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Chapter 38: Chapter 28: AftermathChapter Text

"Anyone can be bought. It's just a matter of finding the right price."

-Warden of the West, Lady Paramount Cersei Lannister, the Acerbic Lioness

107 AC, Red Keep

A thousand ships invested the Stepstones, prying them from the grip of the Triarchy. With the destruction of the Triarchy fleet, Lord Corlys and I were able to talk Braavos and Volantis around into backing up our claiming of the Stepstones. In exchange for a promise of significantly lessened tolls, they agreed to deploy the bulk of their navies in support of our own, with the caveat that they couldn't be used for offensive actions.

We agreed, mostly because the Triarchy wouldn't know that the navies were only there for show.

Lord Jonas Blacktyde provided three hundred longships for the endeavour, backed by a hundred ships from the Arbor. Volantis and Braavos put up three hundred dromonds each as well, under Lord Jonas' overall command.

With the Stepstones now in our grasp, our encirclement of Dorne was complete.

Skyreach and Yronwood were gone, and with them, the two last Dornish armies. The border garrisons of eight thousand in Skyreach, and the five thousand in Yronwood.

Both times, we'd had ground troops launch another probing attack, and when the siege engines were busy pummelling them, our dragons swooped down from the sky and burnt them, and the castle behind them, to the ground. We'd since had the two passes out of Dorne garrisoned by our men, the Prince's Pass under Lord Tarly, and the Boneway under Lord Baratheon, preventing trade.

The Ironborn had sacked and burnt every port on the Dornish coastline over the past three months, and were blockading them.

With trade severed, most of their young and able-bodied men dead, and the costs of the war, Dorne was ruined.

I'd persuaded Viserys to offer them lenient terms of surrender. In exchange for bending the knee, the blockade of Dorne would end. We'd send men into Dorne to fill their towns anew, and I promised them coin to repair the damages done and the promise of new incomes, now that they'd lost their main lifeline of trade.

Stubborn folk that they were, they were still resisting and refusing to bend, so the blockade remained. We'd choke them until they realised that we were their only lifeline.

Already, traitors were beginning to show up. A dozen landed knights and improvised lordlings had bent the knee, and in exchange, received grain, gold and protection, as well as hundreds of not thousands of volunteers from the King's Landing. Unmarried men and younger sons, the homeless and destitute. They'd agreed to leave Flea Bottom in exchange for the prospect of a better life in the south, as winter's chokehold made them burdens on their family. We'd taken the heirs of the Dornishmen as hostages, but promised to return them with good marriages after a decade of leal service.

It was Lord Otto's opinion, and collaborated by most the Small Council, that by the end of winter, bankruptcy would force Dorne to kneel, like it or not. It was just a matter of how stubborn the lords were and how much face they wanted to save before the inevitable capitulation. In half a decade, according to him, Dorne would be ours.

It was more nuanced with the Triarchy. They weren't keen on picking a fight with three of the superpowers in the region, but at the same time, they had to, as otherwise their lifeline, the Stepstones, would be ripped out of their hands. Alone, it wasn't too bad, inertia and good investments would allow them to retain most of their power for another few decades, but combine that with the massive loss of personnel, ships and coin I inflicted upon them at the Kingsroad Rout, and they were in trouble.

They'd become like Volantis, a former shell of their previous self, never to reclaim continental hegemony.

While on paper this was a good thing, in practice not really.

I honestly didn't want the Triarchy to collapse, as without them, Braavos would have hegemony uncontested. In an ideal world, the Free Cities would be divided into three or four blocs all vying for hegemony, with Westeros as kingmaker. Trade across the Narrow Sea made up much of their economies, hence they'd be squabbling for our favour. Good trade deals, and they'd gain an advantage over their rivals. Piss us off, and it'd be their rivals we gave such contracts to.

Reducing them to squabbling rivals competing for my favour would neatly neuter all of them, and hammer down one of the last nails that could stick up to challenge my authority.

I could prop up Volantis without issue. Everyone saw the benefit of having a counterweight to Braavos in the south. The Triarchy on the other hand? I'd face civil war if I was too lenient on them, which brought me to this uncomfortable situation.

