Interlude: Edric
King's Landing, Late Ninth Moon, 285 A.C., One moon, one week later…
The size of the city in front of me "boggles the mind", to borrow a phrase from my brother. Even after the stories and descriptions from not just Hugo and Wyman, but from the hardened survivors of the war, I'm still caught off guard by the scale. It makes Wolfsport even with its current winter population of over fifty thousand souls look tiny in comparison. A truly massive beast of wood and stone buildings covering multiple hills over tens of square miles with the head being the Red Keep, an impressive castle larger than Castle Warg, smaller than Winterfell, yet taller than both.
I spot the prince at the bow of the ship, wearing the same furred cap my brother made and the same one I currently wear on my head, straps tied to the crown. Three wooden crates full of ushankas are on this ship just for selling them in the capital, where demand for them has been high. Lords and ladies have been clamoring for them ever since the royal family began wearing them in court, naturally sent as gifts by Hugo. I chuckle softly to myself at how my brother uses the prince and royal family to show off his new inventions to the highborn in the Red Keep, thus creating demand for his products by lords and ladies wishing to apt the royal style.
The prince is reading a pamphlet given by Hugo detailing the alphabet of the flag signal system he created, having taken in interest in it in Lannisport and planning to implement it in both the Royal Navy and trade company. He's a decent enough man for a prince and good friends with his brother but I am honestly happy to have him off the Thunderbolt. After the unplanned stop to Pyke, a four day stop in Storm's End to deliver the farming implements to be used in spring, and the cramp quarters of the ship letting everyone know when the prince is doing his "duty", I'd wager the crew is ready to see him go as well.
The prince had taken a keen interest in every part of the ship but found the steel-made, portable stove my brother calls a rocket stove the most interesting. The crew love it for burning hot, quick, and with surprisingly little fuel needed and being made of metal, were less of a fire hazard on a ship.
But what truly amazed the prince is water distiller that uses another rocket stove as a heat source to distill sea water into drinkable water. It's not terribly efficient, taking several hours of continuous boiling to get a common standard gallon of safe, drinkable water but it didn't matter to the prince. He interrogated me on everything about the rocket stoves and the water distiller and I answered to the best of my ability even if I didn't completely understand how it worked. Something to do with boiling seawater to create steam that travels in a tube through something called a coil condenser that circulates cold sea water pumped from under the ship to "condense" the steam back into pure water, the salt and other impurities left behind from the boiling sea water. The prince, even if he didn't completely understand the explanation, was incredibly impressed with them and I already knew he was going to write to Hugo about purchasing some. Even his wife, who seems to look down on us Northerners, was suitable impressed by their ingenuity and craftsmanship.
I'm dragged out of my thoughts by the princess walking by me in a long, mink-furred coat and ushanka to talk to her husband. I look out to see the see the six-and-ten trade cogs of the trade expedition I'm joining, all waving the banner of the Royal Trade Company. The banner was split into quarters with four different house sigils; the top left is the royal sigil of House Baratheon of King's Landing with a crowned stag and gray direwolf mirroring each other in the rearing up position in the respective Baratheon and Stark colors. The top right is the sigil of House Arryn, the bottom right is House Baratheon of Storm's End, and the bottom left is the sigil of House Manderly to represent the "Big Four" of the trade company. I count three trade cogs of House Manderly and Northern houses like the Lockes, Woolfields, Hornwoods, Boltons, Karstarks, and Umbers. The latter three houses were hesitant participants at first, not investing much in the first two expeditions but according to my brother, have increased their investments in the previous voyage to the Summer Islands and this upcoming one to Ibben. Three trade cogs for the Stormlanders led by House Tarth, five trade cogs for the Vale, and another five for the Crownlands led by House Rykker.
Soon enough we dock the ship and descend the gangplank to be met by the royal couple, the Lord Hand and his wife Lady Arryn. Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard and Captain Creegan Karstark with a dozen Gold Cloaks guards them. We mount our horses and make our way to the Red Keep, the Gold Cloaks clearing people off the icy streets in front of us. I hear a few smallfolk recognize my house sigil and mutter about Wolfsport and "Hugo the Inventor". I'm snapped out of my musings when I hear the prince mention the signal flags and rocket stoves to his brother, goodsister, the Lord Hand and his wife. The signal flags don't get much of a reaction other than an acknowledgement of their potential usefulness. The rocket stove and water distiller and the other hand got incredulous looks and comments before the king turns to me.
