Chereads / House of Valerin / Chapter 10 - Chapter 9

Chapter 10 - Chapter 9

Mid 50 AC

As I sat in my temporary office in Valerin, I contemplated the letters on my desk that had arrived from Pale Port and Galljon the sennight past. With the renovation of my Keep now being fully underway, with much work being done on the original tower, I had been forced to temporarily move my household to one of the larger residential houses that had been built in the town.

The past few moons had been busy. Many letters had been exchanged with the Fraytons and Voljurs as we discussed the terms of my proposal. They had both received the four barrels each that I had dispatched a few moons ago and had been mightily impressed by the quality of Valerin Whisky. The terms of my proposal as laid out had been simple but again the results had surprised me by no small proportions.

It had been my belief that whisky would sell like hotcakes up North especially. A drink with a warm burn would ideally be very much in demand in colder climates. However, as Lord Voljur stated, the North was a relatively poor region. While the Lords there would undoubtedly love to purchase whisky, the price tag that I had attached would not be palatable to most Lords.

Over there, winter was harsh, and all coin was inevitably saved to buy grain to keep the smallfolk fed. While some Lords would still purchase whisky, it would not be in great quantities. Furthermore, transporting the whisky from Pale Port to the Lords up Northg would be nigh on impossible. The North as a whole was almost as large as the rest of the Kingdoms combined. Even transporting whisky from Pale Port to the Pineyards, who were the closest Lords to Pale Port, would be quite the task.

The Lord of Pale Port did state that if I lowered the price to two gold a barrel, he might be able to discuss an agreement, and even then the volumes were likely too low to justify such a substantial discount. Nonetheless, Lord Voljur had stated that he had enjoyed the Valerin Whisky and placed an order for forty barrels to be dispatched to him via a trading company based out of Pale Port that regularly docked at Rosecourt.

While the North had been a disappointment, the correspondence with the Fraytons had been much more fruitful. Lord Frayton had written back to me almost immediately stating that he believed that Valerin Whisky had much potential to be sold in the Jule and over the course of the past few moons we had finally achieved an understanding.

The Fraytons of Galljon would serve as distributors of the Whisky and would purchase it from me for four gold a barrel as long as the transportation cost to Gulltown would be my responsibility. If I were unable to reach an understanding with Lord Rosecourt, they would be amenable to taking on the cost and burden of transport, in which case the price would be reduced. Regardless they had represented that they wished to purchase a hundred barrels at the said rates to begin and were hopeful that within a year, we would be selling as many as a thousand barrels a year in the Jule. While it was a number that, while a little ambitious, in my opinion, could very well be possible with the backing of a house as old and influential as the Fraytons.

While it stung that I would be unable to sell whisky in the North as I'd hoped, the positive response from the Fraytons had elevated my mood. Already Aldo had been dispatched to Galljon via the Rosecourts with the said hundred barrels and I was hopeful that he would be well received by the Fraytons. Being known for their mercantile nature, I hoped that they would not look down their nose at him for being lowborn. Unfortunately I had no other viable alternatives to represent me in the Whisky trade.

I sighed as I stood up and exited my solar. With the door to trade in the Jule now open, the alliance with the Rosecourts was more important than ever. Lord Rosecourt had responded to my letter a couple of moons ago inviting me to visit their keep. Unfortunately, the Harvest season, and the progression of my crop rotation policy had kept me busy till now. I had informed the Galhur that I would visit Rosecourt in a moon's turn and the preparations for the visit were well underway.

I would depart from Valerin to Skytower, as the fishing town on the coast was now being called and inaugurate the opening of the new Temple from which the town derived its name. I liked the new name. It definitely had the 'oomph' factor that Valerin lacked. Mayor Scot and Priest Thomas had assured me that construction of the Temple would be completed by the time I arrived and to be honest, I was really looking forward to seeing the completed structure that I had had a hand in designing.

I had been in this world for seven years now, and this tower would be my first step towards leaving behind a legacy. Eventually other Lords would crack the method of making whisky and soap. Jakob would build the Yerway and my road network would not even be a footnote in history in comparison to that. But this Temple would last. As one of the largest Temples in the Harelands, and a unique one at that, it would hopefully light the way of sailors in Jonas Bay for generations to come and hopefully save countless ships. As far as a legacy went, and for a start, I would be satisfied with that.

