74
----
113 AC
Lys
Lysandro Rogare
----
"They are here sooner than we expected." My wife nervously speaks up as the loud echo of a dragon's roar slowly fades away.
"It's fine, we are fine." Everything Prince Daeron wanted done is done and all the long-term goals he set are slowly being worked toward.
The new 'free men' are excited and filling the streets the complete opposite of what was happening the last time this dragon flew overhead. But it is expected with how the Prince set them up to gain freedom while also maintaining a livelihood. Lys has been riding rough waters since I was made Lord over the city but the freed slaves have been an asset. Willing to do just about any work while also taking small loans from my bank to purchase a place to live.
I won't lie and say I thought it was possible but with the way things are turning out, there might actually be a Lys without slaves. It also helped that most of the people who where against this also met the requirements to be... disposed of. With the remaining two thousand Dornish men who have slowly been cycling out it is also a breeze to keep the city in order.
"Let's hurry and greet them both, his wife is supposed to be with him and I am sure he will want to show her around the city. The city is at its best this time around as well, the last time the Prince was here it was a mess from the panic of war. I am sure he will also enjoy looking around without it being lost in chaos." I loop my arm with my wife and nod to a guard who steps forward to lead us.
I hope that a opportunity to talk about the bank shows itself, it would do 'House Rogare' a lot of good if we got some things discussed. Like opening another bank in Kingslanding, they have none other than merchant lenders who are not the most reputable. It would also give us a good foothold in both Westeros politics in general but more importantly a presence in the capital under House Targaryen.
Lys will be 'inherited' by Aegon the first son of Daeron and Rhaenyra and he will sit the throne as a Targaryen regardless of his current name as a Martell. My hope is to build a solid groundwork for the future where we can be closely tied to the royal family. Similar to House Velaryon and how it's almost hereditary for the 'Master of Ships' to go to the Lord of the Tides. I want to work toward something similar for my own family and being the Master of Coin, it would be a simple matter for us and give us a lot of power.
We also have the Blood of Old Valyria so the more powerful we become and the more influence we have it will simply become a matter of time before our blood marries into House Targaryen. My family's future is already tied to Westeros with how I was named Lord of Lys, it only makes sense to secure it. We may not have ships or dragons or even very many men with my own guard only barely reaching five hundred men after all my recruiting. But we are good with gold and we can become apart of the ruling body of Westeros through our assets and skills.
----
113 AC
Lys
Rhaenyra Targaryen
----
"Thank you." Daeron helps me step down from Syrax and slips his hand around my back as he guides me toward some of the gathered Dornish 'Guards'.
They are forcefully keeping the peace in Lys from what my Husband told me but from the rumors he said he heard it is mainly them bouncing around through the pleasure houses. They have all been either closed down or recreated after the removal of slavery but there were apparently still more than enough whores. It makes sense with how they were either raised to be this way or forced by another or their circumstances, they have little other choice. But apparently, it is a vast improvement from what it used to be and we are planning to look into it while we are here.
Can't have something bad happening and neglect it, it would reflect poorly upon us and taint any good that can come of Lys joining under the Iron Throne.
"I expected more noise and... well more noise and-" Daeron bumps me playfully with his hip silencing me.
"Expected the city of pleasure to be full of naked people rutting into one another?" He chuckles as he holds his free arm out and clasps it with one of the Dornish soldiers. "They keep that part in the fancy buildings they built to make it all seem artistic and fancy. But I am sure we will be seeing some... things during our tour around the city." He drops the man's arm and the gathered soldiers fall in line behind us with only a few taking point and walking before us.
"I see." I nod as I look around at the exotic buildings and plants growing from them.
----
"So how are things?" Daeron asks after proper greeting was exchanged with Lord Rogare who I have only briefly seen one time when he came to Kingslanding for an event.
"Wonderful, everything is going smoothly and we have had no problems we could not handle." Daeron smiles even though he already knew this, he gets regular reports from Lys.
"Good, there will be another shipment of grain from the Disputed lands soon according to my Brother. He flew over the farms not long ago while making sure there were no problems going on. I know it was in your last letter and so now you know and can await its arrival soon." The Lord lowers his head and raises it with a smile.
"That is good, I was preparing to have some men sail over and check in person but this is good news." I smile seeing the Lord's Wife looking at me and she once more bows her head.