"Lord Edric, your brother made a way to turn seawater into drinkable water!?" I suppress a sign and explain the water distilling process to the king and his entourage. The king and Ser Barristan understand it less than Prince Stannis, the Lord Hand seems to grasp the basic concept and is in awe from Prince Stannis and my words that it works. The queen, Lady Arryn, and Captain Creegan looked completely lost.
"I swear, I'm half tempted to make up a position just to get your brother back here. Something like Master of Inventions!" The king japes and everyone chuckles or pretends to as we continue to the Red Keep.
I spot the Wayfinders Guild Headquarters where I'll meet with Dagwell, Deputy Grandmaster of the guild and my brother's eyes and ears in the capital. The red-haired, blue-eyed Northerner in his twenties is going to accompany me on the trade voyage to Ibben on orders of my brother to both protect me and assist me in trade negotiations. Tomorrow I meet with him to discuss both the secrets and rumors of the capital the trade expedition that leaves in a week…
Four Days Later…
I stand with the hundreds of courtiers in the Great Hall, with the king gazing down from the Iron Throne and his Northern queen on the Queen's throne next to the Iron Throne and Lord Arryn as Hand standing at it's base holding court. The next petitioner draws the interest of the court, a diplomatic envoy from Lorath. Three pale, brown-haired men with dark brown eyes in high quality blue wool tunics and pants and clasped in cloaks made from massive spotted seals stand before King Robert after being announced by the herald. The oldest among the three and chief diplomat steps forth.
"A man wishes a thousand blessings upon you, King of the Iron Throne! Ever since you established a trading post in our fair city two years ago, trade between our people has flourished, bringing mutual prosperity to both our lands!" The head diplomat speaks accented Common Tongue but still speaks like someone who has been taught in the oratory arts. The Lorathi have a strange custom that comes from some dead religion where they say referred to themselves as "a man" and "a woman", instead of saying "I", "me", or "mine" and refuse to have names. I see some lords nod and murmur, the same ones who've invested in the Royal Trade Company and have trade ties with Lorath. The King responds in a deep, regal voice.
"Well met and be welcomed, Honored Ambassador of Lorath! Trade has indeed been bountiful between our people!" An exaggeration on the King's part. While trade has been increasing with Lorath and the Royal Trade Company is indeed profiting from its trading post, it's still the poorest of the Free Cities so the profits have been limited.
"House Baratheon and the Seven Kingdoms are always looking to forge stronger ties and increase trade with people who also abhor the evil of slavery!" I hear positive comments among the courtiers from the King pointing out Lorath's history of never having slavery similar to Braavos. One Crownlander near me quietly comments to another that he only trades with the Lorathi and Braavosi because that way he knows he isn't trading with slavers. The ambassador speaks again.
"Oh, great King of the Sunset Lands, we have been sent by the wise magisters of the High Council of Lorath for your assistance in a grave matter!" The ambassadors words draw the crowd in.
"A khalasar led by Khal Motho threatens our colony of Morosh at the mouth of the Sarne Delta! The khal demanded an exorbitant amount of tribute, far too much for us to able to pay! Now, over twenty thousand Dothraki screamers lay siege to our colony and we are barely able to hold and resupply it. A man beseeches you, King of the Sunset Lands, to lend us aid in saving our colony from the rapacious Dothraki slavers!" The news of the Dothraki siege surprises the court, with worried whispers about how this event will affect the trade expedition filling the court.
"And what kind of aid do you seek against the Dothraki horde, Honored Ambassador?" The king inquires.
"It is known that our fair city has a small navy and struggles to afford the Free Companies that roam Essos. Even with all the men we can spare from Lorath, we can only garrison three thousand men to defend our colony of thirty thousand people. If the Dothroki break through the wall, thousands with be horrifically slaughtered and thousands more carried off in chains…" I have to hand it to the ambassador, for not being a native speaker of Common Tongue, he is very good at mimicking the flowery way most Southroners speak.
"…We in Lorath have heard tales of the prowess of the knights in the Sunset lands, and in our desperation the High Council of Lorath asks you for military aid against Khal Motho!" The court becomes a filled with mutterings and comments form the courtiers, some stunned at a Free City asking the Seven Kingdoms for aid while others argue for and against giving aid to the Lorathi. I wasn't caught off guard by the ambassador's call for aid because I already knew why they were here. Dagwell explained it to me a few days ago, the Lorathi ambassadors arrived a few days earlier and negotiated with the King and Small Council in secret. What is being presented to the court is the result of that meeting.