———

107 AC, Red Keep

In order to decide what to do with the Triarchy, I'd called a meeting with all of the eight Lord Paramounts. My father had demurred and given Lord Otto the authority to act in his stead, but in practise that meant I was head honcho, as the Hand of the King was my ally. I think he was trying to curry my favour, in hopes that I'd marry his grandson and combine our claims for the throne.

I was stringing him along, for now, because I found his support invaluable. Despite my impressive record, I was still theoretically behind him in terms of power and authority. For example, my promises to the Free Folk and Ironborn were technically in bad faith, as I couldn't really enforce it unless I got permission from Daddy. Which was why I made sure that they had good war achievements to make it worth rewarding them. I didn't need Hun or her giants at Driftmark, and neither did I really need Jonas to take the Stepstones for us, but politics dictated that they'd have a role.

It was less for the Vale Mountain Clans, as despite what her cousins and regent would tell you, Jeyne was still Lady Paramount of the Vale and my ally. If she offered lordships, lands and pardons to the Vale Mountain Clans, then it was within her rights. What I did with the Free Folk and the Ironborn was a few steps beyond that though.

But there were times where I just wished that Lord Otto was doing this for me, because we'd just started this meeting and already I felt like bashing my head in.

"We should sack the Triarchy! Burn all their cites to the ground and salt the ashes!" Lord Matthos Tyrell blustered.

"Hear hear!" Lord Tymund Lannister enthusiastically agreed. "None can defy the dragons!"

"Aye." Lord Boremund Baratheon rumbled. "They have killed near all my bannermen and half my population. This cannot go unpunished."

These three were all fire and brimstone, and it didn't help that the former two were the two most powerful lordships.

"I don't intend on burning them down, my lords." I placatingly said. "First off, they're too well defended."

"So was Yronwood and Skyreach, but that didn't stop you last I checked." Lord Brandon Stark dryly said, receiving a glare from me in return. Well bred women, I reminded myself, were above setting his beard on fire. However, they weren't above misusing their sorcery to make his glass candle hologram speak with a really squeaky chipmunk voice.

"Second of all, they're among our main trading partners." I pointed out. "We burn them, or punish them too harshly, and we lose gold from the merchants and traders."

"Bah. Who cares about counting coppers?" Lord Matthos shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Spoken like someone who has never been poor." Lady Jeyne Arryn retorted. "Like it or not, we need the Triarchy's trade as much as they need ours."

"I confess little understanding to such matters, but Lady Arryn speaks truthfully." The newest lord paramount in the room spoke. "Shearing sheep yields more wool than butchering it."

"You should leave these matters to your betters, Wildling scum." Lord Tymund spat, Lord Bael shrugging it off.

"I only counsel wisdom, my lords." The Lord Paramount of Beyond the Wall spoke. "Disregard it at your own peril."

"Lord Lannister, apologise to Lord Bael." I ordered. "He's bent the knee, and is now a citizen of the Seven Kingdoms, titled by King Viserys Targaryen himself, and worthy as equal respect as any other person in this room—I mean—conversation."

Strictly speaking, neither Bael nor Brandon were in this room. Neither was Jeyne or Jonas. The four of them were communicating via glass candle, with their holograms seated in their chairs at the table.

Lord Tymund gritted his teeth, and ground out an apology.

"I still think it strange though." Lord Kermit Tully spoke up, genuine curiosity in his voice, turning to face Bael. "A rule where upon your death, the lordship passes not to your son. How does that work?"

"We do it the way the crows do." Bael answered. "Once I die, all Free Folk vote for who they want in charge. We keep voting until someone gets a two-in-three majority. Then he gets the high seat."

It took a bit of back-and-forth negotiation, but we'd eventually got the Free Folk chieftains to agree on doing the election the way the Night's Watch did. While individual rule of the clans was done however the clan itself customarily did it, overall leadership would be decided via election. The Nightfort was currently serving as the temporary seat for the Lord Paramount of Beyond the Wall, but Bael made it clear he had plans to raise his actual seat somewhere in the Haunted Forest.

The Lord Beyond the Wall should Lord from Beyond the Wall, according to him.

"Curious." Lord Kermit said. "I'd like to see that happen, but I pray that you won't pass so soon."