I was not looking forward to the trip to Rosecourt. While I was eager to establish my trade agreement, the very idea of marrying and bedding a girl of sixteen made my stomach churn. Having been twenty three when I was transported to Headens, I was now mentally thirty years old. Marrying a girl half my age was a terrible blow to my modern sensibilities. Unfortunately, the need for a strategic alliance with the Rosecourt House and siring an heir far outweighed my moral dilemmas.

As I walked out of my temporary residence, a couple of guardsmen fell into step behind me. Living in Valerin had been a revelation for me. Sure, I had visited the town in the past, but there was a stark difference between a Lord's visit and actually living among the smallfolk. While I was informed that the living conditions of the smallfolk had improved dramatically since my elevation to the Lordship of Valerin, it was nonetheless still very distressing.

It had become clear to me that while Ser Alaric was doing an admirable job as Head of the Town Guard, corruption was still prevalent. The Health and Sanitation Edicts that I had implemented were only being followed to varying extents as most smallfolk could not afford the time, effort and coin to follow the edicts properly. Many still lived in squalor and poverty.

The Valerin Municipal Authority that I had created could only do so much with their limited budget and manpower. I had quietly ordered their budget increased to enable them to better perform their functions. But throwing gold at the problem would not solve it. Better protocols and procedures were needed to make their tasks more efficient. I needed well educated and skilled men to actually perform these tasks. Men that were in short supply. I had been so engrossed in increasing my wealth and power, believing that my gain would eventually also benefit the smallfolk that I had failed to realise that I was treading the path of trickle down economics, a system that was doomed to fail unless actual work was put in place at the the grass root level.

Upon consulting Petr, we had agreed that greater oversight would be needed in order to improve the conditions in Valerin than just what could be provided by myself, Petr and Arthur. Unfortunately, not just anybody could be elevated to such positions unless they were trustworthy, reliable and competent. For now, I would ask Ser Goren to aid Ser Alaric with the Town Guard, he had aided in training the men initially and would be responsible for rooting out corruption and incompetence. The old Butler, on the other hand would be tasked with ensuring compliance of the sanitation and health edicts.

As I walked through my town, I could not help but be confronted by the thought that in the pursuit of my ambitions, I had neglected to see to the well being of the people closest to my seat, when just a few years ago, I had been one of them.

As I heard petitioners in my court, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the people living in my land. The lord serving as Judge, Jury and Executioner for the people was a terribly unfair system and one I had hoped to rectify.

Nearly sixty thousand people called my lands home. The very idea, that a single individual could provide justice for every single dispute in such lands, for such a large population was naive at best and moronic at worst. This meant large numbers of cases merely went unheard, though as it turned out, villages were actually better off than larger settlements, purely because where the lord was not in residence village councils dealt with these issues.

Most village councils across the realm were composed of two to three of the village's most influential elders who were empowered by the Lord or Knight who governed the lands to dispense justice as they deemed fit.

As I would eventually learn during my lessons with Arthur, similar systems were followed at the village level across Headens. It was only in cases of grievous crimes such as rape and murder, that the issue was brought before the Lord or Knight as the case may be. Sometimes where the dispute may involve substantial sums of coin, the matter would also be brought before the Lord for justice.

In towns and cities, all cases of certain crimes were considered the Lord's jurisdiction and therefore I was often very busy. Thankfully, a large amount of the lesser crimes were handles by my head of guard.

With the laws of Headens being completely uncodified, with custom and traditional practice forming the lion's share of justice in Headens, the system was widely rife with corruption, incompetence and sheer stupidity.

In my lands, there were Mayors in Southwood, Duneon's Valley and Skytower. In the various other villages and settlements that dotted my lands, village councils performed the tasks of justice and dispute resolution. When I had toured the lands during my progress, I had met the people in question and whilst they were capable administrators, most were unfit to dispense justice in my name.

The problem stemmed from the lack of codification of laws, the incompetence of the judicial officials and the horrifying system of appeals. Lack of a proper legal system would likely kill the efforts of mercantilism and business I was attempting to foster in the populace.

As far as the codification of laws went, there was not much I could do about it at this point. A proper codification of laws required knowledge, expertise and experience that no member of my Household possessed. It also lay far outside the scope of my authority, yet if my memory served right, Jakob would soon begin the process of codifying the laws across Headens.

However, the rest, I could do something about.

