Chapter 7: The Master of Ships

Eleventh Moon, 86 AC

Aurane

The day after their dinner with the royal family, Aurane and Corlys got up to take control of the Royal Fleet. Per their directions, the officers of the royal fleet had gathered in one of the buildings in the port, and much to Corlys's consternation, it was not an official building owned by the royal fleet and used to hold their records and meeting rooms. No, it was just a simple warehouse keeping the royal fleet's supplies that the ship captains also used to hold their meetings.

Corlys had had such a headache when he had heard that and Aurane could not agree more. How inefficiently run was the royal fleet? For many years after the Conquest it had been one and the same as the Velaryon fleet and so the Velaryons had simply used their own system to run the fleet. Aurane found himself wondering why Manfryd Redwyne had not implemented a system of his own, surely a House such as the Redwynes understood the importance of proper organization for their fleet?

On Driftmark, their navy was headquartered in Castle Driftmark. The castle was a proud and old fortress and with the main branch of House Velaryon no longer residing there, it was perfectly suited as headquarters for the Velaryon military. Their naval and marine officers all met and planned there and with the Driftmark Academy and the Arsenal of Hull nearby, they were close to the training and garrison grounds of their officers, sailors, and marines, and their shipyards. Half the Velaryon fleet was at Hull and the other half at Spicetown.

Everything that had been unnecessary or unrelated to military matters had been removed, including much of Driftmark's library which had been relocated to High Tide for the most part. Although under Corlys's orders, some of the books had been reprinted and added to the new military library filled with history books, geographies, histories, maps, and other such books, intended to both educate and entertain the officers. Much of the rest of the library space or former quarters had become reserved for recordkeeping and paperwork as well as confidential military documents.

In comparison, the pathetic little warehouse they had arrived at felt extremely lacking. There were clearly no records or paperwork to speak of other then what Redwyne had kept in his office in the Red Keep. The officers were all waiting for them when they arrived, seated on chairs, and stood at attention to salute them as they entered.

"Lord Velaryon," one said in salute to Corlys as they entered.

"It's not my title as Lord Velaryon that gives me authority over all of you, but that of Master of Ships. Address me as Lord Admiral from now on. You may use also use 'sir'.

"Ser, Lord Admiral? We know that you're a knight, but to address you merely as such seems awfully ill-fitting."

"Not quite 'Ser' Captain. With an 'I' instead. Same pronunciation but it's a simple and easy term to remember to address your superior officers rather than saying a mouthful. We need information quickly in battles after all, and cannot afford delays with courtesies. If you must though, I will also answer to 'Lord Corlys'," his brother explained.

The captain relaxed somewhat. "Understood… sir."

Corlys grinned. "That wasn't so hard now was it?"

All the officers introduced themselves and they spoke extensively with each of them. The highest ranked among all of them were captains, and after that there were only lieutenants for each ship. A simplistic chain of command. They'd have to add it to the list of things to do.

"So, what are your thoughts on the officers?" Aurane asked his brother when they were in private on their way back to the Red Keep.

"All of them at least seem to know what they're doing. The fleet serves its purpose well enough. Manfryd Redwyne was many things, but he was no incompetent. And that's the problem. Half of the officers or more are Redwyne cronies, and they are likely competent enough to warrant a valid reason to replace. Then again, almost all of them are petty nobles and second sons, born with a silver spoon in their mouths. I doubt they have the excellence Driftmark strives for or the standards we hold our officers to. They don't have the drive for it. I think I'll run them through the academy exams from Driftmark, that would give us a decent excuse to weed out some of them and replace them with loyal Velaryon officers to bring the fleet back under our control.

"The chain of command is also too short for my liking. I'll have to have the whole fleet recalled to King's Landing as I figure out how to reorganize it. Moderation is key. I don't want to lift up the royal fleet to Driftmark's standards or organization and training, in case we ever lose the position again, but at the same time I need to do something about this to show the King I'm actually making some improvements and establish an actual bureaucracy so I don't go insane doing all the paperwork myself."

"Perhaps a more simplified system than Driftmark's organisation? We still use galleys on Driftmark, we could follow the organisation used on our ships. The standard dromond used by the Royal Fleet has a crew of about 300 men. We could have seamen, midshipmen, one lieutenant, and one captain per ship. The Royal Fleet numbers about 75 galleys. 50 here, and 25 at Dragonstone. We divide this into seven squadrons of ten ships, with 5 in reserve, and appoint one in every ten captains as commodore of a squadron," Aurane suggested.

Corlys stroked his chin. "We'd also have to remember to account for the cogs and hulks but I think that could work. It's simpler than our fleet's chain of command though, and will probably be less capable than ours, but also easier for us to manage, fulfilling our objectives. Their fleet isn't very diverse though. Galleys, cogs, and hulks are not exactly the best ships for the open ocean. Our caravels and carracks are by far superior in that aspect, for all that one may argue that the galley still has greater maneuverability and speed in shallow waters without wind."

"The Iron Throne doesn't really need a large and comprehensive navy. It's not like it's doing much of anything at the moment. Redwyne probably knew that, hence why he didn't bother with building a more developed bureaucracy or trying to obtain carracks and caravels, not for the royal fleet at least. The King is not likely to give us any funds to expand the fleet either. Navies are expensive and his infrastructure projects are a drain enough on the treasury," Aurane replied.

"So we turn the royal fleet into a glorified coast patrol for Blackwater Bay. We could set it to patrolling Shipbreaker's Bay as well. Princess Jocelyn is a Baratheon by birth, and other than some twenty ships owned by Tarth, the Stormlanders have no fleet. They won't mind having some extra aid patrolling their waters I think," Corlys mused.

"I think the Tarths will surely agree, they're our goodfamily through Rhaekar after all, and we can negotiate a mooring fee to dock a squadron or two there, and keep the rest in the Blackwater to just patrol the Crownlands."