"Mayhaps you should come to the Iron Islands then." Lord Jonas amusedly said. "We be having a Kingsmoot at the end of the year. To decide who's the next Lord Paramount. Drowned Men say it ain't hereditary anymore. We going back to the old and proper way o picking who's in charge."

That too, was our method of dealing with the succession crisis of the Iron Islands. With the Greyjoys all but wiped out, I decided that the best way to decide who was in charge was to hold a Kingsmoot. The Drowned Men were really enthusiastic about the idea, and I'd agreed that rule would no longer be hereditary. Every time a Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands died, a Kingsmoot would be held, and the Iron Throne would recognise whoever won the election as the new Lord Paramount.

That being said, Lord Jonas Blacktyde was still the interim leader, and in my opinion, the best pick for the lordship. As such, I was propping his position up significantly, giving him goods to pad out his promises and other sundry favours.

"A conversation for another time." I said, before they could get sidetracked. "The point is, Lord Bael is correct. We bleed the Triarchy too heavily, and we'll bleed ourselves in the process."

There was a murmur of discontent from the southern lordlings.

"Then what do you propose, my Prince?" Lady Jeyne asked.

"Territorial concessions, first of all." I began. "We're keeping the Stepstones. No doubt about that. And we'll add a goodwill clause that bans them from funding, creating or hiring pirates to harass our fleets there.

"For Myr, I'm thinking that we demand sappers from them, to train our own Sapper Corps. I think we can all appreciate how dangerous they were in the past war." As I spoke, I nodded at Lord Baratheon, who let out a grunt of begrudging approval. "The bulk of the Myrish Sapper Corps died on Driftmark or the Kingsroad, but their trainers and schools should still be intact. We'll demand those, to train our own, while preventing them from creating a new corps so quickly."

A fairly impermanent setback, as far as things went. It wasn't a slap on the wrist, but it'd mean that their military might would be crippled for quite a while, while mine would be strengthened significantly.

Lord Brandon let out an appreciative whistle at that.

"I can find a use or ten for such engineers." He squeaked, before frowning at his voice, everyone else snickering.

"Apologies, Lord Stark. The spell must have had a malfunction." I lied, waving my hand and restoring his normal voice.

"What about Tyrosh and Lys?" Lord Kermit asked.

"I'm going to demand a share of Tyroshi profits as reparations. Dyeworks, shipyards and forges. As well as have their cartels give us special prices for their goods." Tyrosh would had a few lean years, but otherwise business would boom once trade picked up again.

"As for Lys..."

———

"I'd like the Rogare Bank to give Westerosi lords and ladies premium interest rates as penance for bankrolling this war." I spoke. "And last but not the least, the Triarchy will swear to accept missionaries from the Faith of the Seven, abolish slavery and never again raid at our coasts.

Once I finished, I turned to face the three representatives of the Triarchy, calling via glass candle.

"Some of this can be negotiated, but others not." Magister Cratos Drahar of Myr protested. "The Stepstones and slavery, for one."

"These are the most lenient terms I was able to get my lords to agree to." I lied. I'd actually bargained them even lower, but the Triarchy didn't need to know that. "Any lower, and I'd face a civil war."

"You would ruin our entire way of life!" Magister Lysandro Rogare of Lys protested. "You'd bankrupt us and force us to uplift our lowest."

"Would you rather I do to you what I did to Dorne?" I asked. "Blockades, embargoes and starvation? If you want, that too, can be arranged. I'll take a dozen dragons and scour the entirety of your fields and farms, starving you all even as Volantis and Braavos help me blockade your cities."

"Your treaty terms are essentially that dressed up in flowery language." Magister Teague Ryndoon of Tyrosh growled.

"Despite what you seem to think, gentlemen. I am in fact your ally." I flatly stated, getting three scoffs of disbelief in reply. "It is not in my interest for the Triarchy to lose its position for continental hegemony."

"If you were truly our ally, then you wouldn't threaten us so." Magister Cratos scoffed.

"As a gesture of goodwill, I am willing to release all Triarchy prisoners taken in battle without ransom." I allowed. "We'll free the slaves, but that is still near ten thousand prisoners."