I had consulted with the old Butler over the past few moons and we had eventually developed a system of appeals, wherein no coin would be required for appealing a decision. The very idea of having to pay for justice made my blood boil. Instead we had laid down a set of criteria that would have to be met for an appeal to be allowed. Crimes of rape and murder and disputes wherein susbtantial sums of coin were involved would still be heard by me.

Appeals would be heard by Magistrates in Valerin, Duneon's Valley and Skytower who would be appointed directly by me for a term of no more than six years before they would be transferred to a different Court. Similarly, regular Magistrates would also be appointed for a term of no more than three years before being transferred.

Hopefully, this would prevent accumulation of influence and power by a Magistrate and would serve to reduce corruption.

Upon having wrapped up the last of the petitioners for the day, I retired to a chamber where I was attended to by the old Butler.

"The edicts for judicial reform as you have stated my Lord are nearly prepared." Said Arthur, whose hairs looked even more gray on closer inspection.

"And the candidates for the Magistrates?" I questioned. We had decided that it would be best to begin with appointing two Magistrates, one in Valerin and one in Skytower, and over the course of the next two years we would appoint two more.

"The criteria that you have laid down are extensive, my Lord. As of now I believe that these three men would potentially be able perform the task admirably. As per your instructions, Ser Alaric has vetted them and states with confidence that they are honest men and well versed in the laws." Responded Arthur. Finding such men had not been an easy task. Learned men were rare. Honest men even more so. I needed men who were both.

"I shall meet these men and decide for myself. Have it arranged, Arthur." I said.

"Very well, my Lord." He said as he bowed and exited the chambers.

As I rode into the newly christened Skytower, the tower of the Temple after which it was named was clearly visible from afar. Towering above the rest of the buildings in the town, the lighthouse tower was a thing of beauty. Gleaming white in the sunlight, with its polished stone it was visible from over a league away. In the night, and even during storms, the fire atop the tower would be visible to ships at even greater distances.

Compared to prior experience, my departure from Valerin had been fairly uneventful. I rode with Ser Goren, his squire Gavin and a retinue of ten men at arms along with a couple of other members of my household. We were to board a small trade ship to Rosecout in Skytower. The road was a poor dirt track and was more bumpy than flat in most places. My roads to Southwood and Duneon's Valley were still under construction and were progressing at a good pace. Due to manpower shortages and lack of coin I would not be able to begin construction of the road to Skytower until the Southwood Road was completed which according to estimate would take another year despite being the shortest of the planned roads.

As I dismounted my horse, I sighted Mayor Scot and Priest Thomas as the former approached me and knelt, "Lord Aerys, I bid you welcome to the humble town of Skytower."

"Rise, Scot. It is good to see you hale and hearty. How has Skytower fared since my last visit?" I stated as I lent a hand to the old man as he struggled to rise.

"Thriving my Lord. Your generosity and able stewardship have allowed this humble town to flourish. The roads are wide as they are clean. Men and women no longer starve. Trade has reached unprecedented levels and as you may have surmised from this year's taxes, gold is flowing through our coffers once again."

That part was true. When I had seen the numbers for the tax collection from Skytower, I had been taken aback at the magnitude of improvement. With the amount of gold that I had invested in developing the town's infrastructure, I had been expecting improvement, but the actual collections far surpassed my estimates. Trade with Rosecourt had increased manifold as whisky, soap, grain and charcoal were sold in massive quantities. Soap in question turned out to be my most popular export to Rosecourt. With its rolling hills and lush fields, Rosecourt was known for its horses and cattle. With my soap being very effective at cleaning fodder, Gallard was purchasing soap more than any other lord.

The production and sale of soap from Valerin had finally reached a level wherein it was finally churning substantial profits. With thousands of bricks of soap being sold every month all across the Harelands and lands, I had also recently authorised the production of a new variant of soap which had recently been developed which was a near facsimile of the soap used in the modern world for bathing. Mixed with olive oil imported from the other Lords' lands, it had a decent fragrance and was much more expensive to produce, primarily due to the price of purchasing and importing olive oil. The sweet smelling soap would soon be sold at higher rates with nobility, merchants and richer smallfolk being my primary market.

While lye based soaps were common enough among nobility across Headens, mine were cheaper to manufacture due to the industrial processes that I had introduced which allowed me to improve my manufacturing process manifold. Moreover, since the ingredients to my soap were commonplace and easy to source, the cost was driven down even further.

