Dragonlord Chapter 123: The two becomes one. (Patreon)

The first ships to sail through the newly built Sunset Canal were from White Harbour. There was a massive order of glass utensils from Braavos. The canal’s opening aligned with the arrival of Braavosi merchants who were ready to have their glass transported through the lengthy road in the North. But now, their fortunes had taken a turnaround as they were sent forth from White Harbour with a ship full of spice that just arrived in White Harbour. The spice would get unloaded in Avalon and reloaded with crates full of glass and ice before setting themselves on a journey to Braavos.

Only after the Manderly ship had safely sailed into Blazewater Bay did Harry call back the Liberator from escorting the ship.

With the successful opening of the canal, the Northern lords had left the Neck for their keeps. Harry and Jon remained at Moat Cailin, as there was still work to be done.

Harry's primary concern was to ensure the seawater from the canal wouldn’t contaminate the freshwater of the Neck. The Crannogmen's livelihood depended on the game in the Neck, which in turn relied on the Fever River and the Green Fork. The canal's proximity to the Fever River necessitated the implementation of precautions in case of a flood or a storm. Harry oversaw the construction of embankments around the river to control the flow of freshwater and the enchantments along the banks of the river to desalinate the water to some extent in case the embankments fail, providing a sense of reassurance to all. There were also plans to cut small channels to drain any excess water in case of heavy rain or storm.  

Then, there was the progress of Moat Cailin’s restoration itself to consider.

Harry and Jon spent a week setting up some wards and charms around the castle to keep it safe from the elements. After spending some time with the workers and seeing the struggle they went through with transporting building materials through the muddy terrain, Harry promised to give them help with his smaller airship. The first airship he made was sleek and perfect for hauling building materials. He had used it quite extensively to speed up the construction of the Wolfswood road. So, using it to speed up the construction of Moat Cailin was not a radical idea to pursue.

With most of the arrangements made in Moat Cailin, Harry and Jon left for Avalon on the Liberator. By the time the Liberator landed on Avalon, the Manderly merchant ship had finished unloading the spices and had brought in crates filled with glass. With Myr’s destruction, the North was the only major source of glass producer on either side of the Narrow Sea. The merchants in White Harbour were quite eager to capture the market in the Free Cities and Westeros before the surviving Myrmen established themselves once again.

Harry doubted the Myrmen would establish their glass trade anytime soon. He had destroyed much of their glass-making infrastructure when he attacked Myr. He had even used the Wildfire caches near the streets where glass workers lived. Even if those few that survived went to other cities, it’d take them time to set up such infrastructure elsewhere.

Of course, Harry only welcomed the competition even if more glass makers were to come about in different cities. Avalonian glass was cheaper and of high quality. More competition would only make his people more competent and look for improvement. Already, the addition of artisans from Lys and Tyrosh was paying its dividends. Their unique understanding of dyes and skill in handicrafts improved the aesthetics of the glass produced in Avalon. Avalon could now make a wide variety of dyes and coloured glass.

However, the ice trade was the most interesting thing Harry was focused on.

After all, he had explicitly cut some deals with the Free Cities on this particular issue. With the ice trade came the ice boxes that were necessary for keeping the ice. Only Avalon produced ice boxes, and he intended to hold a monopoly for as long as possible. The ice boxes he produced were layered with magical charms powered by runes. In the future, someone would devise mundane methods of making ice boxes. Until then, he alone possessed the capability to supply ice boxes to Essos and Westeros.

It was already making a killing in Dorne, where ice had now become a highly sought luxury. Just as the hot Dornish sun made his people rich, Harry thought the warm Essosi sun would bring even more coin.

“Are our merchant ships ready?” Harry asked as he walked through the Harbour with Celos Poole.

“The ships were always ready, my lord. It is the sailors that we should worry about.”

“What about the sailors?” Harry asked as he inspected the ship’s moored in the harbour of Avalon.

“They've never sailed the Narrow Sea. We’ll be sending our ships to an alien sea for our sailors.”