Among the slaves were six thousand Unsullied. Their light casualties due to them not being encircled by the ring of fire on the Kingsroad, and not panicking and running headlong into Westerosi blades. After the battle was lost, their commander had the sense to order a surrender.

I was quite looking forward to recruiting the eunuchs to my own forces. I could find many uses for six thousand Unsullied.

"That is still not enough." Magister Teague calmly said. "You will still ruin us with this treaty."

"Where you see ruin, I see opportunity." I lazily said, watching as enlightenment dawned on Magister Rogare's face. "Ah. He gets it."

"If we gave premium interest rates, the lords and ladies of Westeros will invest their coin in my bank, over even the Iron Bank." Lysandro Rogare realised. "Our coffers will swell with money to invest."

I nodded at him.

"Also, my uncle Vaegon and I have some very interesting ideas on how to make more money, but we need established banking branches in the Seven Kingdoms. The Iron Bank was unwilling, are you?" I asked. The Encyclopaedia of Valyrian Finance was a fascinating read, but the Iron Bank and Rogare Bank had applied all of its recommendations and practices already. So instead I was drawing from Earth instead, where every town had a bank and everyone had a bank account. I intended to kickstart a financial revolution, with the Iron Throne poised to take advantage of it.

"I might be interested in such an endeavour." Lysandro tacitly agreed. "But that does not address the fact that you would cripple the Triarchy."

Reinvent yourselves then." I encouraged. "Instead of producing bedslaves, mayhaps train courtesans like the Braavosi. I can think of quite a few wealthy men and women in Westeros who would appreciate their beauty."

I turned to Magister Teague next.

"Tyrosh's factory-forges a quite the wonder. Best in the Free Cities outside of Qohor." I praised. "Our recent war has proved to me that Westeros needs a standing army of its own. One that answers solely to the crown.

"Which means we need forges to produce arms and armour on a level unseen on Westeros. And I can think of no other people to turn to then the Tyroshi." I told the Tyroshi. "You won't need to deal in slaves anymore for your economy."

Finally I turned to Magister Cratos.

"Myr needs little adjustment. Your engineering is famous across the world. I have many great works and projects planned, and I'd need your expertise to complete them." I shrugged. "Do you even need slaves any more? Myr is honestly the strongest of the Three Daughters. Surely you can graduate from such base requirements."

The Triarchy envoys frowned, considering my words. I'd figured out to bespell my words, make them weigh more, linger longer in the mind. It worked better over a glass candle, which was half the reason I'd sent the Dragonseeds across the Narrow Sea instead of inviting the Magisters in person.

Still, better bust out my secret weapon and really hammer the nail in.

"And to make it worth your while, should the Triarchy accept my terms, the Seven Kingdoms will..." I continued speaking about my latest plan, the Triarchy's envoys' eyes growing wider and wider as the implications fell in.

"Braavos and Volantis have already agreed to help bankroll the project. Agree to my terms, and we will proceed with it." I finished ten minutes later.

Still, they looked conflicted, though I could smell that they were on the verge of agreeing. What I had offered was priceless and beyond lucarative.

"If you'd like, I can leave the room and let you debate privately." I offered. I didn't actually need to be present to eavesdrop on their words. The glass candles had a recording function I was totally abusing.

"That would be welcome. Mayhaps we can reconvene tomorrow as well?" Magister Rogare asked. "We have much to discuss with our fellows."

"Very well then. Tell my Dragonseeds that they are to allow you to use the glass candles as you please." I allowed, getting polite goodbyes before their images vanished and the meeting adjourned.

———

By the next day, I had full agreement in all matters.

I'd had to concede half the incomes of the Stepstones and allow them ten years to slowly abolish slavery and transition into a free society, but that was already planned for.

I was practically skipping at the news. The Faith would sing praises at me allowing them to spread the light of the Seven and my abolition of slavery in three of the Free Cities.

"Prince Rhaenyra!" A servant called, running up to me.

"What is it?" I smiled happily.

"Queen Alicent has gone into labour!" He breathlessly said.

Well bred women were above burning down the Red Keep. However, they weren't above ordering their stepmother's favourite portrait of herself defaced with a goatee and moustache.