So lost in thought was I that I barely noticed as Mayor Scot and Priest Thomas guided me towards the Temple until we were practically in front of it.

Gazing upwards at the Temple, I cleared my throat and turned to the Priest, "The engineers have outdone themselves, you must be very proud of your new place of worship. This is a grander sight than I ever imagined."

"You honour us, my Lord. But none of this would have been possible without your generosity and patronage. Gods bless you, my Lord, Tis the most beautiful Temple in the Harelands." Said the eager Priest, nearly prostrating himself at my feet as he spoke.

"It is I who is honoured good Priest, that I could play a role in the construction of this Temple. Come, let us retire to the Town Hall so that we may discuss tomorrow's sermon."

The first Sermon to be delivered at the Temple was tomorrow and Priest Thomas had asked me to address the congregation to inaugurate the new place of worship. I was not looking forward to it. Public speaking had never been one of my strong suits in my previous life and so far, even as Lord of Valerin, I had managed to avoid giving speeches. Unfortunately, there had been no polite way of denying the Priest without appearing to be uncaring, or even worse, a man without Faith.

I had spent days practicing my speech with Ser Goren, who I had assumed, having led men into battle, was well used to delivering inspiring speeches to his men. After having stuttered and stammered my way through the speech that I had prepared, my Knight had fallen over laughing. After several days of such practices, his laughter had not ceased. Confidence was not something I had in spades at the moment.

We proceeded to spend a tiresome day at the town hall where I consulted with traders, sailors, farmers and fishermen and heard various petitioners. The highlight of the day had been when one of the farmers had stated that he was one of those along the coast that grew cotton. I was glad to see that the production of cotton, which had begun after suitable lands had been found after the Valerin Census, was growing steadily and without much issue.

The next day as I arrived at the Temple, it appeared that near half the town's population had turned up for the sermon as the smallfolk crowded around it, as the sermon hall itself was packed. My anxiety reached cataclysmic levels.

As the good Priest delivered his sermon, Ser Goren nudged me in the arm, leaned over and whispered,

"Well my Lord, time to dazzle the smallfolk with your st-st-stunning speech."

Narrowing my eyes, I turned to him to see a smug grin on his face. Turning back to the Priest, I vowed that I would find a way to get back at the Knight.

As the Thomas winded down his sermon, he then announced that I would say a few words to end the sermon for the day.

I walked up to the dais calmly and with surety while inwardly I was shitting bricks.

"G-Good people of Skytower!" I started speaking with disaster in the very first syllable.

"When I first arrived at Skytower and saw your c-condition, I was struck in my heart with the realization that it was my duty to see you well fed, warm and safe. My heart was not to be rested until I had at least that much. As though the gods themselves spoke to m-me, I knew what had to be done." I paused as I struggled to recall the next part of the speech.

"Th-This Temple shall stand as a beacon of light for not just the sailors lost at sea, b-but for every man and woman here to guide them into the embrace of the gods." As I spoke, I saw the smallfolk listening with rapt attention as though I was an orator of the calibre of Morgan Freeman and my confidence grew.

"House Valerin stands for the people of these lands. And as long as a Valerin lives, we shall continue to provide for our people. As you serve us, so shall we serve you. My House works under the words of 'Acts Of The Heart' and as my heart led me to take action upon your plight, I assure you it will waver to lead to action for your sakes once more." I said as I finished my speech.

The smallfolk gathered broke out in near thunderous applause, cheering and shouting my name. I could see Ser Goren in the front row nodding at me with an expression resembling approval and pride.

I may be no Morgan Freeman, but at least I'm better than I thought.

The sails on the ship that had collected me from Skytower flapped in the wind. The new dock at Skytower was a vast improvement over the paltry excuse of the dock that had been there during my previous visit. Over the past two years as trade with Gallard had increased, I had invested heavily in improving shipping facilities at Skytower. The Isle Of The Blue was coming into view on the horizon and I found nervousness beginning to envelop me.

What if negotiations didn't go to plan?

I took a deep breath and exhaled, only time would tell. I made my way back into my cabin and sat at the desk bolted to the floor. Funny how even simple things like that were different at sea, a storm would tip the ship to and fro after all and bolting down the heavier furniture was common practice to avoid being crushed.

