274 A.E. Volantis As much as Oberyn would like to rush to the nearest available skirt from the first steps, there were more important matters that could not be delayed. The first thing he needed to do was to visit that same merchant Belicio Taragos, about whom the guards in Sunspear had spoken. Volantis itself is an incredibly large city.
According to more or less recent records made by travelers from the Citadel, and according to the Volantenes themselves, whom I often met in the harbor of Oldtown, three hundred thousand free citizens live in it. And for each of them there are five slaves, who form and support the city's economy. If you add to them merchants, travelers and numerous landless workers, then the city's population will number almost 2 million people.
Therefore, its size is appropriate. Only by the most approximate and rough calculations the area of the city occupied almost 50 square kilometers, including the vast territories of the Black Walls, spacious market streets, villas of the most noble and rich Volantians and "spare" crop fields located on the island of Balerax, serving as an emergency reserve of the city in case of a sea and land blockade.
The street of Blue Ribbons itself was located on the island part of Volantis, in the so-called new district. Here lived the "new aristocracy" - numerous merchants and rich landowners who had acquired their wealth through trade and commerce.
The main force and support of the Elephant Party, which had ruled this city for three centuries. Unlike the Tigers' party, which consisted of the old aristocracy, who considered themselves the heirs of Valyria's imperial ambitions and sought to restore the empire, and lived in the mainland part of the city, the Elephants were merchants and moneylenders, who opposed war and were in favor of developing peaceful trade.
So our path lay from the docks, located on the river bank, across the famous Long Bridge and further inland. Glory to the Seven here, as in any city, for a modest fee of a few coppers, you could hire city street children who knew the city and all its nooks and crannies perfectly. So after two hours of wandering through the winding, snake-like streets, we reached the house of that very merchant.
Belicio Taragos was impressive. Seriously. Put armor on him, give him a battle axe and a tower shield, put him on a war horse and you will get the spitting image of a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Tall as myself, muscular, with powerful arms and legs, and a red beard reaching to his waist, he looked like anyone but a merchant living on one of the most prestigious streets in Volantis. He received us in a small garden located at the back of the house, showing the depth of its owner's purse.
Still, every square yard of this land was worth its weight in gold and was used as rationally as possible.
"Do you know what is written here?" Taragos finally asked, after rereading the letter Oberyn had given him. Judging by the frowning of his thick brows and the wrinkles that had appeared on his face, he was not very pleased with what he had read.
The Prince of Dorne himself was already drinking his second cup of exquisite fruit wine at that time, judging by the color of the wine brought from the Summer Isles, he was in a state of nirvana due to the lack of constant rocking. Where he kept the letter, that it did not spoil even after his swim in the Lysenian Strait, one could only guess.
- No. - He answered, taking another large sip of wine and looking with interest at a beautiful woman in a provocatively revealing outfit passing nearby. Either the wife or concubine of Taragos. I hope Oberyn will be smart enough to think with his head, and not his dick.
- Your dear mother and elder brother write that due to certain circumstances you will be forced to live in Essos for some time. They asked to provide you with money, housing and my patronage in the territory of Volantis and to help in every possible way in all your endeavors.
- Judging by the tone and expression on his face, Belicio did not really like the fact that such a big walking problem was dumped on him. I can't believe that this merchant, like any self-respecting high-class trader, doesn't have his own informants in Sunspear and the Iron Forest.
He probably already knows why the Dornishman was exiled here and has a good idea of what this could lead to for him.
"That's wonderful!" If Oberyn noticed how "joyfully" the owner of this house treated him, he didn't show it, continuing to smile his insolently welcoming smile, just begging for a brick.
"I am grateful to you for the warm welcome you've given me, Master Taragos. I would very much like to appreciate your hospitality, but this is my first visit to Volantis. And I will not forgive myself if I don't see all of its beauty.
Let's meet in a week and a half. You are a very busy man, after all. A businesslike and successful merchant, and the elections of the triarchs are close. Because of this, you probably have a lot to do. I wouldn't want to distract you from them.
"Oberyn, your mother..." I thought, not expecting such a speech from the Dornishman. He now, in essence, asked permission to go on a ten-day bender (for which Taragos himself would probably pay), citing the fact that the merchant would not even be able to look after the guest. And, judging by the even more frowning face of our interlocutor, he understood the hint.
- "Stop insulting a man in his own house!" I had to take the situation into my own hands and turn the fire on myself. As a result, half an hour later we left Taragos's estate not in the best condition. And if my head simply ached from a long verbal battle, where I had to make every effort not to fly out of the house with broken legs, then Oberyn was pretty drunk, having emptied the merchant's supplies to the level of half a barrel of summer wine. "Bastard," flashed through my mind as I dragged him through the alleys of Volantis, following the hired boy as my guide.
"Well?" Oberyn asked, finally stopping pretending to be a drunk on a bender, putting an arm around my shoulder, which I immediately threw off.
"You always have to be careful with this Dornishman - this faggot... ahem, bisexual hasn't given up his wet fantasies about me.
– To the brothels? Because of you, I haven't been with a woman for a week.
No-de-lu! I kiss you, so that everything goes to hell, for a week! You can't do that. So let's go – a good friend of mine told me that on the Street of Purple Lanterns there is a girl who knows how to do a Meereenese knot! There are only four of them in the whole world! I can't miss that.
Oberyn, who rushed forward, had to be stopped using all my available strength, although it had become clear on the ship that I was much stronger than him physically. That's what spermotoxicity does to a person!
- So, take your time! – I finally calmed him down, shaking him properly and giving him a good slap on the back of the head, although I knew perfectly well that it wouldn't help for long. Fights, wine, beautiful women and men (no matter in what order) were everything to this Dornishman.
Only his family, whom he sincerely loved, could make him be serious for a while.
– This was only the first meeting for today. I need to visit one more person, a visit to whom I absolutely cannot postpone.
- Maybe we shouldn't? - And this idiot, who is seriously making eyes at me now and pretending to be an offended innocent, will in the future become the charismatic and dangerous Red Serpent that my granddaughters have been nagging me about? I don't believe it!
- We must, we must. This man really doesn't like to wait and it was only thanks to him that I was able to conclude such a profitable contract for the bear.
- I said, dragging the offended Oberyn by the scruff of the neck.
- We must visit him today, otherwise he will be very offended. And this is very bad for trade. - Having looked once more at this offended mug on the face of a sixteen-year-old ram, I nevertheless decided to give him the carrot that he so desired.
- He owns and lives in one of the largest pillow houses in Volantis. While we negotiate, you will be able to have fun... I did not have time to finish.
The rest of the way I was dragged by Oberyn, who instantly picked up the first cosmic speed, urging our little guide with his dagger, promising to satisfy his sexual hunger on him in case of delay.