"Well, our navy will be the real one then I guess," Corlys joked.

"Just Driftmark alone may not be able to fulfill the goals we are aiming for," Aurane warned.

"Perhaps, but those goals are not a necessity to Driftmark's continued prosperity. Our naval supremacy is. And if we play our cards right, we might have air support no one can stop," Corlys said hopefully.

Aurane wondered how likely it was they could get that support, but if they could convince the King of its benefits, it could work. They were careful not to use the exact wording, intentionally speaking vaguely with each other so eavesdroppers would not understand their conversation.

Upon their return to the Red Keep, the brothers returned to their own chambers to retrieve some things they needed before they proceeded to the office of the Treasury, where they had arranged a private meeting with the Master of Coin, Lord Martyn Tyrell to discuss a potential business deal.

When they arrived at the Treasury, they found the door guarded by a few Tyrell men at arms, the golden rose proudly displayed on their green surcoats.

"Lord Velaryon." They nodded in acknowledgement, respect in their voices but not deference.

"I have a meeting with your liege good Sers. If I might be allowed to pass?" Corlys asked.

The guards looked at each other briefly before opening the door and they entered to find Lord Tyrell waiting for them at his desk. His wife, Lady Florence Fossoway, the unofficial and actual Master of Coin, was similarly seated.

Privately, Aurane doubted Lord Martyn was as dumb or weak as some thought him to be. It took a clever and humble man to recognize one's own shortcomings and allow their wife to handle those areas for them. And the Reach and later the realm as a whole had prospered greatly under Lord and Lady Tyrell's stewardship. That they retained some level of control over the Reach as well, notoriously disloyal to the Tyrells, while being away in King's Landing, was doubtlessly very impressive as well.

Lord Tyrell rose, a friendly smile on his face as he shook hands with Corlys and Aurane. Lady Florence curtseyed politely as well.

"Lord Corlys, Ser Aurane. It's a pleasure to meet you more properly again, after our brief introduction in court. I've heard much about your adventures and would very much like to hear more about them, if you are willing to tell the tale of course."

"Certainly," Corlys said politely, putting on his own charismatic smile.

"Excellent." Lord Tyrell's smile was radiant. "Please, have a seat."

"I hear Lord Corlys, that there are now elephants on Driftmark?" Lord Tyrell asked as they took their seats.

"Indeed, a purchase from my last voyage. They were requested by my nephew Vaemond and have been attracting visitors to Driftmark's zoo."

"Along with other such beasts as zorses and Little Valyrian lemurs right? I think by now, Driftmark's menagerie must rival that of the Sealord of Braavos!" Lord Martyn said, half in jest and the other half in admiration.

"Perhaps you can come visit it for yourself to see?" Aurane invited.

Lord Tyrell's eyes lit up. "I have heard many stories about Driftmark as of late. Perhaps another time though. There is much work to do still in King's Landing. Now come, tell me of your voyages, I hear you were invited inside the Black Walls of Volantis?"

Their conversation continued for a while, simple small talk as they told of their voyages and adventures, of the lands they had seen. They told of the wonders of Driftmark and their grandfather's stewardship and received condolences for his death.

In turn they began asking about the Reach and Highgarden, and heard almost whimsical stories of the lush and fertile fields of the Reach, teeming with crops as far as the eye could see. Soon the conversation had turned to more financial matters. Aurane and Martyn got sidelined somewhat as their brother and wife respectively began discussing currency standardization and other such complicated matters.

"It has never made sense to me, why we do not have a simpler currency system with standard divisions and units," Corlys declared.

"Yes, I feel the same. The inconsistencies and variations have made many of my calculations incredibly difficult," Lady Florence agreed. "I must say that the metric system your university came up with for measurements was incredibly revolutionary, as was binomial nomenclature in High Valyrian for the taxonomic classification of plants and animals. What do you think a good system for the realm's currency would be?"

"Decimalization perhaps? The metric system works on a base ten system of numbers so perhaps a hundred copper pennies to a silver stag, and a hundred silver stags to a gold dragon? That would simplify matters greatly I think."

"Hmm, that could work. And we could form the base of all the other coins around these three. Say copper groats are worth ten pennies mayhaps?" Lady Florence asked, thoughtful.

"Yes. I based it off the Braavosi's decimalized coinage. As for the stars, as holy as the number seven is, it simply does not work very well in our currency. That particular coin may have to be devalued I fear," Corlys answered.

"Best not tell the High Septon that," Lady Florence jested. "As for the rest, it's an interesting idea Lord Corlys, but you must understand that changing the value of the coinage is no simple task. Not to mention that though it might make some calculations easier, others may be much harder, like those concerning three, and any kind of devaluation would not be taken well by many. It will take many months before I could even have a proposal ready for the King,"

"Of course, of course. And when the time comes, I will lend my support to said proposal, worry not. A decimalized currency would do wonders for our taxation and commerce, and make theft and cheating much harder to hide."

In the midst of the two's conversation, Aurane leaned over to ask Martyn, "Do you have any idea what exactly they are speaking of?"

"Somewhat. I confess I am no expert in these matters. Florence was always the clever one, but she is also far less willing to bother with social niceties. Her mindset for mathematics has made her blunt, that's where I come in," Lord Martyn answered.

Aurane nodded. "I admire you my lord. Few are the men willing to admit their wives are better than them in any way."

Martyn smiled, accepting the compliment graciously. "Well the Seven do command us to be humble, and the Seven-Pointed Star says that though a woman may answer to her husband, so too must a husband treat his wife well and answer to her in turn. Far too often is this forgotten by many prideful men."

"But not you."

