|Edmure Tully - Heir of Riverland|
"And that is the proposal they told me, father."
I can see my father reading the scroll in his hand and nodding his head.
"This is a great proposal."
"Really?!"
I looked at my father, who nodded his head. Does that mean the project is a go?!
"Yes. While it is a shame that we need to give away some of our lands, we still get a lot of taxes if their prediction is correct."
"Prediction?"
"Aye. They made a prediction for me to look at and it was promising."
He showed me the paper, and I read it. I widen my eyes when I see the amount of money that we will get from the tax alone. They predicted we would get at least a couple of hundred thousand gold coins from the ship tax alone.
"Then we will agree to their proposal?"
"I don't know. Let me think about it for a few days."
"Why?! With these numbers alone, we can rebuild many of our keep and villages raided by the Mountain Clan!"
"You are correct."
"Then why?!"
I can see my father sigh and say.
"Once again you did not see the bigger picture, Edmure. If we agree with this proposal we need to appease the other noble house."
"Why?"
"Because they are afraid that their income will decrease."
"But this canal will do the opposite!"
"I know. However, they will think otherwise. People will not always have the same vision as you, Edmure. They are afraid of the unknown boy. They are afraid that the prospect of this canal is not finished. While it gains us a lot of money, the other nobles who use the river will get jealous and make sure we cannot build the canal."
"But we did not disturb their trade! We still connect the canal to the river!"
"I know Edmure, I know. However, they will not think about that. You know yourself how our noblemen think. You visited them one by one in the past."
Yeah, I know. As much as I'm ashamed to admit it, they think more with their sword instead of their head. We have the bravest knights and soldiers in the entire Westeros, but they are not that bright.
They are brave and fearless but not that bright.
They will not think that the canal will not disturb their trade and decide to sabotage the progress of the project, and I'm afraid that they are doing it in their usual way to solve a problem.
Using weapons.
I don't want my family to make an enemy of a kingdom that is on the rise and considered a powerhouse in Essos when they kill one of Lunaria. Their navy alone can wreak havoc on our trade and economy.
"Yeah. you are right."
"That is why I need a few days to make sure they are not doing anything stupid. They are loyal but when their gold is threatened, their loyalty is gone."
I sigh a little and nod my head.
"Very well. Thank you, father."
"What for?"
"Thank you for not mocking my dream to build a canal."
I look at my father in shock when I see him start laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Where do you get that idea, Edmure?! As a father, I will never mock my son's dream! I will support you as much as I can. The only reason why I disapprove of your initial plan is because you did not think of it thoroughly. You are lucky the young king managed to open up your eyes and give you good advice. I will support your dream but I don't want my noble family to go into ruin when you decide to make a project that is doomed to fail."
Father looked at me and smiled. I smile back at him. It feels good to be recognized by him.
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Varys - The Spider|
Hmmm, I got a letter from my little bird from the land of the Trout. They make an agreement with the Witch King about building a canal.
The Old Trout have been throwing promise after promise to his vassal about the benefit of this canal, and I must say that almost all of them are true.
That canal will give them access to Braavos and Pentos, something that they did not have before. With the King and the Hand already agreeing with this project, I cannot prevent it. However, it doesn't mean I cannot ensure it will never be finished.
I have two options in this situation. Prevent the canal from being finished or make them finish it.
I hate to admit it, but that canal will bring prosperity to the realm and make the realm a little more stable.
Sadly, they are asking the Witch King for help. I cannot agree with that.
I don't want them to spread their magic to this place more than what is already in it. I also need to prepare for the upcoming Black Dragon, who will take the throne. There is also the problem of the Mockingbird deciding to create more chaos by throwing books about the ancestry of Baratheon and how they always have black hair instead of blond.
Suppose the hand believes that, then I don't know how the wise lord manages to make his land prosper. Just because your ancestors only have black hair does not mean you cannot have children with a hair color other than black.
Oh, I know about them not being the King's son and daughter but rather the product of an incest relationship between the Queen and her brother.
They are not as smart as they thought they were. Fucking in the balcony thinking that no one will see them is some of the stupidest things I have ever seen.
If not for my plan, I would let the servant and guard see them spread the rumor. I cannot let that happen and decide to silence them permanently. I still need some sort of peace and order in this place for the moment.
However, with the mockingbird deciding to make a move, I need to ensure my plan is to keep up. As much as I hate to admit it, Littlefinger knows how to play the game, and I need to adapt my plan to his plan.
However, by the end of the day, the spider will always get its prey using its web that is placed strategically.