Gods – in honour of my mother."

"Oh? My brother has heard rumor that your mother is from the North. What house is she from?"

"I'm not certain. She was a maid who went south with her Lady when she had married."

"Do you remember the Lady's House?"

I shook my head. "No, I was too young to remember, and my father never mentioned it before his death."

"Oh, how horrid. You may still have family out there somewhere! Brother, can we do something about that?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that," I said.

"Nonsense," replied Theomore, waving off my objection. "I can inquire around for you."

I coughed into my hand. "Truthfully, I am a bit worried about perceptions in case it is a bad situation. But I know my children would want to know if they have any cousins out in the world somewhere."

Theomore nodded. "I can be discreet about it."

"Thank you," I replied, gratefully.

Theomore stood, and the hall fell quiet. "Come, Michael. Let us retire to my solar for the night, so that the rest of these good people can relax in comfort." He turned to his niece. "Alice, why don't you, the Septa, and Marlon show Ryden here around the castle a little more."

I smiled encouragingly to Ryden who looked nervous about being in closer contact with Alice, but he stood up and made his way over confidently, nonetheless. I felt pride in my breast as I followed Theomore and Mateo deeper into the castle to Theomore's solar. Even late at night, the castle was well lit – though it hardly compared to modern lighting – and we passed by the servants who had already prepared the solar for us.

The solar itself was richly furnished with a multitude of furniture and tapestries, all adorned with exquisite detail and was designed to draw the eye. The tapestries lining the wall gave the impression of a warm room – which was greatly at odds with the cold stone corridors. They displayed battles and victories, all done in excellent detail, even if I didn't know what battles they depicted.

The rugs were also impossibly thick and incredibly plush, with vibrant color. I couldn't help but stare at them as Theomore pointed to a plush chair near the fire for me to sit at.

"Do you like the rug?" he asked.

"It's incredible," I replied, honestly.

"It's Myrish carpet; it's the finest carpet available. It uses only the finest materials, dyes, and skilled artisans. The Myrish keep the exact process a secret, but supposedly, it takes thousands of hours to make a single carpet."

"It sounds… wonderous," I said, cautiously.

Mateo let out a booming laugh. "Expensive more like. We've had that in the family for a few generations now."

"Only the best for our House," admonished Theomore.

"It does speak well of it," I agreed.

"It does," agreed Mateo. "I just find that the Myrish are overrated – and slavers at that. Their monopoly on trading the carpets is awful as well."

"Yes," replied Theomore, "The insurance to cover the trip of the carpet to White Harbor was exorbitant. Much higher than otherwise, but they won't let the carpets leave the shores if you don't have proof of buying their insurance."

"Less bloody than fighting over trade routes at least," said Mateo.

Theomore laughed. "Aye, they do call themselves civilized I suppose."

"How widespread is fighting over trade routes?" I asked. "I'm afraid I'm rather unfamiliar with it."

Theomore stroked his chin as he thought over the question. "It ebbs and flows. Some years the fighting gets intense over various routes and goods, and some years it's quiet. A full-scale war hasn't occurred in a long time, but small action on the water does. It's been quiet for a while now, but it has been picking up in south Essos, especially around Tyrosh for some reason. There have been a few changes over the past few moons in the politics around there, so most of our ships have started to avoid it – you never want to get caught up in another country's politics without being given leave from your liege."

I nodded. "A sound policy."

"The fighting is mostly centered along the narrow sea, as the other regions are either indisputably controlled, like Qarth, or too wide to bother, like the Shivering Sea. Though some exceptions exist, like the Ibbenese and their whaling, and other areas, like your coast, are vacant of all trade."

"Damned Ironborn," I muttered.

"Damned Ironborn," both men echoed.

After a moment of silence, Theomore said, "On to happier matters. The merchant fleet should be at Redbridge in two-and-a-half to three months from now – depending on their speed and how long they stay at different ports."

"Excellent!" I exclaimed.