Just as I closed my eyes a boy came scuttling in through the door. "Lord Aerys, I was told to inform you we should reach port within a few hours."

I opened one eye and replied, "Excellent, wake me up when we reach port."

The boy nodded and scuttled off once more.

That dealt with, I leant back in my chair and waited for us to reach the shore. Darkness soon encroached and calmed my worried thoughts.

A few hours later, the ship docked safely at the harbour on Rosecourt, and I sighed in relief. Walking across the gangplank and onto dry land again felt like walking into heaven.

The sea was tolerable and certainly would play a large part in my future travels, but the rocking and vastness of the wild seas did not appeal to me as I was told it did to many sailors.

Taking a look at my new surroundings as the ship was unloaded and the guardsmen stretched and got ready for duty, I noticed the bustle of activity in the castle town. Men in the market hollered at those passing by, promising quality goods at excellent prices. Others haggled with leather workers and blacksmiths for clothes and tools for their trades.

Over a dozen large carracks were docked in the harbour with several smaller cogs also visible in the distance. As one of the only two major ports in the Harelands, Rosecourt was the closest thing to a trade hub the Harelands had after the Willow City. While the Palecrowns held the majority of the overseas trade, it was primarily in the form of imports from Ortlands.

Outside of a few select products, there was little that the Harelands tended to export. Something that was in sharp contrast to my knowledge of the books. It was a few years ago that the reason became clear to me. It was a scarce fifty years since the Battle Of The Head. Old wars, rivalries and hatreds were still fresh in the minds of the people. A little over fifty years ago, Rivern ruled the Crust Plains, the Thornish raided the other lands and the Potters waged frequent wars with the Old Kings. Trade of anything but grain and other essential products wasn't a very viable option back then.

The Battle Of The Head had changed everything. Trade across the regions was now viable and with Jakob's rule being the single longest time of peace in Headens history, I considered that this would be the perfect time for trade and industry to flourish. With Jakob set to achieve his majority any day now, there could not be a more perfect time to begin laying the foundations of the trade empire I envisioned.

As I cast my gaze over the castle town, I observed that the settlement guards appeared adequately equipped and well trained, a cut above the rabble I could recall of Mares Hand in the books. The market streets were wide and paved with cobblestone, although it wasn't very well maintained.

As the various peddlers hollered about their products, I noted that most of the products in the port were imports from CoverRage, the Jule and the CrowBares, a fact that was one of the reasons I believed that I might be able to strike a deal with the Galhur. Rosecourt was a prosperous seat. With its strategic location, it was ideal for trade with the Jule, the CrowBares and even Bitterstroke in the Crust Plains. The major issue that Rosecourt faced was that it had little to trade. Sure, ships docked at Rosecourt regularly and paid fees for docking and anchorage. But little product was actually purchased from Rosecourt.

If They became the hub for overseas trade of my whisky, charcoal, soap and metalworks, it would bring in gold unlike ever before to the coffers of Gallard and if all went well, ensure their prosperity for generations to come.

As I disembarked from the ship with Ser Goren, I noted that I was greeted by a portly young man dressed in the finery of a noble. "Greetings Lord Valerin, be welcome to Rosecourt, I hope the seas were kind to you. I am Seth Rosecourt, nephew to Lord Rosecourt." He said with a tremor in his voice that belied a nervous temperament. He looked to be a few years older than me and yet did not introduce himself as a Knight. Curious.

All in all, I concluded that Gallard was a picturesque and prosperous seat, especially considering the limited prosperity of the Harelands. I hoped that, should I manage to strike a deal, the lot of these people would also get better.

The trip up to the castle was pleasant, the island of Rosecourt was certainly beautiful, earning its name of the Isle of the Blue.

Gallard was a mighty castle, located on the top of a ridge overlooking a bay on the east of the island. It was a castle well deserved by an ancient family as the Rosecourts. The summer sun was blistering, as the weather of the Harelands often was, and yet the sea breeze felt pleasant on my skin. As pale as the people of my house of origin were, I had discovered some time ago that I was rather prone to sunburn.

Pale stone towers cast a shadow across the courtyard in the afternoon sun, the great gates of the keep lay in front of me, servants hurrying about and my guardsmen carrying the luggage we had brought with us along with some barrels of my whisky I intended as a gift for Lord Brandon.