“I have asked Lord Wyman to provide some of his crew to our ships for our first voyages into Essos. I’ll also have the fleet provide an escort to the merchant ships.” said Harry.

“A warship as escort for our merchant ships? That’d incur unnecessary costs, my lord.” Celos cautioned.

“I'm aware.” Harry nodded, knowing well that a significant portion of the profit from the trade would go into the costs of keeping a warship as an escort for his merchant ships.

After all, a warship required weapons, food and water for the men’s upkeep. Then, there were the port duties to consider and any repairs that might become essential.

“Such costs are bearable in return for experience for our sailors.” Harry said, his mind going back to some of his plans for the Narrow Sea and the interests that lay in the area. “Besides, there is another reason I want our fleet to have a keen understanding of the Bite and the Narrow Sea.”

“The Sistermen?” Celos said hesitantly.

“You catch on quite quickly, Celos.” Harry smiled at his castellan. “Call the captains to my solar. I need to have a word with them.”

Within the hour, the four captains of his fleet stood before him.

The current disposition of his fleet was limited to 80 ships, with four captains in charge of twenty ships each. Out of those eighty ships, only sixty were fully crewed and battle-ready. The rest were still undergoing some patchwork, and the crew was being trained. The fleet being so young also left him with inexperienced high-ranking officers, so he only had four major captains heading a large fleet. He had even held back on giving these men the rank of Commodore simply because he didn’t have that many experienced captains or enough fights to test his captains.

Harry stared at the four men standing before him. Captain Simeon, Captain Nimpton and Captain Gregory stood before him with their cap in hand. Captain Vince was stationed at Blacktyde overseeing the culling of Ironborn from the seas. So, the venerated fleet captain attended the meeting through a two-way mirror.  

“Please sit.”

“Thank you, my lord.” they chorused with a bow before taking their seat.

Harry took out his wand and tapped the table as the four men sat on the other side of the table. Bright gold lines appeared on the table, converging to become a map of the Bite.

However, this was no ordinary map. The map that came alive on the table was the live representation of the Bite and the Narrow Sea. Ships could be seen and represented on the map in scale along the shores of the Three Islands and White Harbour. Some ships could be seen prowling the Narrow Sea close to the Braavosi shores.

“The canal is now open for transit, and our merchant ships will set sail to Essos within the week. The fleet will escort them, but you have a secondary objective.” Harry started gaining the attention of the captains.

“The Sistermen have preyed on our merchants for far too long. It’s time that they face the consequences for daring to disrupt our trade and attack our people. Not a single ship of theirs is to survive in the seas. If you see them, you’ll destroy them and leave none alive.”

“Uh…my lord…” Captain Simeon looked slightly alarmed, “Wouldn’t that start a war with the Vale?”

“The Sistermen have attacked us with impunity so far. Did war break out?” Harry asked.

“No, my lord.” Captain Simeon said stiffly.

“Then, they’ll not wage war if they know what is good for them and allow us to cull these pirate scum from the islands.”

“We’ll do our best to clean the seas of these pirates, my lord.” Captain Gregory said a tad eagerly by the glint in the man’s onyx eyes.

“Good.” Harry nodded, “You are permitted to arm the ships with exploding scorpion bolts and two-way mirrors. This map will be available to all the ships through the two-way mirrors. Normal escort procedures are still in effect. One ship will always remain by the side of our merchant ships while the others engage the pirates in battle.”

“Yes, my lord.” the captains nodded.

“Captain Vance. How goes your mission in the Iron Islands?” Harry asked, focusing on the scarred face visible in the two-way mirror.

“Our spies in Pyke are reporting Victarion Greyjoy has ordered the cutting of all trees on the island. He intends to rebuild the Iron Fleet. But we’ve strangled the island with a blockade, and no one is going in or out of the island except for our spies. Greyjoy faces increasing difficulty administering the island in the old ways without looting others. He is forced to make his people farm to feed themselves.”  

“I see.” Harry hummed thoughtfully.