"No. Not I. I like to think I have enough humility and wisdom to realize that Florence being cleverer with numbers than I does not make me lesser than her any more than she is lesser for not being as charming as I can be. We complement each other, and cover each other's strengths and weaknesses. Just as the Seven intended I believe, and just as our good king and queen do. Aye I could have been like any other lord and sought to stifle her, but House Tyrell would not have been nearly so rich nor I as happy with my wife."

"That is a wise mindset indeed Lord Martyn. If only more thought like you and our king," Aurane praised.

"I thank you for your praise Ser Aurane." Martyn smiled.

"On the matter of finances, my lady, would you be interested in a proposition for House Tyrell?" Corlys asked, turning Aurane and Martyn's attention back to the other conversation in the room. Martyn was intrigued and Aurane was just pleased Corlys had final gotten to the point of their meeting with the Tyrells, drawing out the bottles they had been carrying and helping Corlys set them on the table.

Lady Florence raised an eyebrow. "And these are?"

"From right to left, we have vodka, whiskey, and brandy. They are fermented drinks, stronger than the usual wines, meads, and ciders. We call them liquors." Corlys answered as Aurane took a few glasses with Martyn's permission and began pouring some small shots for the couple.

Martyn coughed slightly after downing the vodka. "That is very strong. It burns as it goes down my throat, but the taste, once you get used to the strength, it's quite exquisite."

"Perhaps not to your liking then. I personally prefer brandy so I understand, but I can think of many who would enjoy a very strong drink. The Northmen for one," Aurane replied.

"How exactly did you get them stronger than wine? I didn't think there was a fermentation process that could do it," Florence asked, curious.

"Trade secret," Corlys said with a disarming smile before continuing. "Driftmark has the production methods for these drinks, but we don't have the grain to mass-produce them."

"And you want the Reach to supply these grains?" Lady Florence guessed.

"Not the Reach my lady, House Tyrell in particular," Corlys said with a more serious face, but Aurane could tell he was smirking inside as the Lord and Lady Tyrell were noticeably interested. They had set the bait, now they just had to wait for the fish to bite.

"What kind of grains?" Lord Martyn asked.

"Cereal grains. Malted would be fine as well. Crops like barley, oat, wheat, and rye. Grapes as well," Corlys answered.

Martyn looked to his wife, the thoughts seemed to be running through her head, her famed calculations running. Doubtlessly she had realized the opportunity for House Tyrell to enrich itself massively. "What is your offer?" she asked.

Corlys drummed his right hand fingers on the armrest before answering, "I think that for a contract to exclusively buy the raw ingredients from House Tyrell for a period of five years, a discount of seventy percent when buying in bulk in exchange for a ten percent discount on the final product sounds reasonable."

"Seventy?" Lord Martyn asked in shock, insulted. Aurane thought he was half about to jump out of his chair and throw them out for such a slighting offer. Even one not as clever as him could see the outrageousness of Corlys's proposed deal.

"Are you trying to rob us Lord Velaryon?" Lady Florence asked.

"Certainly not Lady Tyrell. However, I am merely pointing out what I could reasonably get, from you at least."

"Why would you ever think any self-respecting house would agree to such extortion?" Lady Florence asked, outraged.

"Because simply put, you need this deal. If only to deny it to your rivals. House Peake could easily and likely gladly fill the role if you would not and they would give me a very good and very mutually beneficial deal. I and Lord Peake are cousins through our Celtigar mothers after all, and they say blood is thicker than water for a reason. And not just the Peakes, I could deal with any other house along the Mander."

The implicit threat was sent. House Tyrell's hold on the Reach was so weak already, what with Redwyne and Hightower all but ignoring them. How much shakier would Highgarden's hold be if Peake was to be so enriched as well? Or Florent or Caswell or any other house with a stronger claim to Highgarden. They could all be made even more powerful rivals, toppling the fragile house of cards House Tyrell's power rested on.

"On the other hand, an arrangement sealed by contract in which House Velaryon exclusively buys from House Tyrell could see you pre-empt this," Corlys continued. The threat had been delivered, the stick revealed. Now to give the carrot.

"Nor am I an unreasonable man. While I am sure that the famed and capable House Tyrell could shoulder the burden, I seek to make friends, not enemies, and forcing a respected house, and two people I respect and like personally to such extortion is not the way to do it. I am willing to negotiate."

If the Tyrells bargained the discount low enough, they could kill two birds with one stone, denying their powerful vassals an additional source of revenue while enriching themselves. Now to see how far they managed to push it.

"A thirty percent discount for the supply in exchange for a discount of fifteen percent on the final product and a contract of twenty years sounds reasonable to me," Lady Florence bargained.

"Come now my lady, you will have to do better than that. Less than half of what I am asking for? Fifty-five at least would be reasonable to me if you are asking for a discount of fifteen in return. And twenty years is far too long a time, what if the price of Reach exports increases in that time for whatever reason? It would be dangerous for my business, surely you must understand," Corlys answered.

"Yet there is only so much liquor House Tyrell would buy back from you, the discount would not benefit us overly much. You on the other hand could sell this to everyone else at the full price for a hefty profit and without a long contract, what is stopping you from renewing the agreement and going to another house? Forty percent off and for a period of ten years, no lower," Lady Florence countered.

"While I would prefer to deal with you and yours Lady Florence, I could just as easily turn to my cousins, might I remind you. A fifty percent discount for all of our ingredients in bulk purchases in exchange for a fifteen percent discount on any purchase of the finished products by House Tyrell and a contract of seven years, with House Tyrell having the exclusive right to renegotiate for that contract before any other house. That is fair I think, considering the circumstances," Corlys said, his tone making it clear he had tired of the haggling and would brook no further argument.

There was a tense silence for a while as the two stared at each other. Lady Florence was likely running the calculations and risk assessments in her head. There were many things to consider. In good years, the Reach had a profit margin of twenty to twenty-five percent on their crops, and to give half of it away on what they sold to House Velaryon could not be pleasing. Yet House Tyrell would not really suffer, and could even possibly turn a profit given the market research reports Corlys had given the two suggested there would be high demand. That the two houses were negotiating directly also minimized middlemen, increasing potential profits and margins even further.

