This was now the matter that concerned Freygo the most.
Since Viserys had shown a willingness to leap into the firepit, Freygo wanted him to jump in as soon as possible. If necessary, he wouldn't mind coaxing or tricking him into doing so.
"Well… as you know, Gohor is far from a paradise.
Just stabilizing the chaos there will take a long time. I plan to send House Targaryen's forces in waves. If things don't go well, I'll reconsider your earlier offer."
So he's not entirely a fool, Freygo thought.
But he had already made up his mind—the first phase of Viserys's settlement must succeed.
He would nudge the young king into slowly committing all of his resources.
"It seems you're a cautious man. If you have any requests for your initial venture, speak freely! Consider it a sign of friendship between us."
Since the Sealord had opened the door, Viserys wasn't shy.
"Then on behalf of House Targaryen, I thank you for your generosity. In the early stages of our settlement, I may need warhorses, oxen for plowing...
Dragonstone is quite barren without dragons. Weapons, armor, food, cloth—these things are all in short supply."
Seeing Viserys speak so plainly, Freygo felt even more contempt.
It further confirmed his belief that even if the Targaryens managed to carve out some land in Gohor, they wouldn't be able to hold it.
Still, to lure Viserys deeper into the trap, Freygo was willing to take a small loss on this deal.
"Worry not. If you don't mind, Braavos has quite a bit of surplus stock. Some of it is a little old, but still perfectly usable. I can offer it to you at a favorable price."
Trying to dump your old stock on me? We'll see what happens when the Old Crab and Davos start slashing your prices, Viserys thought to himself.
Then, he said aloud, "By the way, if any Braavosi noble families are interested in marrying into House Targaryen, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep me informed."
"Marriage? But your niece is only five, and your sister just born. Isn't that a bit hasty?"
Viserys replied with an awkward smile.
"Ha, not them—me. There's no alliance more reliable than one by blood."
Rhaenys and Daenerys were far too young, so Viserys was putting himself forward as bait.
Political marriage wasn't about feelings—it was about interest.
Freygo was initially dismissive of the barely-grown Viserys. But he had to admit, for one so young, the boy already had the right instincts.
Still, it was hard to imagine any noble in Braavos being foolish enough to accept such an offer, given House Targaryen's current state.
Viserys's shamelessness caught Freygo off guard, but he gave a perfunctory nod of agreement.
As the meeting neared its end, Viserys asked Freygo to keep his presence in Braavos confidential.
Freygo readily agreed. In fact, he had already given up the idea of controlling the Targaryens through underhanded means.
After all, if they were already moving exactly as he wanted—and perhaps even better than expected—what need was there to control them?
"You have my word. Also, Braavos has many Valyrian-descended families with silver hair and purple eyes.
You're welcome to explore freely. If you're not comfortable staying in the Sealord's Palace, I have a few other residences you may use."
"By the gods, I thank you for your kindness."
….....
Like Westeros, Braavos had a number of ancient noble families.
The title of Sealord was selected from among them.
Three families in particular were the most powerful—Antaryon (Freygo's own house), Zainen, and Freyga.
Five slightly lesser families followed behind them.
These ten or so families controlled the majority of Braavos's industries: shipbuilding, banking, textiles, fishing, mining, construction, even cultural sectors like the brothels.
Any one of these industries could support a city on its own—yet here, they were all concentrated in a single city-state.
Braavos's wealth and power were evident.
Freygo summoned the heads of all the prominent families.
The Iron Bank was also present.
True to his word, he kept Viserys's arrival secret—but he revealed House Targaryen's plans.
"Gohor? Sounds like the Targaryens know as much about that place as a rabbit knows about the sea," a middle-aged noble in purple robes scoffed, drawing laughter from the others.
"Gohor is ours. No one else gets a piece!" declared another, clad in red robes—the commander of Braavos's garrison.
This man was thickset, with a cruel gleam in his eyes. He clearly didn't hold the others in high regard.
"Commander Dars speaks true, but let's not forget Pentos still covets that land," another reminded them.
For years, both Pentos and Braavos had been stirring unrest in Gohor, supporting rival factions to serve their interests.
The conflict between them was far from over.
And geographically speaking, Pentos did have the advantage—they were closer to Gohor.
"Let the Targaryens be our blade. Let them clash with Pentos's forces and bleed each other dry," said another noble, his temples streaked with gray, his eyes still sharp.
His name was Tormo Freyga—the man who, in the original timeline, would become the next Sealord.
He was close with Freygo, and his suggestion was exactly what Freygo had hoped to hear.
Smiling, Freygo said, "We all know that to make a ship sail fast, it needs good sails.
House Targaryen is no different. If we want them to invest more into Gohor, we need to give that dragon—stripped of wings and claws—a strong push. Don't you agree?"
The nobles all nodded in agreement.
Gohor sat along the upper Rhoyne. If they controlled it, they would effectively control the river.
To the west, they could check Pentos. To the south, they could suppress Valyria's eternal rival, Volantis.
To the east, they could squeeze Norvos's expansion.
In short, Gohor had massive potential. Some early investments were well worth it. Soon, the heads of the various families began offering their support.
Those in livestock pledged over a thousand warhorses and oxen.
Those in arms and armor offered weapons and plate.
Those in grain and fishing pledged food supplies. Even the Iron Bank agreed to provide low-interest—or even interest-free—loans.
Meanwhile, Viserys had expected Freygo to try baiting him into the Gohor venture.
But he hadn't expected them to be this generous.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say: Viserys planned to send three thousand soldiers and two thousand farmers in his first wave.
Even if those five thousand arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Braavos could fully equip them for war or work.
This further confirmed for Viserys that Braavos was one of the driving forces behind Gohor's chaos.
Two days later, Viserys sent Davos back to Dragonstone to retrieve the three thousand soldiers and two thousand family men.
He also instructed Davos on his new immigration incentives.
"Which Kingsguard will you have lead the troops to join you in Gohor?" Davos asked.
It was an important question.
The first battle of the eastern venture would be critical. It had to be a victory.
But Viserys's answer surprised both Arthur and Davos.
"Let Ock lead them."
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