The next day:
Over Runestone City:
A huge bronze dragon slowly circled and landed outside the city walls.
"Thank you, big guy."
Aemon smiled and carefully jumped off the dragon's back.
"Roar!"
Vermithor growled, turned his head, and lay down.
He had just eaten yesterday, so he went to collect debts from the driver.
Aemon and the dragon were in tune with each other, but suddenly, they couldn't laugh.
He was really a stone in the pit with a bad temper.
"How could my great-grandfather stand you?"
It was puzzling.
"Roar!"
Vermithor narrowed his eyes and stretched his head to nudge the driver, expressing his dissatisfaction.
Aemon was hit by the dragon, stumbled, and almost fell.
Not only was he bad-tempered, he was also very strong.
"Forget it. I won't argue with you."
Aemon held his forehead and muttered softly. "Wake up your partner from Dragon Mountain one day and cure your bad temper."
A pair of dragon partners had been forcibly separated.
Maybe they blamed him.
...
Spacious hall.
Aemon sat in a chair holding a cup of warm milk.
His mother, Lady Rhea, was still hunting and had just sent a message:
"Prince, I have golden wine from the Arbor."
Johanna stood by with a silver wine jug on a tray.
"Oh, golden wine?"
Aemon asked curiously.
Johanna smiled and poured wine for him. "The king sent this wine, which is difficult to find outside."
The clear wine flowed out and down the side of the cup.
It was golden in color, and its aroma was overpowering.
Aemon sniffed it and gave it a good review. "Well, good wine."
"Want to try some?"
"No, minors aren't allowed to drink."
"..."
Aemon looked at the stunned Johanna and continued to taste the fresh milk with honey, satisfied.
He was a rough man and couldn't tell if the wine was good.
Drinking became popular in Westeros because well water was unhygienic and inconvenient.
In contrast, Aemon preferred nutritious milk.
It was mixed with honey water.
After a long time, Johanna recovered, lowered her head, and pursed her lips to hold back her laughter.
His Royal Highness is unique and does not follow the ordinary path.
Aemon drank it all in one gulp, put down the ceramic cup, and said, "Johanna, the king wants to open up a new territory. How about you be my housekeeper?"
"Well, me?"
Johanna pointed at herself, full of doubt.
"Yes, you."
"But I can only make beds and clean. At most, I can help Lady Rhea settle accounts."
Johanna pursed her lips, seeming embarrassed.
But under Aemon's sharp gaze, he caught a clue.
Johanna's breathing was steady, not labored or anxious.
He even felt that the other person's beautiful eyes, hidden by her long, curly black hair, were quietly observing his expression.
"Another smart, bad woman."
Aemon's heart trembled, but his expression did not change. "You can definitely do it. Do you want to be a maid your whole life?"
He knew how powerful Johanna, the "black swan" of the original world, was.
Even after being sold to a brothel in Lys, she rose to the top step by step, becoming a prostitute.
For a long time, she ruled Lys from behind the scenes.
"Isn't that better than the white maggot, that Daemon kept?"
Aemon was determined to obtain this SSR and planned to activate it.
Hearing this, Johanna buried her head even lower, nearly pressing it against her breasts.
I don't know if it's an illusion.
After Aemon's twelfth name day, he felt that her neckline was lower than usual every time he saw her dressed in a maid outfit.
There's no doubt she looks like a bad woman.
"I..."
Johanna paused for a moment and finally tried to speak.
Footsteps sounded, and someone quickly entered the hall.
"Aemon, I heard that you met the Mountain Clan?"
Lady Rhea wore bronze leather armor designed for hunting, and she walked with ease.
She quickly approached her son and looked him up and down.
"I'm fine, but Vermithor is not a vegetarian."
Aemon stood up to greet her and offered her his seat.
Lady Rhea was half believing and half doubting, but she felt more at ease.
No one knows a child better than his mother, and she knew how capable her son was.
She rode back all the way.
If it weren't for her face, she would have wanted to check it out right then.
Johanna acted as if she were invisible and brought the wine poured for His Royal Highness to Lady Rhea's hand.
Aemon glanced at her and smiled evilly.
Johanna stepped back silently and raised her collar two inches.
"What are you looking for me for so urgently?"
Lady Rhea didn't notice the two people's subtle movements and took a sip of wine to regain her composure.
She seriously suspected that her son had come back to collect a debt.
Yes, she was right.
Aemon sat next to her and smiled. "The river valley is ideal for reclamation, but I need craftsmen and logistical support."
He had surveyed the area the night before.
The foot of the mountain was the best place to build a city.
The two red cards can provide for the construction needs and speed up completion, but a lot of manpower is still needed.
Lady Rhea took a deep breath and asked, "How many people are needed?"
"At least 3,000."
"How many?"
Aemon said shamelessly, "Three thousand people are enough. I will build a castle first."
Lady Rhea was shrewd and calculated, saying: "It takes at least five to ten years to build a castle. There are 20,000 households in the jurisdiction of Runestone City. Are you going to withdraw 25% of the able-bodied men all at once!?"
It was April, and the summer harvest was approaching.
As a lord, she could not ignore her people's harvest.
Aemon waved his hand quickly. "Not really. You just need to give me the craftsmen and half the staff. I'll go to King's Landing and make up the rest."
Rhaenyra had been running "street sanitation improvement" and "reclamation of wasteland in the king's territory" programs for many years and had adopted many orphaned children.
Because of this, her reputation as the "Light of the Kingdom" spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
Upon hearing this, Lady Rhea raised her eyebrows and said seriously, "The king's letter was sent to me. What do you think of the princess's marriage?"
Aemon looked puzzled.
How else could he look at it? Of course, he had been watching.
"The king wants to recruit you as a son-in-law. You should know that."
Lady Rhea was unambiguous.
Aemon nodded.
"What do you think?"
Lady Rhea narrowed her eyes and spoke sharply. "If you don't agree, you should stop the other party as soon as possible."
Aemon was slightly stunned and stopped thinking.
To be fair, both his uncle and Rhaenyra had been good to him.
Especially Rhaenyra.
When they were in King's Landing, the two of them basically went out together, and their relationship was similar to Alicent's.
But I don't know if they're too familiar with each other or if they can't get over it.
When he saw Rhaenyra, he didn't show her much affection.
He simply treated her like a brainless partner.
Lady Rhea observed her son's expression and suddenly realized, "It seems that you don't like her, so I won't have to try too hard."
"What do you mean?"
Aemon stopped thinking and suddenly realized that something was wrong.
"What do you mean, 'I don't have to spend too much effort'?"
Lady Rhea straightened her back and said seriously, "As your mother, I can provide you with all the craftsmen in Runestone City, including three thousand strong men and logistical supplies."
"What are the conditions?"
Aemon asked.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, and his mother didn't love him that much.
Lady Rhea tilted her head and said righteously, " "If you want my support, your wife must be from the Vale."
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