"So, tell me, what is your name?" Jon inquired, standing at ease behind the desk. A plate of apples and other provisions that were usually available on a ship were placed before him, which he had already encouraged the girls to partake in.
With a respectful bow, the maid promptly responded, "I am a maid at Highgarden, Milord. I serve Lady Alerie herself, who, if you are not familiar, is the wife of Lord Paramount—"
"I am aware of who she is," Jon interjected, flashing a smile, before turning his attention to the young girl with brown eyes and hair. He addressed her kindly, "And what is your name?"
Casting a swift glance at the maid, the girl said in a single breath, "I am a Tyrell and I am sure that if you bring me back to Highgarder you will han-hand-handchomely rewarded,"
Amusement danced in Jon's eyes as he observed the little girl's attempt to not look intimidated He then shifted his gaze to the maid, who he was sure had taught the little girl to say exactly those things, "Now, correct me if I'm mistaken, but the only daughter of Lord Mace I know is named Margaery Tyrell, said to be the most beautiful flower in the Reach. However, she is even older than me. So, you're not suggesting that you're Margaery, are you?"
"That is—Umm," The little girl was flustered and immediately looked at the maid in panic who instantly stiffened. It seems they had not counted on Jon being knowledgeable about Lady Margery's age.
It was clear to Jon that their intention was for him to mistakenly take the little girl as Margery, which the maid probably believed would improve their chances of survival. He was sure that this would have easily worked on the Ironborn who were said to be even more isolated than the North with the South.
"Ah, it seems there's a misunderstanding here," Jon remarked, his tone soothing, as he tried to calm the girls before him, "I am not trying to find out about your identity for ransom or anything like that. I can assure you that I would try my best to make sure that you reach your home as safely as possible no matter who you are,"
The maid remained sceptical, reflecting the negative perception of Northerners in the South, where they were often considered barbarian, and Dacey wasn't helping much, with her amused expression and leisurely eating the apple that was surely from the Maid's ship before they were looted by the Ironborn.
"How about this..." Jon took a deep breath and spoke with the utmost solemnity, "I promise you, in the name of my father Eddard Stark, the Lord Paramount of the North, that I mean you no harm. I will do everything in my power to ensure your safe return to the Reach, regardless of who you are,"
The little girl gasped, her eyes widening with realization. The maid, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes and asked with caution, "Are you Robb Stark?"
"No I am not Robb Stark," Jon shook his head and before Tara could ask any follow-up question he said with a charismatic smile, "I am his more handsome half-brother, Jon Snow,"
Understanding dawned in the maid's eyes, while the little girl blurted out, "You're Lord Stark's bastard—" Before she could continue, the maid swiftly covered the girl's mouth, offering a deep bow of apology to Jon. "I beg your forgiveness, milord. She is but a young girl who knows no better. Please, forgive her—"
"No need to worry," Jon assured them, gesturing for them to rise from their bowing positions, "As I promised you I won't hurt you and she didn't say anything wrong—I am a bastard and I am not really offended by it or anything,"
Still unsure, the maid cautiously observed Jon and calmed down when he didn't show any sign of anger, which bastards usually had in their eyes when their parentage was mentioned. She was still effectively under their mercy at the moment and didn't want to provoke him so she immediately gestured toward little Alla who got the meaning and said with a remorseful bow, "I apologize for my rudeness, MyLord,"
"As I said you have no need to apologize and I am not a lord," Jon replied patiently, "Now I believe it is time you tell me who you are and where you were headed,"
After a brief pause, the maid took a deep breath and began, "I spoke the truth, Milord. I am Lady Alerie's maid, and this young girl," she gestured towards the child, "is a Tyrell, though not from the main branch. She is the daughter of Ser Leo Tyrell and Lady Alys Bessbury. She is Lady Margaery's cousin and is also in training to be her Lady-in-Waiting..."
Jon pondered the information for a moment, recalling one such character in the ASOIAF novel who came with Margery to King's Landing as her aide and was also the one who befriended Sansa, among other things.
"...and while on a trip to Lannisport to buy some Starkhorses we encountered those pirates who even though had no obvious sigil I am sure were part of the Ironborn—"
"Wait, did you say Starkhorse?" Jon's curiosity peaked, his eyes sparkling with interest.
"Yes, Milord," The maid continued to call him a lord, probably in the hopes that he would be flattered but Jon didn't care about it at all, "Lady Margery had heard about it and wanted one so we were going to Lannisport where it is said to be available,"
When the Starkhorse Factory in Bear Island finally started producing at a smooth pace and he was satisfied with their amount of Stock. Jon felt that it was time for him to fulfil his vision of selling Starkhosrses to all the cities in Westeros and Essos. Starting with Lannisport, the nearest major city in the West, Jon embarked on a slow and deliberate introduction of his Starkhorses to the market, releasing a few batches at a time over the past few months.
However, the volume of exports remained relatively low. The trade relied solely on their own ships, as no merchant fleet dared to navigate the treacherous route between Lannisport and Bear Island.
They were the only ones who could sail away from the coast using easy directions provided by Jon with Frost's help or if he wasn't available, Dacey was also a good navigator with Cory's help. This allowed them to navigate a course that steered clear of the Iron Islands by a large margin. With each Ironborn ship, they captured, their fleet's size grew, giving Jon hope that they would soon have enough vessels to export as much as they desired.
Yet, the resounding success in Lannisport took Jon by surprise. He had hoped to impress local merchants with a few Starkhorses and secure them as distributors. This approach was preferable to handling the buying and selling himself, which would have required establishing a shop and establishing connections with local nobility—a hassle he sought to avoid.
Regardless, Jon continued steadily supplying Lannisport with batches of Starkhorses, enjoying a higher profit margin than the ones sold in the North. On his selling trips, he also took the opportunity to purchase inexpensive local products from the Westerlands, bringing them back to bolster the economy in the western part of the North, which didn't enjoy a port like the White Harbour.
And he was just looking for a way to do the same in Reach, so when the wonderful opportunity presented itself before him he was ecstatic. Because he knew that if he played it exactly right then not only would he be able to penetrate the market of Reach, but he would also be able to access their dirt-cheap corps which would be a boon for the whole of the North.
"Ah—You must be hungry," Jon smiled warmly as he addressed the maid and the young girl. Then he turned to Dacey and requested, "Dacey can you get someone to give them a room and also provide them with some food, I think they deserve it after their harrowing experience,"
Dacey nodded in understanding, taking both girls with her as they gratefully followed along. Left alone in the room, Jon pondered for a while before reaching a decision. The first order of business was to write a letter to his father, Lord Stark. If he wanted to fully seize this opportunity, he would need to wield some of his father's authority and influence.