Chapter 33
Chapter 33
"Men can be controlled by Gold. Cities can be controlled by Men. Continents by Dragons. And the world…by a Bank."
~King Aerys Targaryen III
The above quote is often said to have been stolen by King Aerys III by his own great grandsire bearing the same name. The truth behind this, though, cannot be denied.
The parley of Braavos would see many changes brought to the world, as the Targaryen's would keep the city of Lys, the city famously called the Tear of Valyria, a place that had been once famous for nothing but pleasures of the flesh.
These days, the city is still owned by the Royal Family and is said to be the actual capital of the world.
The parley would also see to the establishment of the Royal Targaryen Bank. This institution has faced extreme criticism in modern days for its iron grip over most of the world's finances. The Bank is said to be the oldest financial institution of this day, and in these times when the Royal family has given up their right to keep an armed force under its name, is the weapon of choice in case of conflict.
The Royal family denies any involvement with the running of the bank and says that the institution's only purpose is to facilitate global trade and commerce. Yet many believe that it holds an inappropriate amount of control over the finances of the world.
As compensation for their actions, the Royal Family would negotiate with the magisters that as an assurance of their compliance with the terms of the agreement, they would deposit their wealth in the newly established Bank.
The Iron Bank would move to act as an intermediary in this case, proposing that they would provide this service. Yet the Royal family would decline this offer, believing the Back to be an accomplice in the assassination of King Aerys II. The Bank would protest against this, saying that they held no control over the actions of the faceless men.
And that is where King Rhaegar would level the threat that would one day be brought true by his own successors in the distant future.
"Then I believe it is high time Braavos and your Bank gained some control over the actions of this House of Black and White. For if I or my sons, or their sons, shall ever find any trace of their meddling in the affairs of my Kingdoms House, Targaryen shall declare war on the House of White and Black. Half a million men shall land on your shores, and our dragons shall take to your skies, and we shall bring death to you and your lands until the House of Black and White has been reduced to nothing but dust."
He would have the men write down these words, worlds that would be brought to reality by King Aerys III when the faceless men would assassinate Princess Daenerys Targaryen, his bride-to-be. Yet that is a tale for another time.
On the other side of the Narrow Sea, the dowager Queen, Rhaella Targaryen, would sit with Tywin Lannister. The Golden Lion was amongst the last of King Aerys's companions alive at the time.
And as the City prepared for the wedding of their favored princess, the Golden Lion sat with the Blessed Queen as they discussed terms of their own for the match between Daenys Targaryen and Jamie Lannister.
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DAENYS TARGARYEN
Daenys Targaryen smirked internally as she saw the representative of the Iron Bank lead them to the location of the parley. Rhaegar had chosen to have the parley at a clearing instead of a castle, and when asked for his reasoning for choosing to hold the meeting under the open sky, he had written.
'So, our dragons could burn any would-be assassins that may happen to stumble across the place of the parley.'
In the end, the Sealord could do nothing but agree, for House Targaryen held all the cards. Rhaegar had a suspicion that Braavos had supported the Blackfyre cause to weaken their hold over the Stepstones, given that the islands that their House controlled were at such a strategic place that through them, their House controlled nearly half of the trade across the Narrow Sea.
And even if they hadn't supported them monetarily, they still housed the accursed House of Black and White, the very institution responsible for the assassination of their father.
A hundred men of the army stood behind them along with their dragons as the three of them walked towards the elaborate table that had been set in front of the Sealord's palace for the parley.
She looked to his right and saw the impassive faces of their brother as they walked towards the table. They took the seats on one side, with Rhaegar sitting in the middle. She sat on his left as Aemon too the seat to his right, all of them clad in dull Black armor, as Rhaegar wore on his head the Crown of the Conqueror himself.
Opposite to them sat three fat men, men whose faces tightened as soon as they saw them. Their dresses were ostentatious and were supposed to be a showcase of their wealth and influence. Both of which lessened with each passing second as their armies literally wrang their treasuries dry, transporting anything of value from their cities to Kingsladning.
A man who sat at the head of the table stood up, dressed in an elaborate purple doublet. His face had a smile on his face, and he seemed somewhat innocent. Yet she knew that behind that simple face was a mind as cunning as a fox.
After all, one didn't become the Sealord of Braavos without a certain level of cunning, and Ferrego Antaryon had to be no different.
"Today, we gather here so we can reach an accord that would see us prosper together in peace once again," spoke the Sealord, and with the way the Magisters infront of them were scowling, she really doubted that was what they really wanted.
Their armies had literally wrung their cities dry of their wealth, freeing their so-called sales, which, even as they sat there, were being transported to Kingslanding as free men, hence decreasing their wealth, wealth that their House planned to get under their own control.
It was one of the magisters who spoke up first.
"What is there to discuss? You are foreigners in our land. Your war is over. It is time your armies left our cities," snarled the man as he spoke through gritted teeth.
Rhaegar simply raised a brow.
"You supported the rebellion against us, tried to wage war you were ill-prepared to fight and now you have lost, I don't believe you are all naïve enough to think it is all so simple," he cut in his voice impassive and seemingly disinterested.
The man from before tried to speak up but was interrupted by a plump man to his side. This one was dressed in a much lighter shade and had hair much like their own.
A Rogare, she recalled, this meant he was from Lys.
"And you are right, King Rhaegar, we have lost indeed. Yet the lands you hold are ours. Lands which our families have held for centuries, foreign lands can be so dangerous. The Triarchy understands their mistake and has offered reparations to the Seven Kingdoms," the man cut in, and Rhaegar raised a brow as Aemon cut in from the side.