"Don't be surprised either if the fleet grows in size by the time it reaches you. A fleet that large is bound to pick up followers who smell the scent of profits in the air."

"Like sharks with blood in the water," Mateo mumbled.

Theomore grinned. "Aye, something like that. Regardless, you can expect to see trade booming in your village soon enough, Michael."

"Me and my people are ready," I reassured.

"Have you had your dock fees set?"

"We have," I confirmed. "I set them at a fair price, but I plan to drop them after the fleet leaves to attract custom."

"Smart," complimented Theomore. "It doesn't truly apply since you are the only House in your lands right now in a position to do so, but what kind of tariff will you set? If you make it known while you are here in the city, more merchants will be willing to make the journey if they know the cost of doing so."

I shifted in my chair. "Well, I hadn't exactly planned on any sort of tariffs."

Theomore and Mateo both blinked in shock. "Truly?" Mateo breathed out.

I nodded uncertainly. "Once I get some passable roads up there might be a road tax, just a flat charge per wagon, but nothing extreme."

Mateo looked uncomfortable and looked to speak, but Theomore took charge. "Michael," he said, seriously. "It's important for you to have tariffs. Especially once you have vassals – it's how they gain a significant portion of coin – especially in the time between harvests. That coin is also not taxed by Lord Stark or the King. If you don't have a tariff, you are leaving essentially free money on the table, which as a new house you cannot afford."

What he said made sense, but free trade was supposed to be the best, right? How was I supposed to explain that, especially if I was vague on the reasoning? And was I missing something? Free trade means free trade, right? There was no special rule or something I was missing to make it work, was I?

I bided my time to think over a response as I took a long sip of my drink.

"I believe that the more barriers you put in front of trade the harder it will be. If I don't have any tariffs, the price of the goods goes down, which means that more people can afford it. Which means everyone wins."

Theomore looked at me strangely. "How do you win from less coin from tariffs?"

I blinked. Right – I forgot there was no sales tax. "Uhh, by allowing more people to purchase more goods it makes them work harder because they can get more?"

Theomore was disbelieving. "That's a bit… out there. But most people don't need to lower the prices to afford these expensive goods. All but the absolute poorest of noble houses should be able to afford the price of tariffs, without a reduction in the number of goods purchased."

"Ah, I see the confusion. I wasn't just talking about noble houses, but smallfolk as well."

"Smallfolk will buy Myrish carpet? Or expensive wines from Essos?"

I shrugged. "I mean they could, but I was thinking more practical products or less expensive luxuries that they might be able to now afford without tariffs. It would incentivize the people to work harder and to come to my land as well."

Theomore stroked his chin. "I suppose I can see the logic in that – to a point. But it all seems rather idealized, but I suppose it would convince some people to move to your lands. However, I think it would be better to have the tariffs and give some sort of handout to newcomers and incentivize that way."

I nodded. "I do that with land already, but this is to make sure that everyone works hard."

"I will admit; it's an intriguing idea but one with too many holes. Still, I look forward to seeing what actually happens."

I smiled. "I think you will be pleasantly surprised, Theomore."

"Well, I will wait to be impressed. What else did you have in mind to do while you were here?"

"I had hoped to go around the city a bit and talk to some people that I hadn't been able to convince over letter to relocate to Redbridge."

Mateo nodded. "That sounds fine. But we must go hunting together! My newest dog is quite skilled and comes from an impeccable bloodline. Well trained and easy to handle!"

"Oh? Are you a big fan of hunting dogs then?" I asked, politely.

He nodded vigorously. "They are magnificent beasts!"

"My goodbrother feels the same to all dogs. He has been trying to create new breeds as well."

Mateo perked up. "New breeds you say? What bloodlines?"

I shrugged helplessly. "I am afraid I don't follow his passion as much as I ought. I'm sure if you sent a letter, he would have an enthusiastic reply for you."

He nodded. "I will! Pity he can't reply before you leave; otherwise, I could send a dog home with you! I will have to send another at some other time. Perhaps when we all meet for the Fall Gathering at Winterfell?"