A few moments later and a man appeared out of the Keep, he had salt and pepper hair with a rather plain face, a friendly look to him he was the kind of man who looked familiar even knowing we had never met before. He was accompanied by a younger man, with a similar look and a lady with the classical look that mirrored my features, sand colored hair and sea blue eyes. They were obviously Lord Brandon Rosecourt, Ser Everard Rosecourt and his wife Lady Larya Severin.

The man who I assumed was Lord Brandon Rosecourt, smiled as he approached, "Lord Valey, I am Lord Brandon Rosecourt and I welcome you to Gallard."

A servant ran up to me with bread and salt, breaking off a chunk of the bread. I dunked it into the salt and brought it to my mouth before replying, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lord Rosecourt."

"May I introduce my brother, Ser Everard, and his lady wife, Larya Rosecourt."

I walked forward and greeted the elder Knight and the Lady. I noticed that Ser Everard had recognised Ser Goren and had moved to welcome his fellow veteran.

"I hope your journey was not too rough, I've heard the seas have been rather choppy as they always are in the bay." The elder Lord gestured towards the gates and we began walking inside.

I finished swallowing the rather shitty bread, "It was not too dire, though I confess to being rather exhausted."

He gave a friendly smile and spoke, "Chambers have been prepared for you, I shall have you shown to them. Please rest a while before we have our dinner tonight."

I nodded along to that and followed said servant as we walked through the keep.

The guest chambers I was given were very generous, far more so than I would require for what I expected to be a rather short stay. I had a suspicion it was an attempt to relax me so I was in a good mood so they could get a better deal. I walked over to the balcony and leaned against the stone railing. Taking a deep breath of the sea air, I considered the discussions to come this evening.

Most of it was about establishing a company for the trade of whisky and other Valerin products in foreign ports, sealed through marriage to a girl half my mental age. It was sickening that in this world girls her age had married men twice their age in body. I would just have to grin and bear it.

I picked up the flagon of wine left on a table and poured myself a cup, downing it in one, I settled on the bed and closed my eyes for a moment.

A few hours later I awoke to a servant telling me Lord Rosecourt had asked me to join him for dinner in his solar. I jumped off the bed, stretched my arms above my head and followed the servant through the corridors of the castle, up a spiral staircase and to the oaken door which was opened by a guard as I approached.

"That will be all, close the door and stand guard at the end of the corridor." The guard bowed his head to Lord Rosecourt and exited the solar.

"Good afternoon, my lord."

"To you as well." The lord picked up a flagon I soon ascertained was the whisky I had brought for the trip, and poured two generous servings into some waiting goblets.

"Please, sit down. I expect this conversation will last quite a while."

I chuckled and sat, "I expect so too, my lord."

"Call me Brandon, pleasantries will do us no good in these discussions," Brandon settled in his seat and began again, "So, I gather these trade talks are to regard the sale of whisky, a drink that as you may be well aware, I am rather fond of?" His tone was questioning. I was well aware of that fact in question. Lord Rosecourt had been one of my more frequent customers in the past two years.

I nodded, "Yes, I'm sure you appreciate Jonas Bay is not an ideal place to have a port dealing in large quantities of ship traffic."

Brandon nodded, I continued, "Rosecourt has safe anchorage, this is well known. It is perhaps the place best suited to ships in all the Harelands. It is my hope we will be able to come to an agreement where whisky and other products that are produced in Valerin will be shipped from the small port on my lands, Skytower, to Rosecourt for distribution to foreign ports."

"Does this not still carry risk in storms?" Brandon asked, seemingly concerned.

I nodded, "Indeed it does, but travel between Skytower and Rosecourt is fairly safe using smaller ships. I would ship the goods to Rosecourt and from then Gallard shall in turn transport these goods across all Headens."

The lord looked thoughtful and took a sip of his whisky, sucking his teeth before replying, "What ports would you want on the route? I presume Mares Hand and Galljon."

"Yes to both. Pale Port once yearly too for the Voljurs. I have spoken to the Fraytons and they have agreed to buy whisky in quantity and serve as distributors in the Jule. "

"We have some ships that regularly travel these routes. However, if the volume increases we would need to look at expansion of the fleet."