“We’ve been having some light resistance from ships based out of the Lonely Light. As you know, we have yet to mine the seas around the distant island, which leaves us blind to their movements.”

“I’ll have the snitches delivered to you, Captain Vance. You may mine the seas to map the region. Keeping the Ironborn contained is a top priority.” Harry promised, “Have there been any movements in Harlaw?”

“Lord Rodrick has kept the peace on the island. Our spies are keeping watch over Asha Greyjoy and her clique. But so far, they’ve been occupied by Victarion’s actions.”

“I see. Has Victarion started building his ships?” Harry asked curiously.

“He has my lord. But there is little progress. We have ensured Pyke remains isolated from the rest. There are internal divisions among the Ironborn. The Ironborn of Saltcliffe, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, and Orkmont are all disillusioned with the rule of Victarion.” said Captain Vance.

“Good. Keep them divided. If Victarion is building his fleet, I want to know the location.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Harry dismissed them all and looked thoughtful as he drummed his thumbs against the desk. With the Sunset Canal now open, his fleet faced the real test of whether they could control the Bite and Blazewater Bay. On one end were the pirates based on the Three Sisters; on the other side, there were the Ironborn pirates intent on looting the hard-working people of Westeros.

Despite the burning of Myr, the attacks on Manderly ships had not stopped. It had slowed down considerably, but the attacks were by no means at an end. He doubted it’d ever end until the Sistermen were properly dealt with.

The Three Sisters were a cause of friction between the Vale and the North ever since the Andals conquered the Vale under House Arryn. The Andal wars had caused bitter and bloody battles to be waged in the seas, and most of those wars had been fought on the Three Sisters. Over time, those three islands adopted a distinct culture far removed from the First Men or the Andals.

However, the Sistermen had aligned with the Vale of Arryn in the bitter struggle between the Andals and the First Men.  

Harry didn’t care one whit about the historical loyalties of the Sistermen or their supposed ‘betrayal’ as some in the North still grouch about. The Sistermen took the pragmatic decision of looking after their self-interest in an age of endless bloodshed and religious warfare.

But now, things were different. No one was attacking the Sistermen, but they were intent on inviting war to their islands by providing a haven for pirates. He suspected the Sistermen had grown too comfortable in the fictitious protection they enjoyed being part of the Vale and the Seven Kingdoms. They have slumbered in willful ignorance for the last decade and never realised the strength the North had accumulated under the lordship of Lord Eddard Stark.

‘It’s time they realise times have changed, and if they pull the wolf’s tail, they better be ready to face the pack.’ Harry decided.

*****

Arianne scowled at the ridiculousness of the situation. She should’ve been in Sunspear, enjoying her time with her cousins and friends. Then came the official summons from her father, forcing her to ride across the desert on short notice, wondering why her father was suddenly calling her. It was not as if she had done something to offend her father lately.  

“Why do you think Prince Doran has summoned you? It’s so unlike Prince Doran to summon you to the Water Gardens without any cause.” said Nymeria.

“I have no idea.” Arianne muttered with a frown, adjusting the veil protecting her face from the dusty wind.

The wind was one of the reasons she was cross with her father for forcing her into the desert in the windy season.

‘He could’ve just told me what he wanted to say instead of forcing me to travel through this blasted desert wind.’ Arianne thought with a scowl.

“Are you sure you didn’t do anything? Maybe you said something to someone that has reached Prince Doran’s ear.” Nymeria said as they rode through the desert on their horses against the strong winds.

“What could I possibly say that’d warrant any of this…?” Arianne asked with a huff while her cousin laughed at her misfortune.

“I don’t know why you’re laughing.” Arianne said with a dirty look directed at her cousin, “You’re here with me slogging through the desert.”

“That may be true, but I’m not the one Prince Doran has summoned.” Nymeria said gleefully, “Who knows what sort of trouble you’re in.”

Arianne scowled behind the veil and focused on getting to the Water Gardens faster. Whatever awaited her, she wanted it to end sooner rather than later. With that thought in mind, Arianne urged her steed forward.