"And I believe we were clear in our demands. Long have the Free Cities interfered in the matters of our Kingdom. Your kingdom has brought war to our shores three times, you have supported rebels and traitors sent assassins. This simply cannot go on," Aemon said and she saw the Magisters squirm at his words before one of them finally spoke up.
"Then what do you want?" the man nearly snarled.
At this, Rhaegar nodded to the servant behind him, and the man passed on the terms they had prepared for this moment to all the participants, terms that were rather simple.
She saw the Magisters read the scroll, and as she had expected, they were enraged.
"This is preposterous! An End to Slavery! And giving all our gold to your bank! We would be fools to agree to this!" the fat man from earlier cut in, and she finally recalled his name. He was Antharyon Orahos, the Magister of Myr.
"Those are the terms," Rhaegar added simply.
"You can agree to them or not. The choice is yours!"
"You are a fool if you think we would agree to these! You are a foreigner in those lands! We shall see how long you last as the people bleed you dr…." and the man made to stand up before suddenly the Magister from Lys spoke up. He seemed to be the most intelligent of the three.
"King Rhaegar, even you must realize the unfairness of these demands," pleaded the man sweetly, and she was getting tired of this.
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FERREGO ANTARYON
The Sealord of Braavos read through the demands of the Seven Kingdoms as his mind raced to process their implications, and they were not good. The demands prioritized the creation of a Bank, one controlled by the Royal family, and with the strength of the Targaryen regime he knew that this institution could grow up to rival the Iron Bank, a fact that would threaten Braavos itself.
"Then tell us what do you have in mind?" for the first time, the Princess spoke up from her chair, looking at Horos Rogare with a raised brow, the man smiled sweetly as he spoke up.
"A compromise princess," the man began and the three dragon riders exchanged glances before the Princess added as she leaned forward.
"Then so be it," she said prompting the man to speak up.
And then discussion were had, time was sought, reparations were lessened. Entire cities were sold, and bought.
He himself encouraged the abolishment of the taint of slavery, and though in the end the Free cities were given seven years to half the practice and then another seven to bring an end to it in its entirety.
The Targaryen regime had expressed interest in buying up Lys, an interesting proposition that would have to be discussed separately for the representative of Lys had seemed rather interested in the offer.
Yet in the end, the point the Bank became the point of contention, as the Triarchy refused to deposit their wealth in this newfound institution and protested heavily against being forced to use the institution for conducting their business.
"You shall deposit half your wealth in the Bank for a period of twenty-one years. And half your business shall be done through the bank," Prince Aemon of Duskendale added, and this was the last offer, and thankfully for him, the Magsiters seemed unconvinced.
"Perhaps I can offer a solution," he spoke up and saw everyone look at him.
"Perhaps the Iron Bank could be used fo…."
But even before he had finished his sentence, the King's voice cut through the clearing.
"NO!" and he was taken aback by the sheer vehemence in that tone.
"We have not forgotten the role of the Iron Bank in this war," the King added coldly, and he frowned as he questioned.
"And what role was that, your grace? Braavos stood neutral in the war," he said, despite knowing it to be false.
The King scoffed.
"Yet it was an assassin from your precious House of Black and White that assassinated our father," the Princess cut in scathingly, and his eyes narrowed as he answered.
"Braavos has no control over the the House of Black and White, princess. They are an ancient order that has no connection to either Braavos or the Iron Bank," he added in a sagely voice, yet it was the King who cut in a cold tone.
"Then I hope Braavos and the Iron Bank would not mind if House Targaryen were to declare war on this House of Black and White," and the King's words shocked all who were present.
And with those words the King of the Seven Kingdoms stood up from his seat, as he looked him in the eye.
"You say that they are independent, yet the whole world knows how the Iron Bank threatens its debtors through this so-called order of Assasins," the King spoke, and he quickly cut in.
"Braavos has no control over the order's actions, your grace," he spoke up.
"Then I believe it is high time Braavos and your Bank gained some control over the actions of this House of Black and White. For if I or my sons, or their sons, shall ever find any trace of their meddling in the affairs of my Kingdoms House, Targaryen shall declare war on the House of White and Black. Half a million men shall land on your shores, and our dragons shall take to your skies, and we shall bring death to you and your lands until the House of Black and White has been reduced to nothing but dust." The King thundered, his purple orbs glinting with rage as his two siblings stood up as well, and he realized that the order of the world was about to change.
It was as they had feared: House Targaryen had gained too much power too quickly. Less than half a century ago, they had been reduced to merely a husk by the tragedy of Summer Hall. Yet in forty years, the House of the Dragon had risen up, going from strength to strength, and in the blink of an eye, they had become strong enough to flaunt their influence so openly.
They didn't wait for him to respond and turned to face the Three representatives from the Triarchy as the King cut in.
"The terms we have settled on are fair and final. No more concession shall be given. You shall accept them as they are or deny them if you wish to. But understand this," said the man as he put his hands on the table and leaned forward, looking the three Ministers in the eye.
"I have held your lands for a year now, and I have men enough in my Kingdom to hold them for a hundred more. If you refuse these terms, you will never set foot in your cities again, that I promise you on my father's grave.
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As the negotiations between the Triarchy and the Seven Kingdoms concluded, on the other side of the world, the King beyond the Wall would leave with five hundred strong, riding towards the Fist of First Men, where the first conflict between the Watch and the Others was said to have taken place.
They carried cages of wood with them, specially prepared for this day, as they sought to capture the evidence of the revival of enemies that man had forgotten about. For they knew to fight this enemy, they would need the support of the living on the other side of the wall.
For losing this war meant the end of humanity itself.
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