I took a sip of my whisky and nodded once more. I held out the bound set of paper that I was carrying. "This is my proposal, my Lord. Essentially, Valerin would manage the production of the various goods as well as the cost of transporting them to Rosecourt. You will in all likelihood have to expand your warehousing and storage facilities as even the current volumes may exceed your current capabilities. The goods shall be shipped from Rosecourt to Galljon, Pale Port and Mares Hand to begin with, using your trade fleet and eventually to other ports in Headens such as Bitterstroke, Dawkale and Mane Harbor as and when demand may increase. This cost would be borne by you."

Brandon smiled, "I believe the idea has merit. We will need to discuss the split of profit."

I gave a half grin, this hadn't been half as difficult as I'd expected.

I leaned back in my seat. "Well my Lord you must consider that as I am responsible for production as well transport to Rosecourt, my share will be substantially greater. As is mentioned in the proposal, we shall create the Valerin-Rosecourt Trading Company and you shall be entitled to twenty five percent of the profits."

It was a lowball offer, and I knew it. Rosecourt brought a lot to the table. In addition to the shipping facilities, they were an ancient and noble House. Adding their name would bring instant credibility and engender trust the likes of which Valerin would not, nay, could not generate for decades.

It appeared that Lord Brandon knew this as well. He scoffed.

"Twenty five percent is a pittance. I would barely be able to recover my costs. The Rosecourt name will itself allow you to extend your reach far beyond your current capabilities and open doors that would remain closed to House Valerin for generations at the very least. I have excellent relations in the Crow Bares, the Jule and even in the Crust Plains. I would settle for no less than forty percent."

I kept my face blank but grimaced internally. Forty percent was daylight robbery. I had not expected such shrewdness and cunning in matters of trade and commerce from an Old Lord.

"Forty percent is too high, my Lord. Even if I strike a deal with you, you are well aware that words are wind and alliances more fleeting than summer winds. If you were willing to tie this alliance in blood I may be willing to settle at thirty percent."

The Lord of Gallard looked at me carefully. "Viola is the only daughter of House Rosecourt yet unmarried. I sired no daughters myself as my wife bore me only sons and so Viola has been the darling of this household since the day she was born. I would not part with her lightly, Lord Valerin."

I had expected such an answer. As much as the Lord tried to hide it, it was clear that he wanted this alliance. The only question was how much could he get me to concede as we sealed the deal.

"My House is young, Lord Rosecourt, but my lands are prosperous and my smallfolk well fed and productive. I am a Lord sworn directly to Lord Wysten and if married to me, your niece shall be the Lady Valerin. I am willing to forego the dowry that you would customarily offer. Your niece is not cattle and I am no shepherd. She shall have a place on my council and shall run my household." I responded.

"You are young, Lord Aerys. And yet you speak with maturity and intelligence beyond your years." He paused, lips a fine line before he exhaled and continued "Very well, we shall seal this deal in blood. You shall marry my niece and Gallard shall in turn be entitled to thirty five percent of the profits." Responded the elder Lord.

Thirty five was a good number. It was what I had predicted myself. But the Lord had made a mistake. He had conceded too quickly. If he had stood firm for a little longer, I may have eventually conceded to thirty five. But now I had the upper hand.

His initial bargaining was something to be expected of other more mercantile houses but his Harelandblood or perhaps Gallard's Butler did not expand beyond this stage in their planning of the negotiations; perhaps because of my youth.

"Thirty three percent, my Lord. That is as high as I can go. It is I who bear the cost of manufacturing and production. Transport to Rosecourt is not cheap either. Thirty three percent my Lord. Let us agree to it. And together we shall dominate the seas and secure the future of our Houses for generations to come." I said as I leaned forward and looked into his eyes directly. This was it. The culmination of the past two years of enterprise and hard work boiled down to this very moment.

The elder Lord looked at me and there was silence for a moment. He then leaned forward and said. "You drive a hard bargain, Lord Valerin, but I believe we have a deal. However, there is one condition."

A smile threatened to break out on my face as I struggled to maintain my composure.

"My nephew Seth, as you may have noticed, is not a Knight. He has little aptitude for martial pursuits and spends most of his days with his nose buried in his books or following Viola around like a lost pup. I fear that with her gone, he shall be most despondent. Allow him to join your household, the boy is intelligent and shall likely be of use to you. What say you, Lord Valerin?" He said as he extended his hand forward to seal the deal.

After a moment of thought, I raised my own hand and shook his.

"I say this shall be the beginning of a long and fruitful alliance, my Lord."