"That sounds perfect."

"Before we should let the night continue on any further, we ought to talk about the dowry for dear Alice."

Mateo sobered up. "My little girl. Betrothed already. I still remember cradling her in my arms."

"I remember the same with Ryden."

"For my niece, the granddaughter of the previous Lord Manderly, I offer up a 200-gold dragon dowry."

My jaw dropped. A hefty sum. "That is very generous of you, Theomore."

He waved away my compliment. "My niece deserves the best."

Mateo said, "I also wanted to give me daughter a small dowry of ten gold on top of that, strictly for her, I hope you understand. No offense intended or anything."

I smiled reassuringly. "I understand, Mateo. I would do the same for my daughters."

"Are we in agreement then, Michael?" asked Theomore.

"I hate to seem ungrateful, but I was wondering if we could perhaps modify the terms?"

"Oh? In what way?"

"Coin is always useful, but I find myself in dire need of ships and people at this point. I know you cannot order people to move to my lands, but I believe a ship may be possible."

"A ship, eh? I imagine you are thinking of a trading ship? Something that might double as a form of defense in emergencies?"

I nodded. "Aye. I have multiple boys from the village out being apprenticed, as you know, but that is still years away from being complete and adding any ships to my non-existent fleet."

Theomore's gaze became unfocused as he was lost in thought. "I believe that will be manageable. I have a ship under construction now that would suit you well. It's a carrack, roughly seventy feet in length with a displacement of 200 tons and needs a crew of forty. It's a newer design, with three masts and a higher profile to help deter pirates. Unnamed as of yet, but it will suit your purposes." He paused for a moment, before adding, "You will need to find a crew and captain for it though."

"That sounds perfect! I'm sure the Lady Alice, will be a wonderful ship."

Mateo let out a booming laugh. "Just like her namesake I'm sure."

"When is construction scheduled to be completed?" I asked.

"Four months time perhaps. Mayhaps a bit longer," replied Theomore.

"Then in regard to the crew, could I perhaps send a crew back with your merchant fleet? Have them learn the ropes, so to speak, from your men? Same with my new captain?"

Theomore twirled his wine in his hand as he thought over the question. "That might work, but it depends on the haul that the fleet carries back. Space on the ships is limited so they might not be able to carry all the men you need, but I will write a letter regardless to see what accommodations can be made."

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed.

"To the Lady Alice!" toasted Theomore.

"To a happy marriage," replied Mateo, also raising his cup.

"To many happy grandchildren," I replied.

We had been in White Harbor for two days now before I had finally had a chance to explore the city a bit. Yesterday we had gone out hunting with Mateo which had been an experience. Not a particularly fun one, but an experience, nonetheless. Using dogs to do most of the work stripped what little interest I had, but at least there had been plenty of food and drink to be had. Still, life was made by the experiences you had, and this had been a new one for me.

Luckily, I had been able to beg off today and do my chores around the city. I only took one of my guardsmen, Rodrick, with me while Ryden was spending the day with Alice. I had already visited a few people that I wanted to attract to Redbridge, such as another fletcher, bowyer, and some ex-miners. Ex-miners mainly because all the current ones in the area were already employed by Theomore in his silver mines and I couldn't compete with that. But some retired miners who could no longer work? As long as they could teach my people how to mine effectively, it was all I needed from them. I got mixed results, but I still managed to lure some people away from White Harbor without promising too much.

I had also taken the time to go to the few inns that were frequented by merchants, mainly of the landed variety - trying to spread word of trading out to the east coast, and the opportunities and lack of competition. I tried to be low-key and spread the knowledge subtly, highlighting the lack of competition to the overworked merchants. I felt it fell on fertile ground, but I would have to wait and see if any decided to make the trek.

My last stop for the day was at a blacksmiths shop. Specifically, the one where I had purchased cast iron all those years back. The street that the blacksmiths had all congregated on lacked a fancy name like the Street of Steel had, back in King's Landing, but it retained the same atmosphere. The smoke and soot hung heavy in the air, and the street was blackened from the materials.