Soon, she found herself in the safe walls of the Water Gardens. As she walked inside, children from all walks of life ran around the place and enjoyed their time in the halls built by her ancestors.

Her eyes fell on a door leading to the chamber where she and Nymeria had spent the night with Harrion. Her eyes found Nymeria, and they shared a sultry grin at the reminder of that particular night.

The guards escorting them came to a halt outside a door and only bid Arianne to enter. She entered her father's room, leaving her cousin to stand outside the door with the guards.

To her surprise, her father sat on a chair instead of his usual wheelchair. She had known Harrion had given some advice to her father about removing gout on his legs. It had something to do with some special cherries and lemons or some such thing. But she never realised her father had recovered to this extent.

“It’s not gone completely, but I’m recovering faster. I need to use a walking stick, but it’s better than getting stuck in a wheelchair.” said Doran, his onyx eyes trained on her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

“I suppose we ought to express our gratitude to Harrion.” Arianne commented breezily.

“Indeed.” Doran nodded placidly, “There is more news from the North that might interest you.”  

“Oh?” she raised a delicate eyebrow.  

“Harrion Stark has carved out his ambitious Sunset Canal through the Neck connecting the Bite with Blazewater Bay. With this canal, his fleet can now access the Narrow Sea.”

Arianne’s eyes widened. She shouldn’t have been that surprised at Harrion’s success, considering he was the man of impossible things. But it was not every day that one hears about a long canal that connects two oceans built so easily.   

“Truly? He did it… just like that.”

“He has, and word has spread throughout the realm of this great feat. His powers are truly something the world has never seen. Not even the water mages of the Rhoynar could claim to tame two seas to do as they bid. The gods have truly blessed the Starks.”

Arianne hummed noncommittally, her mind elsewhere. If she was being honest, the gods had blessed Harrion in many other ways than just his magical prowess.

‘The things he did to Nym and me that night…’ Arianne shivered at the thought.

“But I didn’t summon you to talk about the canal. Lord Eddard Stark has written back and approved our betrothal offer.” said Doran.

Upon hearing this, Arianne’s eyes widened, and a broad smile flowered on her face. That was quite possibly the best news she had heard in a while.

“I’ll send Oberyn to discuss the matter in detail with Lord Stark. Do you have something to say, Arianne?” asked Doran.

“I… I should talk with Nymeria and Tyene.” Arianne said with a slight stutter.

“I see.” Doran said slowly before sighing, “We have time, and I need to inform your mother and discuss this with your uncle. We can speak candidly at a later date.”

Taking the dismissal for what it was, Arianne withdrew from her father’s solar and dragged Nymeria to a secluded corner of the keep. She didn’t waste any time and regaled her cousin with what she learned from her father.

“If my father is going to the North, maybe we should accompany him. It’d be nice to meet Harrion before everything is finalised, and we do need to discuss what’ll happen afterwards.” Said Nymeria.

“What is there to discuss? We share my husband as we agreed. He can have us together or separately in bed. We discussed this Nym.” Arianne whispered.

“Not that, silly.” Nymeria swatted her arm with a roll of her eyes, “You have to think about your children and the line of succession of Sunspear. This’ll be the first time a heiress of House Martell marries a lord from the north. The succession must be settled before anything else.”  

“Oh, right! I… there is a plan for that.” Arianne tried to cover up the fact that she had largely ignored that particular facet of what came after the marriage.

“Why do I feel that you completely forgot about the succession in your rush to marry Harrion?” Nymeria said, eyeing Arianne with an exasperated look.

“I didn’t forget. There is a plan.”

“Really?” Nymeria raised a brow sceptically, “What is this plan? Let me hear it, or have I erred in thinking my cousin lost her sight on her seat of power?”

“Oh, come off it, Nym.” Arianne rolled her eyes and covered up the fact that she didn’t give it much thought, “Let’s discuss something less boring, like the fact that we might yet visit our love soon enough, and we might chance upon his miraculous canal.”