Yet Lady Florence remained hesitant still. Corlys continued, almost whispering, "Bear in mind my lady, that certain powerful vassals of yours, could suddenly find themselves more loyal to House Tyrell."

The Reach produced a lot of wines, meads, ciders, and other drinks which could potentially be sidelined or have their profit margins reduced by the new competition from Driftmark. The Redwynes would suffer most but so could houses like Peake and Hightower unless they had an arrangement which allowed them to reap profits from supplying the raw ingredients while also having a large margin of discount for the final goods they would likely buy back in turn. House Velaryon could get a favorable deal with almost any other house in the Reach, though perhaps not the figures they were demanding from the Tyrells.

At the end of the day, they held the cards. They didn't need the Tyrells, but the Tyrells certainly needed this deal, if not for profits then to deny their vassals more power.

"Of course, a house with a reasonable agreement with us could find themselves with greater access to the markets and luxuries of the east and at favorable rates too. We are generous to our friends and allies after all. One need only look to House Celtigar for proof," Corlys said, sweetening the deal.

House Velaryon's trade routes and contacts were envied by many and allied houses like the Celtigars and Graftons had benefited greatly by their association with House Velaryon, in more ways than one as well, Aurane thought, thinking of the rice paddies growing in Cracklaw Point after they had made their deal with their cousin. There was no way Lady Florence, the Master of Coin in all but name, responsible for overseeing the taxes, tariffs, and commerce of the realm, was not aware of this.

"I… I think that we can come to an agreement Lord Velaryon. Your words have much merit and when considered all together, your offer seems reasonable. Further negotiation over the finer details of the contract will be needed though. We have yet to discuss the transportation and storage fees for example," Florence said.

Corlys had a pleased smile." Of course, Lady Florence. We are both busy individuals, over the course of the coming weeks, we should be able to find the time to discuss all the finer details and come to a satisfactory arrangement for both parties. Until then, a toast to a fruitful and prosperous trade relationship between House Velaryon and House Tyrell?" Corlys asked.

"Why not?" Martyn asked. His previous anger had dispersed, though Aurane sensed he hadn't quite forgiven them yet. Still, in politics, you did what you had to.

Aurane poured them all a glass of brandy, and Corlys toasted. "To a mutually beneficial relationship between our houses."

"To new friends," Martyn toasted in turn and Aurane and Florence followed suit.

Friends. Aurane snorted. In politics, true friends were few and far between. Houses had no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests and the allies and rivals they created on their way to attain them.

The tension in the air was thick as they drank their toast. If such a thing was tangible, Aurane might have thought you could have cut it with a knife. He doubted they would ever be overly close with the Tyrells. Allies of convenience rarely were. For now, there was no harm in being cordial to them and detached from politics and business, Aurane knew his brother liked the Lord and Lady Tyrell as individuals. Yet at the same time, he did not doubt that Corlys would cut them loose without hesitation should their interests no longer align. That was simply how the game was played.

___________________________________________________

Aemon Targaryen

Their first Small Council meeting with a new Master of Ships was about a week after Lord Corlys had arrived, to give him time to settle in and take control of the fleet. Meetings were always… interesting, when a new member was attending for the first time. When Aemon and his brother Baelon arrived, they found their father seated at the head of the table as always. Their mother and the Hand, Septon Barth, were seated in their usual seats to his left and right respectively. The rest of the table was empty.

 Aemon took his seat beside the Hand while his brother sat opposite him beside their mother. Soon the rest of the Small Council members filtered in. Lord Martyn Tyrell and his wife Lady Florence, the official Master of Coin and the real holder of the position, sat beside Baelon while the Master of Whisperers, Lord Quentyn Qoherys, and Grand Maester Elysar took seats to Aemon's right. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gyles Morrigen, and his lieutenant, Ser Ryam Redwyne, stood guard. The former behind the King and the latter at the door, both armed and ready to strike down any assailant or threat at a moment's notice.

The meeting was set for 10 o'clock according to the new clock that had been gifted to them and currently stood ticking away behind his father against the wall. A simple glance at the clock told him it was five minutes to ten. Very convenient, Aemon had a feeling his father would be ordering more of those clocks soon, given how much he and Barth had been intrigued by it.

The only member of the Small Council not yet present was their newest and latest member Lord Corlys and Aemon impatiently drummed his fingers on the table, thinking that a man like Corlys Velaryon had to know better than to be late to his first ever Small Council meeting. Sure enough, at three to ten, he stepped into the room, dressed in his by now recognizably usual clothing, a silver-green doublet and slim fitting grey pants.

Corlys stopped, seeing them all seated and impatiently waiting. He glanced to the clock. "I'm not late am I?"

"No. You're two minutes early actually. The rest of us just came earlier," his father answered.

Corlys raised his eyebrow slightly before taking his seat. With the table filled up, only the seat directly opposite the king was left. "Since we are all here then, shall we begin?" he asked as he took his seat.

Nodding, his father gestured to his Hand to begin the meeting. The first order of business was a report on the roads. The Kingsroad from Storm's End to Harroway was fully paved in stone and the rest of the Crownlands were quite well paved as well, with major roads like the Rosby Road, Claw Road, and the Hook Road linking all the major holdfasts in the Crownlands together. Trade had greatly increased and the coffers of every Crownlander House had greatly increased, as had their taxes. However, the expense of all of these roads had been quite the drain on the Treasury and his father's intent to expand the paved roads to the rest of Westeros, where his earlier dirt roads had already been placed, was facing a lack of funds

Aemon listened to Barth giving the report on how much funds the extension of the paved roads would cost and felt like he had a headache just thinking of the hundreds of thousands of gold dragons required. Once built, the roads more than paid for their maintenance and construction but they required a massive initial investment.