Locating my destination, I entered the shop, which had changed little over the years and saw an old lady snoozing on a chair – somehow ignoring the loud noises of metalworking coming from the back.

"Hello?" I shouted, trying to draw her attention. "Hello?!" I tried again, shouting even louder.

With no response, I nudged her with my foot. I tried again with a little more force.

She shot awake and shot me a dirty look. "Why you kickin' me? You ought t' talk like a civilized person and all."

I shared an exasperated look with Rodrick. "Sorry, ma'am. I was hoping to talk to Sig."

She grumbled to her self as she pulled herself off the chair. "Wait here, 'n I'll go grab him." She wagged a finger at us. "And don't go kickin' anything."

After a few moments, the sounds of work in the back slowly stopped, and Sig joined us up front. He was much older than when I had last seen him, but that was to be expected – I was no different.

"Looking to buy something?" he asked.

"Not at the moment. I was wondering if you remembered me. I bought that cast-iron contraption from you years ago and sent you a few letters previously."

"Oh! You're that new Lord out on the coast, right? Err, m'lord."

"Masterly house actually -not technically a Lord. I was hoping to talk to you about the cast iron."

"Oh, right. Err, how is it holding up?"

"Excellently," I replied.

He blinked in shock. "Good?" He shook his head a bit. "Good," he said again, more authoritatively.

I laughed. "Have you sold any more of them?"

He shook his head. "No, m'lo- master? The metal is too weak for any tough use. I've used it a few times, mainly for decorations and the like, but there's no real demand for it otherwise. Too expensive too."

A loud snore interrupted my response. I looked over to the chair and saw Sig's mother had fallen back asleep.

Sig's face reddened. "Sorry about that, Master Michael."

I waved him off. "No worries. Anyway, I know there will be demand for cast iron in my new holdings, and I want someone there who is able to make it. In your previous letters, you said you weren't interested. Is this still the case?"

He nodded. "Aye. I can't move my whole family, and I'm too old to start up a new shop."

"Pity. Do you have any apprentices that might be willing to move?"

Sig sucked in air between his teeth as he thought it over. "My newest apprentice – maybe. I'm not ready to retire yet, and the city has enough blacksmiths, for now, so he hasn't been doing much lately."

"Is he here?" I asked.

"No, not today, Master Michael. I can send him to you if you'd like."

"That'd be perfect. I'm staying with Lord Manderly. I will tell the gate guard I am expecting him then."

Sig gave an awkward bow. "Well then. Err, thank you, Master Michael?"

I laughed. "No, no. Thank you."

I left the shop and headed back into the city happily. Another check off the list.

After a week of being in White Harbor, Ryden and I were alone in our rooms preparing for our departure tomorrow. We would be heading back to Redbridge, stopping at Winterfell on the way back to pick up Rodrik, for which I was grateful. Theomore had been an excellent host, and it had been nice getting to know my future daughter-in-law's family, but it would be nice to be back home again.

I had achieved what I set out to do, and we would be returning with quite a large party of people who would be joining us in Redbridge. Theomore had also taken me to the shipyard and shown me what the Lady Alicewould look like by showing me her nearly completed sister ship. It looked very similar to the pirate ships of Earth, much more so than the other carracks here typically looked – excluding the cannons of course. Theomore had said this was the latest design and he hoped it would launch White Harbor into shipbuilding fame if they could be credited with a new ship design.

Ryden was disappointed to be leaving, as he had enjoyed spending time with Alice, especially as his embarrassment and discomfort started to wash away as they spent more time together. She was very level-headed and would make an excellent partner for Ryden. Some of her personality reminded me of Nyra, which I did well to nevermention to Ryden.

With thoughts of home in my head, I drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Boom. New chapter. Sorry for the wait; this took a lot longer than I would have thought as my Masters is taking up a lot of my time and energy. The next chapter will be shorter, so it should be out in a week or so.