# **The Rise of House Redwyne: A Bannerlord's Conquest**
**Volume I: The Vineyard Prince**
**Chapter 2: Of Wine and Warships**
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### **The Docks of Ryamsport – 272 AC**
The scent of salt and oakum filled Aemon's nostrils as he stood on the weathered planks of Ryamsport's main quay. At twelve years old, he was already taller than most boys his age, with the sharp features of his Vale mother and the sun-browned skin of an islander. His hands, calloused from hours spent practicing with blunted swords, gripped the ledger tightly as he surveyed the bustling port.
Three merchant cogs from Lys bobbed in the harbor, their purple sails furled as dockworkers unloaded casks of spices and bolts of fine Myrish lace. Aemon's eyes narrowed as he noted the lean, hungry look of the Lyseni captain bargaining with his father's harbormaster.
*"Thirty dragons per cask?"* The harbormaster, a grizzled man named Harren, spat on the dock. *"Last year it was twenty-two."*
The Lyseni smiled, revealing teeth stained red from sourleaf. *"Last year the Stepstones were quiet. This year, the pirates demand their tribute. The price is the price, old man."*
Aemon stepped forward before Harren could reply. *"And what of the Arbor's fleet?"* His voice carried an authority beyond his years. *"Do the pirates demand tribute from our ships?"*
The Lyseni captain's eyes flickered with surprise before he masked it with a merchant's bland smile. *"The Redwyne fleet is... respected, young lord. But even your father's ships pay the toll at Bloodstone."*
**[Quest Updated: The Arbor Armada]**
*Current Fleet: 3 War Galleys (Aged, undermanned)*
*New Objective: Secure funding for first warship*
Aemon's jaw tightened. This was worse than he'd thought.
---
### **The Counting Room – Highgarden's Shadow**
The next morning found Aemon in the vaulted counting room of Redwyne Keep, surrounded by parchment scrolls and the musty scent of ink. His father's steward, a pinched-face man named Ormund, peered at him over bronze spectacles.
*"The ledgers, my lord? You're too young—"*
*"My father commanded I learn the accounts,"* Aemon lied smoothly. *"Shall I tell him you refused me?"*
Ormund paled and pushed the books across the table.
For hours, Aemon pored over the records. The numbers told a damning story:
- **Yearly Income:** 45,000 gold dragons (Wine exports)
- **Expenses:**
- 12,000 (Tyrell taxes)
- 8,000 (Household)
- 6,000 (Fleet maintenance)
- 5,000 (Bribes to pirate lords)
*Bribes.* The word burned in Aemon's gut. House Redwyne, the richest in the Reach after the Tyrells, was paying protection money to cutthroats.
He flipped to the military ledger:
- **Manpower:**
- 300 household guards
- 50 knights
- 5 warships (Only 3 seaworthy)
Pathetic. The Hightowers could field ten times that number.
**[Skill Check: Commerce (Success)]**
*Insight: Current wine prices undervalued by 20% in Essos*
Aemon's quill scratched across parchment as he devised a plan.
---
### **The Vineyard Gambit**
That evening, Aemon presented his findings to his father in the privacy of the lord's solar. Lord Manfryd, a bear of a man going to fat in his middle years, listened with growing astonishment as his second son spoke.
*"The Lyseni are playing us for fools,"* Aemon said, stabbing a finger at the ledger. *"They buy our gold at thirty dragons, then sell it in Volantis for fifty. Meanwhile, we pay the Tyrells near half our income in taxes while they do nothing about the pirates choking our trade."*
Lord Manfryd's face darkened. *"Mind your tongue, boy. The Tyrells are our liege lords."*
*"Who bleed us dry,"* Aemon countered. *"Father, give me leave to handle the next Lyseni shipment. I'll show you how House Redwyne should trade."*
For a long moment, the only sound was the crackling hearth. Then Lord Manfryd laughed, a deep booming sound. *"By the Seven, you've got balls, boy. Very well. But if you embarrass me, you'll wish you'd stayed with your sums."*
**[Quest Accepted: The Merchant Prince]**
*Objective: Renegotiate trade terms with Lyseni merchants*
*Reward: 2,000 gold dragons, +1 Diplomacy*
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### **The Negotiation – A Game of Minds**
Two weeks later, Aemon stood aboard the Lyseni cog *Silkfin*, surrounded by the merchant prince's guards. The captain, a sleek man named Drahar, lounged on silk cushions, peeling a blood orange with a jeweled dagger.