"Alright, that's out of the way let's walk around and look over some stuff while we talk." Daeron is not one to like to sit around after all the sitting he has done thus far on the Royal Progress.
I am sure he dreads when we finally leave the Dornish lands behind to head to the Reach where we are sure to sit around much more. Neither of us knows the lands as well and will be just jumping from one Lord's castle to another.
----
"This is one of the most famed gardens built by the Dragon Lords of Valyria, the smooth dragon statues are made similarly to the ones on Dragonstone you should have seen before." Lord Rogare introduces the place as we enter a large garden in the middle of the city with a bunch of fountains and beautiful plants.
"Kind of reminds me of some of the paintings I have seen of the Rhoynar cities." I mutter to my Husband who nods in agreement, he just showed me those paintings in Sunspear recently.
"Probably took some inspiration from one another but honestly I don't even know who made what first. With how long fused stone lasts it could have even been the Valyrians who did it first but I don't know." I nod while remembering the very old painting that was half ruined that is of the Palace of Love.
A place where many people likely married, tens of thousands in total if not more, and yet now all it is known for is sorrow. The curse of Garin the Great leaving the place in fog even until this day where only stone men are said to live there now.
"This is pretty." I point out an almost familiar flower that has red and yellow petals and a long stem.
"Not as pretty as you." Daeron never one to miss a chance to compliment me speaks up earning an amused chuckle from the Lord of Lys and his Lady.
"You don't always have to say that every time I say something is nice to look at." I roll my eyes and bump him away a bit with my hip but keep his hand laced with mine.
"If I don't then I risk the chance of someone else trying to use the opportunity to compliment you. I would hate to have to cut someone down while in one of my nice tunics..." I chuckle and pull him back toward me as we continue our way through the large colorful garden.
----
113 AC
Lys
Daeron Nymeros Martell
----
"Aye, I don't think we will stay long... blame your Wife for letting mine see your children and stirring her desire to return at first light in the morn." I sit across from the man I named Lord of Lys inside of his very large and overcompensating solar.
"I can imagine, I know my Wife refused to leave our first babe's side until he was nearly running around to escape her." He smiles fondly as he pushes a stack of parchment across his desk. "This is everything you asked for, all the accounts and dealings of those I got rid of and their assets after taking the share we agreed upon for myself." I nod and grab the stack and pick it up to briefly look over it.
"I won't be able to give you word on what to do with this stuff just yet, I need to have a full number in mind before I speak about what I want to see done." I look down at the top report seeing him nod while thinning his lips.
"Those free men and women have been working hard and seemingly settled into the new way of life. The child who ran up to give your that handmade gift likely made it overnight when word spread that you were to arrive. There are many people talking about you freeing the people, some wanted not long ago to make something in your honor. I am sure that little child was thrilled to hand you over something in return for 'helping' her." I nod halfheartedly listening to him as I read over the resources the dead men left behind after they step over lines I drew for them to stay behind.
Riches, a shit ton of riches that I will use to completely make Lys self-sufficient far as the people on this island go. I still want Lys to obviously need the Disputed lands so they start more farms and small towns in the fertile lands. The more they harvest the more I get from those lands, that was part of the deal after all. Their ability to have those lands open to them without conflict is paid for by a fat percentage of food going toward Sunspear.
It is one of the few things I did for House Martell and not for my children's future or rather for Aegons future. My secondborn is the one who will benefit from this and not having to pay as much for food since House Martell will be receiving food from Lys. But this is only under the condition that the branch of House Martell on Bloodstone keeps the Disputed lands protected with dragons... so if a fifty thousand strong Khalasar arrived it is our duty to purge them and keep the farmers safe.
"This looks promising, I still think it's smart to reach out to more Princes and Princesses of the Summer Isles. The more of their 'Love priests' come over here with their acolytes the better for business overall. Other than that it seems things are sailing smoothly and I don't have much more to say." I will need a few days to get all of this sorted and then I will reach back out to him with a letter and tell him what I want done with my part of the 'loot'.
I know for a fact though that I want to build some more homes, some of the ones around looked a little worse for wear. It will also supply more jobs to those looking for work now that they have either worked off their 'debt' or outright bought their freedom with tips they earned working in the pleasure houses. The more I put in the quicker this place will prosper and the better of an example it will be that slavery can be done away with.