The current plans proposed, for a paving of the River Road, Goldroad, Roseroad, and Ocean Road, would by themselves cost the Iron Throne three hundred thousand gold dragons to cut and lay all the stones in place. And this price was already lower than it should be. As Master of Coin, Lord Martyn Tyrell had offered to help foot the bill for the parts of the project in his domain and get his vassals to contribute in exchange for some concessions. Plans were being made to reach out to Lords Lannister and Tully to offer similar deals.

"What about concrete?" Lord Corlys asked.

They all turned to him and he continued, "I'm sure all of you know by now that on Driftmark, we use concrete in our construction projects. It's a liquefying agent that can help speed up the rate of construction as it hardens like stone once it sets. This could reduce the stone costs. I'd be willing to sell them to the Crown at a discount for some tariff reductions. Of course even without that discount, it would still be cheaper I think than the quarry and stonemason fees."

"The market rate for Driftmark concrete is around a hundred and twenty silver stags for a cubic metre. This is in comparison to a hundred and seventy silver stags for the same amount were we to use quarried stone. However, concrete is in general much easier to use and requires less workers, so we could potentially reduce labour costs. How much would you be willing to discount Lord Corlys?" Lady Florence asked.

 "As low as seventy could be done easily, but it would harm Driftmark in the long run unless…"

"Unless?" his father asked.

"Your Grace, early on in your reign, you imposed very high taxes and tariffs on the import of exotic luxury goods. These taxes, while lucrative for the Iron Throne no doubt, have greatly stifled the growth of Driftmark and other trade ports who could have provided income taxes to the royal treasury," Corlys began before continuing with his request.

"I would ask that Driftmark be exempted from these tariffs in exchange for a great discount on our concrete for the construction of all royal roads in Westeros. Once that has been done, I believe a general reduction if not outright removal of these tariffs could prove wise as the increase in trade from the new roads and the tax reduction would see coin flow into the Crown's coffers from other sources, while also pleasing many merchants and nobles."

His father was thoughtful. "Lord Martyn, Lady Florence, run the calculations and bring your predictions to me by the end of the day. I will make my decision then. Your suggestion is… interesting Lord Corlys. Those tariffs have been in place since near the start of my reign, but if there is any merit in their removal, I will consider it.

"Next on the agenda. This matter concerns you actually Lord Corlys. Why exactly have you submitted a request for funding to construct an administrative building? Does the Red Keep not suffice?"

"The Red Keep is too far from the port. The offices allocated to the Royal Fleet here have been gathering dust for years. The ship captains assemble in a warehouse at the docks. I am hoping that a manse or another building near the port would allow the Royal Fleet a place to store its records and also hold meetings for the fleet. It would greatly simplify the organization and running of the fleet if we were to have a single fixed headquarters that was clearly under our jurisdiction with which to train and coordinate our officers and file the paperwork," Lord Corlys answered, meeting the King's eyes.

"Haven't you dismissed half of those officers?" his father asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They failed to pass the standards I set and were too proud to accept my training course. They were thus dismissed for gross incompetence and insubordination. The officers I intend to hire and train to replace them would ideally have a headquarters to work in when in port, which is why I submitted my request. The Red Keep is not ideal for that."

Aemon had to give Lord Corlys something, he was a cunning man. As Master of Ships he had the authority and power to staff the fleet with whoever he wished but by submitting the officers to assessments, he could obtain a more legitimate reason than his own whim to remove them. And obviously he would hire men from Driftmark to replace all the cronies of Redwyne who had found themselves dismissed. The Velaryons had wasted no time it seemed in securing control over the royal fleet once again.

"Very well. Since you are requesting this Lord Corlys, I expect your offered discount from earlier for the concrete, to reduce costs. I'm sure you understand. You need your funds for your new bureaucracy after all," his father said, leaving no room for argument.

"Of course Your Grace. That was my intention. Thank you for your understanding and generosity," Corlys answered with a deferential and grateful nod.

And on the meeting went. Lord Qoherys reported that the Brackens and Blackwoods were in yet another dispute. His mother reported his sister Daella's concerns that the Mountain Clans of the Vale were growing bolder once again. Lords Mooton and Darry were apparently having a boundary dispute. It seemed the Mootons had grown bold with a princess wed to their heir. Aemon grimaced recalling the dark looks on his parents' faces when the matter was brought up.

Countless other matters, petitions, and proposals on all topics were brought up, discussed, rejected, and accepted over the course of the morning for the running of the realm never ceased. The Small Council usually met weekly and in a single week, an enormous amount of matters requiring the attention of the whole council would accumulate. It usually took them until late in the evening to finish going through them all.

They had a break for luncheon and Aemon ate with his family, spending time with Jocelyn and Rhaenys, before returning to the Small Council room after his meal.

"I hope all of you had a hearty meal. We have much more to discuss," Barth said as they took their seats. "Reports are coming in from the Stormlands of increased raids from pirates. With the death of Syrio Vunatis, the Stepstones pirates splintered into several bands, many of whom were forced to leave and have begun raiding Tarth, Estermont and other regions in the Stormlands. With no great navy of their own, the Stormlands have requested the support of the Royal Fleet in patrolling their coasts until the pirate menace is dealt with."

"Lord Corlys?" his brother Baelon asked, turning to the Master of Ships.

"The Royal Fleet has twenty-five ships stationed at Dragonstone. I had hoped to finish my reorganization and retraining of the fleet before sending them out on operations but if our countrymen have asked for aid, we must of course answer. A raven to Lord Tarth informing him he will need to help moor twenty royal ships would be best. I will contribute some ships from my own fleet. Perhaps the entire Velaryon fleet will assemble for pirate hunting in the Stepstones as well."