The king raises his hand and a hush descends on the Great hall. "Honored Ambassador, you asked much of me and the Seven Kingdoms. Indeed, the trade has been mutually beneficial between our peoples, but you ask that good Westerosi men to risk their lives in far off lands. We are not sellswords who fight for coin but proud knights! What could you offer for it to be worth the coin spent and blood split?" I see many lords and ladies nod at the king's words and all eyes turn to the ambassador, who remains stoic under the scrutiny of the foreign court.
"Oh, Great King of the Seven Kingdoms, your words speak true! We indeed ask for much of our new friends and do not take your aid lightly. Not only will the City of Lorath be in the Seven Kingdoms' debt, we will sign a formal alliance between our peoples, pay for the transport, food, and housing of your men, double the size of the trading post held by the Royal Trading Company, lower tariffs on goods from these lands by one third, and will grant the trade company and Westerosi merchants special treatment, second only to the Braavosi!" The ambassadors proposal brings a storm of loud chatter among the courtiers, with some lords thinking the Lorathi deal great while others argue it isn't enough. I note the debate is now less on whether or not to intervene and more on whether the deal is worth it. The king silences the Great Hall again after pretending to mull over the proposal.
"You offer much, Honored Ambassador, but not enough to justify good Westerosi blood to be split protecting Morosh. You must triple the size of our trading post in Lorath, lower your tariffs on our goods by two thirds, and must grant the Seven Kingdoms and Royal Trade Company the exact same preferential treatment you give to Braavos!" King Robert "counter-proposes" to the approval of the courtiers. The three ambassadors gather and make a show of arguing amongst themselves before the lead ambassador turns back to the king and gives their answer.
"Oh, Great King of the Seven Kingdoms, we have no choice but to agree to your harsh terms! The City of Lorath is indebted to you for your generosity and wisdom in rendering us desperately needed aid in our time of need! Let this new alliance bring forth a new dawn upon our peoples!" The ambassador proclaims to the cheers of the courtiers, with the most enthusiastic being the houses tied to the Royal Trade Company. The more a house is invested in the company, the more they were in favor of this military intervention. I hear lords such as Grafton, Royce, Mooton, Rykker, Tarth, Rosby, and Manderly pledge the small number of men-at-arms and knights they can spare in the middle of winter. When added to the one thousand men pledged by the king amount to a little over two thousand men. Court ends with the king proclaiming his brother, Prince Stannis in charge of the both the small army and the small fleet needed to transport. Men would be gathered from King's Landing, Gulltown, and White Harbor, the latter two were already on the route to Lorath and Morosh. The trade expedition would be delayed for two weeks to prepare the added cogs and galleys with ravens to be sent out to gather the men closest to Gulltown and White Harbor. I ignore the talk of how the Dothraki can't stand up to Andal chivalry from a few courtiers when I meet the eyes of Lord Arryn, Hand of the King, who bids me over to where he is standing with the ambassadors.
"Ah, good. Honored Ambassadors, this is Edric Seastark, brother to Lord Hugo Seastark of Sea Dragon Point." The Lord Hand introduces me and to my surprise, recognition of the Seastark name flashes across their faces.
"The Sunset lander lord who made a device that always points North?" One of the ambassadors asks.
"The lord who made the perfume we import?" Another asks.
"The lord who constructed a ship faster than any Summer Islander swan ship or YiTish junk or treasure ship!" The head ambassador that spoke in court adds his own question and I answer all of them. The king and queen walk up to join us and I'm finally told why I'm speaking to the ambassadors. They ask me to take the ambassadors back to Lorath with a shipment of weapons and armor on the Thunderbolt and to ferry messages and food between the city and colony until the expedition arrives moons later. Lorath by clipper should take about two weeks instead of over a moon by galley or cog and Morosh in another two weeks. I agree when they promise to reward both myself and House Seastark for my efforts. And make plans with the ambassadors to leave the next morning…
Lorath, Mid Tenth Moon, 285 A.C., Five-and-ten days later…
The city of Lorath comes in sight I breath a sign of relief at finally making it to our current destination. Things got tense when we sighted pirates in the Narrow Sea but true to her name, the Thunderboltsailed past them like a… well, thunderbolt.
Dagwell and I will drop off ambassadors and meet with the High Council before sailing for Morosh tomorrow with the shipment of weapons and armor to the beleaguered colony before returning to pick up supplies and men. I am a bit sad to part ways with the ambassadors, for people who usually don't go by names they have some colorful personalities and are hard drinkers. If their keen interest in the rocket stoves were any indication, House Seastark will make a lot of money them to wealthy Lorathi nobles and merchants.