*"So,"* Drahar said, *"the pup thinks he can bark with the hounds?"*
Aemon ignored the insult. Instead, he placed three items on the low table between them:
1. A cask of Arbor Gold (274 vintage)
2. A ledger showing Drahar's actual resale prices
3. A map of the Stepstones with certain routes marked
*"We both know the game,"* Aemon said calmly. *"You underpay us because the pirates make you desperate. But what if I told you House Redwyne could guarantee safe passage?"*
Drahar's knife stilled. *"How?"*
*"By building a fleet that makes the pirates think twice."* Aemon poured two glasses of wine. *"But that requires gold. Your gold. New terms: forty-five dragons per cask, paid upfront each season."*
The Lyseni merchant burst out laughing. *"You're mad!"*
Aemon sipped his wine. *"Or you can explain to the Magisters why Lys' wine supply just dried up."* He tapped the map. *"The pirates aren't your only problem. The Dornish have been raiding near the Broken Arm. Without our ships, your cargo won't reach Lys at all."*
**[Skill Check: Intimidation (Success)]**
*Drahar's resolve wavers*
After three hours of negotiation, the deal was struck:
- **40 dragons per cask** (Up from 30)
- **Exclusive Redwyne access to Lyseni ports**
- **First payment: 5,000 gold dragons upfront**
As Aemon stepped back onto the dock, the system chimed in his mind:
**[Quest Complete: The Merchant Prince]**
*Rewards Gained: 5,000 gold dragons, +1 Diplomacy*
*New Reputation: "The Grape Wolf" (Merchants respect/fear you)*
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### **The First Ship – Birth of the Vine Serpent**
With the Lyseni gold secured, Aemon turned to his true goal. In the shipyards of Ryamsport, he oversaw the construction of his first warship.
The master shipwright, a gnarled old Iron Islander named Harren Salt-Eye, spat at Aemon's plans. *"Triple sails? Ironwood reinforcements? Boy, this isn't some Braavosi fancy boat—"*
*"It will be faster than anything the pirates have,"* Aemon countered. *"And with these scorpion mounts"—he pointed to the deck plans—"we can punch above our weight."*
For months, the shipyard rang with hammers and saws. Aemon spent every free moment there, learning the craft, bribing workers with extra wages, and quietly diverting resources from his father's less important projects.
Then, on a crisp autumn morning, the *Vine Serpent* slid into the harbor.
90 feet of deadly grace, her hull painted deep green, her sails emblazoned with the Redwyne grape cluster. As the crowd cheered, Aemon turned to his father.
*"The first of many,"* he said.
Lord Manfryd's eyes gleamed with something like pride—and wariness. *"Aye. Let's hope the Tyrells don't notice."*
**[Fleet Status Updated]**
*Vine Serpent (Redwyne-class Warship) added to fleet*
*Current Strength: 1/20 ships*
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### **The Tyrell Problem – A Lion in the Garden**
The raven arrived at dawn.
*Lord Redwyne,*
*Your presence is required at Highgarden within the fortnight.*
*Lord Mace Tyrell, Warden of the South*
Aemon crushed the parchment in his fist. They'd noticed.
**[New Quest: The Lion's Den]**
*Objective: Survive the meeting with House Tyrell*
*Bonus: Gain concessions from Highgarden*
*Failure Risk: Tyrell sanctions, fleet limitations*
As Aemon prepared to ride out, his brother Alester cornered him in the stables.
*"Father's letting you go alone?"* Alester's breath reeked of wine. *"The Tyrells will eat you alive."*
Aemon tightened his saddle girth. *"Then it's good I'm not as tender as you, brother."*
The punch came fast, but Aemon had been expecting it. He ducked, driving his shoulder into Alester's gut. They crashed into the hay, rolling until Aemon pinned his brother, a dagger at his throat.
*"Next time,"* Aemon whispered, *"make sure no one's watching."*
He nodded to the wide-eyed stableboy in the corner before mounting his horse. Behind him, Alester's curses faded into the morning mist.
The game was escalating.
And Aemon Redwyne would not lose.
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### **Next Chapter Preview:**
- **Highgarden's viper pit** – Mace Tyrell's court holds deadly secrets
- **A fateful meeting** – The mysterious Lady Olenna takes an interest
- **The first blood spilled** – Not all battles are fought with swords
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