"That would be for the best Lord Corlys. The pirates of the Stepstones have long been a thorn in the side of our trade. No matter how many times we clear them out, they come crawling back in," his mother said, with a frown.

"Why don't we establish a permanent presence on the archipelago then? I'm thinking perhaps a fort on Bloodstone, to moor some ships from the royal fleet. I've no doubt my own sailors wouldn't mind fighting some pirates. They'd be happy to help patrol those waters," he proposed.

His father frowned. "A fort on one of the Stepstones could be seen as a prelude to the Iron Throne claiming those islands as a whole, if Tyrosh protests, we could have a diplomatic problem."

"Tyrosh has laid claim to those islands for centuries and done nothing with their claim, or perhaps they were not allowed to. In any case the Iron Throne would not be claiming dominion over said island or charging any tolls, only establishing an outpost on it to patrol the Stepstones. Tyrosh could hardly protest that," Corlys argued.

"I agree," Aemon said, surprising his father slightly. "It would not be breaking our agreement of non-interference and should the opportunity arise, we could sow the seeds for an eventual takeover of the whole archipelago with Tyrosh being able to do naught but protest."

The King leaned back into his seat, stroking his chin thoughtfully. His father trusted his judgement in most matters, would he trust him here?

"Very well. Lord Corlys you may proceed with your fort," he ordered.

"Thank you Your Grace," Corlys said and Aemon saw him giving him a silent nod of thanks.

The meeting continued a few hours longer, with Lady Florence finishing her calculations and reporting that the discount Lord Corlys had offered would reduce costs by a significant margin and it was shortly thereafter approved. It seemed much of what Lord Corlys had proposed was being passed. The man had proven capable of getting fellow councilors to support his ideas. When the meeting finally ended, Aemon stayed behind to speak with Corlys for a while.

"I'd like to thank you for supporting me earlier Prince Aemon," Corlys said gratefully.

Aemon waved it off, "Think nothing of it my lord. Your ideas have merit, and I trust your judgement."

"You honor me with your words my prince. If I may, it is good to see how much wiser you have grown since you became Prince of Dragonstone all those years ago. The realm will be in good hands when the time comes for you to sit the throne."

Aemon smiled, recalling how his younger sixteen-year old self had felt so lost once he had taken up the rule of Dragonstone. Funnily enough, he had met the nineteen-year old Corlys during that time as well, before he had gone on his voyages and made himself a legend.

"I can say the same about you Lord Corlys. Back then you were not Lord Velaryon or even the Sea Snake, simply a ser with grand ambitions. Look at you now."

It was Corlys's turn to smile. "Time does that. It is fortunate that we proved to be among those who bettered as they aged rather than worsened."

They continued talking for a while, reminiscing a little on the times they had met previously and discussing their opinions on the various issues raised in the Small Council. Their conversation turned to talking about the Art of War where Aemon again thanked Lord Corlys for gifting him and his brother copies of the book, telling his thoughts on the book's rather interesting ideas to the Velaryon.

Aemon would admit that he liked Lord Corlys and found conversing with him enjoyable. Truly intelligent men were hard to find in King's Landing among the sea of sycophants and flatterers and far too often the clever ones proved to be deceptive schemers.

Corlys on the other hand, he was ambitious, Aemon suspected he had plans of perhaps claiming the Stepstones with his massive fleet. Yet despite his ambitions, Aemon felt himself strangely at ease with Lord Corlys, not enough to trust him as a close friend, but trustworthy enough to be a good ally. And Aemon needed allies to secure Rhaenys's succession without dispute. Perhaps in time, Lord Corlys might become more than an ally and a friendly acquaintance, but a true friend as well. Only time could tell if Corlys would prove to be an ally of convenience, or a friend in truth.

_____________________________________________

Viserra

"And of course, Ser Desmond proved to be quite the charmer," Laena said, amusing all the ladies as she told her tale.

Viserra couldn't help but smile herself. Laena did always know how to make her laugh. She was probably the closest of her friends if she had to choose. As the daughter of Lord Qoherys, Laena could relate to Viserra in ways the others never could, sharing the Valyrian looks, culture, and language with her. She resisted the urge to giggle recalling a few times they had annoyed the others by having a fluent conversation in High Valyrian in front of them. Most nobles learned it to some degree, but they couldn't possibly hope to match those who spoke it as their mother tongue.

"What happened next?" Bethany Darklyn, another of her ladies asked. 

As Laena continued, becoming more dramatic and exaggerated as she went on, Viserra would have to admit she was only half paying attention, her mind drifting to ulterior motives Ser Desmond might have for courting Laena. He was after all the heir of House Darry and Laena the eldest daughter of Lord Quentyn of Harrenhal.

The Qoherys were a highly pedigreed family who had once served as retainers to the Targaryens in Valyria and on Dragonstone during the Century of Blood. Ser Quenton Qoherys had been the master-at-arms of Dragonstone, the very man who had taught Aegon the Conqueror himself how to wield a sword and he was rewarded for his loyal and leal service with the largest castle in Westeros and the town charter he requested for it. Since then, the Qoherys had used their charter to convert the ruins of the castle of Harrenhal into a prosperous town. The Harrentown outside its walls was brought within them, and the tax revenues used to pay for the rebuilding of the ruined fortress into a great castle-town. Harren the Black's five towers had long since been torn down and replaced with townhouses and markets.

Apart from some unfortunate hiccups such as the rather deserving murder of Gargon the Guest, House Qoherys had only grown in power in the decades since the Conquest and was one of the most powerful houses in the Crownlands. House Darry could grow immensely with a marriage alliance securing Harrenhal's direct backing.

Ser Desmond's apparent attempts to court Laena seemed far less innocent when these political motivations were considered, yet ultimately there was nothing Viserra could or would do. Sad as it may be, marriage was rarely for love among the nobility. Noble scions married for duty, for political and material gain first and foremost. Ser Desmond could not truly be faulted for doing his duty to his own house in trying to secure the best possible match politically. Some might even say it was admirable of him to do so. Certainly Viserra could think of other far less responsible lordlings.

The match was not a bad one either. House Darry was powerful in its own right, an ancient and proud house that had controlled vast tracts of fertile land near the mouth of the Trident for centuries. They had expanded in recent decades as well, having been granted all the former holdings and vassals of House Harroway, including the towns of Harroway and Saltpans, by Maegor the Cruel after he destroyed that house. Though their strength and prestige might be lesser than that of the Valyrian House Qoherys, it would be wrong indeed to say the Darrys were upstart paupers reaching beyond their place.

Ser Desmond himself was a popular figure at court, a chivalrous and respected knight. Viserra could not truly think of anything against him, except perhaps that he had refused to play the stupid games she had made several squires play for her favor when she was younger. In hindsight that was probably a good thing. She did know for certain though that he would treat any wife of his with the love and respect she deserved.

Soon enough Laena had finished telling her tale and Lady Rylla Redwyne began speaking next, complaining of how the new Master of Ships had dismissed several of her grandfather's appointees in the royal fleet.

"It's unfortunate, but only natural Rylla. Still though, Lord Corlys is quite the enigma. Thirty and four and yet unmarried? With looks like that? Did he love the sea so much he would not take a wife?" Bethany wondered aloud.

"Viserra would know right? Your family had dinner with him, what was it like?" Laena asked cheekily, putting Viserra on the spot.

"Well he was very well traveled…" Viserra began to explain, giving her recollections of the dinner and her impression of Lord Corlys, though she decided to leave out how she had made him uncomfortable asking about Asshai, there was no reason to tell that to them.

"So in short, a handsome, dashing, rich lord with many an adventure and story to tell? My, my, Viserra, the way you describe him, one might think you infatuated!" Laena teased.

"I simply described him as he was!" she protested, struggling not to blush. Damn Laena!

"She's blushing!" Bethany crowed.

"Truly? Viserra? Our Viserra who had boys wrapped around her finger by the time she was twelve? Oh how the tables have turned now that she has taken a fancy to someone for once!" Rylla joined in, seemingly forgetting her own complaints about Lord Corlys for an opportunity to tease Viserra.

Viserra shook her head in exasperation. When did these three grow so brave to treat her like this, she thought with mock outrage. Out of all her ladies and friends, only they dared to tease her in return. They hadn't always been so either, once demurely accepting her stupid childish games and plans when they were younger. Yet as they had aged and matured, they had grown out of such childish occupations and these three had grown more daring, pushing the boundaries of their friendship.

Deep down, she didn't really mind though. In the company of these three, and even some of her other ladies, Viserra felt like she could relax and enjoy herself. Not placed under the judging eyes of her mother, or the jealousy of Alyssa. Not the little sister or daughter to protect and shelter, but a friend to jape with and confide in. Small surprise perhaps that she had become closer to them than any of her siblings, even Baelon, reluctant as she was to admit that.

Soon the door opened and Rhaenys stepped in. Viserra rose to her feet in confusion. "What are you doing here Rhaenys?"

"Mother sent me Aunt Viserra. She said it would be good if I was to spend some time with the older ladies rather than always in the yard or on Meleys," she replied.

Viserra was at a loss on what to answer. Laena quickly saved her. "We'd be delighted to have you Princess Rhaenys. Please, come have a seat."

Rhaenys sat down awkwardly in the midst of all of them, not sure how to act or what to say, but soon enough she had all the attention. Little by little, Viserra ceased to be the center of the room and conversation like she had been and became just an observer in her own group of friends as they entertained Rhaenys.

They were so different the two of them, Rhaenys with her raven tresses and pale violet eyes and Viserra with deep purple eyes, silver-gold hair and flawless white skin. The both of them were blessed with the beauty characteristic of their Valyrian heritage, and while some may call Viserra the more beautiful of the two, there were none who would rank her higher. It was Rhaenys who rode a dragon. Rhaenys who was the second in line to the Iron Throne. Rhaenys who had everything that Viserra did not.

And she? She was just Viserra. Beautiful Viserra. Vain Viserra. Nothing but the tenthborn child of the King and Queen, with seven older siblings, a niece, and two nephews who were always more important than she was, and likely always would be. She had just been reminded so sharply of her unimportance, even her friends, close to her as they were, recognized that Rhaenys was more important than her.

Feeling sick, Viserra got up and made to leave. Rhaenys noticed and tried to ask her what was wrong but Viserra brushed her off and all but ran from the room.

She held in her tears. A dragon she did not ride, but a dragon she was nonetheless, a proud princess of the House of Targaryen, and she would not cry. Not for this. Not for anything. Yet despite her will, the tears still stung in her eyes.

Barely watching where she was going, she felt herself colliding with someone. She looked up nervously, having a feeling she was going to have to apologize profusely or get in trouble with her mother yet again. She was slightly relieved then, when she saw that it was Lord Corlys.

"Are you alright Princess?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Yes, I…I'm well. Thank you."

"You don't look well," he noted, seeing her bloodshot eyes. Viserra flinched away, not wanting to let him see her weakness, her vulnerability.

"You're upset. Come, it would not do for a princess of the realm to be seen crying out in the open," he said as he led her to a nearby balcony, far enough away from any prying eyes or eavesdropping ears.

He stood there for a while as she composed herself, before she spoke. "You're not going to ask? A princess fled from a room and ran into you crying and you don't wonder why?"

"I figured you didn't want to say anything. It's not my place or business to pry Princess, but I couldn't very well leave you there in distress, that is not what a knight should do, what any man should do. If you wish to tell me, I am willing to hear your words. If not, then I will wait a little and then go once I am certain you are well. With your leave of course."

"Aren't you busy? I am sure a member of my father's council has more important things to do than pamper His Grace's fifth daughter."

"Well…" he said, drawling out the word. "I did just finish with a very long and honestly very boring council meeting. I'm tired, and with quite a few tasks I will need to see to that was decided at the meeting. You are right, I certainly have much better things to do than to comfort a crying princess," he said plainly.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, more than a little cross. Perhaps it was her vanity speaking again, but for once in her life, Viserra wished that she was the priority, the most important thing to someone.

"Because I want to be perhaps? Yes, there are many things that should logically be of higher import to me, but humans are not driven by logic alone and my own morals compel me to ensure a damsel in distress is taken care of. Logically you should not be the priority, but why should that matter to me?"

She chuckled slightly. "How chivalrous of you Lord Corlys. What a way with words you have, one might almost call you a flatterer, insinuating that a lady is of more import to you than your tasks even though they should not be."

He smirked. "I aim to please, my princess."

"No. I don't think you do," she said. Lord Corlys was not a man who seemed the kind to bend over just to please others, he was no Aenys. He had a purpose for doing this, an ulterior motive for keeping her company, they all did, even her friends. Yet she was so starved for attention, she would take even the company of a practical stranger rather than brood in her lonesome about how unfair the world was.

They stood there for a while, Viserra with her arms on the railing as she watched the setting sun and the milling hustle and bustle of the castle below. After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally broke the silence.

"It's hard sometimes," she all but whispered but with how quiet it was, he heard her.

"What is?" he asked as quietly, leaning against a nearby pillar.

"Being the eighth child. I grew up with seven older siblings and one younger. Yet of the nine of us I was favored the least or given the least attention. Even Gael is favored more than me, coddled as she is by my mother. And when my siblings had children? They were all more important than me as well.

"Aemon and Baelon, Father's perfect sons, his perfect heirs. Alyssa, dragonrider, Baelon's wife. She was favored much as well, even though she was the complete opposite of what a lady should be. Maegelle, the fussy one. All strict and diligent, made perfect sense that she became a septa. Vaegon as well, though a bore, he was the cleverest of us. And Daella… well, Mother coddled her as much as she does Gael. Saera? Mother always looked at her in suspicion, even more than me but Father always indulged her right up to the moment of her disgrace."

She noticed Lord Corlys shifting a little as she spoke of Saera's scandal without a care. "Oh don't give me that. There's no point pretending it didn't happen."

The sun had all but set now, it's last rays receding as twilight took the world.

"For better or for worse, I stand in the shadow of my siblings. Why can't I be as perfect as Aemon and Baelon? As clever as Vaegon or as diligent as Maegelle? As demure and polite as Daella? Why can't I be as obedient as Gael? Will I prove to be as bad as Saera? And for Alyssa, heavens know why I'm in her shadow. Perhaps because she has a dragon, and I am discouraged if not disallowed from having one?"

Something whispered to Viserra, a voice eerily similar to her mother's, saying she should not be spilling her secrets and troubles with her family to some stranger but for the life of her she could not care less.

"Tell me Lord Corlys, you are the eldest child, do you know the shadow that you cast over your own siblings?" Viserra asked. She was being rude and breaking etiquette and probably going to get shouted at by her mother when Lord Velaryon complained that she had asked yet another uncomfortable question but she just didn't care.

To her surprise, Lord Corlys did not grow angry, but thoughtful instead, choosing his words before answering. "I do. I was reminded very strongly of it just recently. I know the shadow I cast and yet I do not know how to lessen it or make my brother feel less resentful."

"Your brother… Aurane?"

"No, the other. Rhaekar. He is between Aurane and I."

"Ah, the middle child. Yes, I sympathize with him greatly. I can only tell you this Lord Corlys, it is the way of the world that we live in that children often find themselves in the shadow of their greater siblings, be they older or younger. Nothing can truly soothe that bitter realization. Yet if I were your brother Rhaekar, what I would want is your acknowledgement at least. The acknowledgement of my idol."

"Rhaekar… idolizes me?" Corlys asked out loud, as if he couldn't understand the notion.

"I idolized my mother and father when I was young. And most of my siblings as well, except for Saera, she was always a bitch. In any case, no matter how old we grow, some of that idolization, some of that need to be acknowledged, it never truly goes away."

"But I do acknowledge Rhaekar, I have thanked him many times for what he has done in the service of our house," Corlys said, confused.

Viserra laughed, "And logically he would have accepted your acknowledgement and moved on but people don't just operate on logic do they?"

"Then what should I do?"

"I don't know. I don't know the relationship between you or your brother, or the cause of the distance between you and him. All I can say is this Lord Corlys, that you have recognized the problem and are seeking to correct it, already makes you better than all the other siblings out there who cast that shadow on their siblings."

"I see. Thank you for your advice then Princess. I will take my leave now then."

She nodded her thanks, expecting him to leave her alone to her thoughts, but he turned and spoke again, drawing her attention.

"I think there is something that stands out about you Princess. More than just vanity or beauty. What it is I cannot put into words exactly, but you are special for more than just your appearance, and one day I think your family will see that."

She didn't know what to say to that. Lord Corlys hadn't even phrased it that well. He didn't know how to put it into words? Yet that made it feel genuine to her, so she smiled and thanked him with a curtsey. "Thank you for your compliment Lord Corlys," she said graciously.

"Please Princess, for the insight you have given me, call me Corlys."

"Then you must do the same for me," she ordered imperiously and slightly haughtily. It was a great honor to call a princess by name after all, and an even greater one to be on first name terms with the one and only Princess Viserra, beautiful beyond belief, special in a way words couldn't even describe.

Lord Corlys's eyes glinted slightly with amusement. "Very well then… Viserra."