Chapter 105: Chapter 105 - Artican Trade in Westeros 32 (Reach 12!).
[Chapter Size: 3200 Words.]
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Pessoa Thrid POV
Westeros, 295 AC.
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The people of the Reach continued their morning activities as usual since the tournament celebration began. The city was teeming with shops selling goods and wares, bards taking over the square, and a few men taking a spot in a small crowd discussing the latest news.
"I saw it, I swear. The man who commands those giants and rides monster wolves, he killed a knight effortlessly, slashing through his armor as if it were nothing!" He exclaimed to the crowd, standing atop a crate with a pot at his feet, collecting donations from those who liked his news.
"That must be a lie!" A commoner disbelieved his words.
"It's true, you can see for yourself with the nobles!" The speaker insisted, as he always infiltrated camps to gather information and make some money from the common folk, who loved to hear gossip about knights, ladies, and great houses, like gossip among themselves.
"I don't believe a savage can defeat a knight of the realm!" Another exclaimed, the people having blind faith in their knights, so they didn't like what they were hearing.
"You may find it absurd, but it's real, I saw it too!" Another commoner spoke up. "And I wouldn't be so quick to call him that, have you seen his soldiers?"
"It doesn't matter, they won't be able to do anything!" The first commoner insisted mockingly.
"Did you forget they killed a knight, you idiot?" A woman mocked her fellow.
As they argued this and other matters, the bards were also present, trying to gather every piece of news to incorporate into their songs.
Meanwhile, in the castle itself, the sound of metal rang out in the small courtyard as Jon and Garlan continued their duel, their swords clashing constantly, creating a deep metallic resonance that to many present was a beautiful symphony. Servants and nobles alike were enthralled.
Jon, despite his unique swordsmanship style and physical advantage, held back against his opponent so as not to swiftly emerge victorious, not wanting to offend or humiliate the man before him, who so far had given Jon no reason for enmity. So, he kept pace with the fight.
"Go, Garlan!" Mace appeared at one of the windows beside his wife, watching the fight and hoping his son would emerge victorious.
"It seems my grandson has found an opponent he cannot defeat... the tales of the fight against the Red Viper seem to be true..." Olenna appeared beside him, walking slowly and observing the fight with interest. Though not an expert in swordplay or any martial art, she was still a political master and that also meant reading people, so it was clear to her who was exerting effort and who was struggling.
"Do you think Garlan will lose, Mother?" Mace seemed shocked by this; he had great confidence in his son after he won the melee.
"Yes." She simply said, while Alerie Tyrell looked concerned and her husband still stunned by his mother's conclusion.
Garlan was well aware of this too but stood firm against Jon, trying to make Jon use everything he had against him. "Your fighting style is truly admirable, King Artican," remarked Ser Garlan, as Jon felt his footing, maintaining balance in the fight.
The swords exchanged blows for the next 6 minutes, still working with precision as they circled each other, until Jon decided to end it, starting to advance against Garlan with more speed and force. The knight struggled to keep up, feeling the pressure. He tried to regain his balance, but Jon was already advancing into one of the openings he created, hitting him with such force on his sword that it went backward, he moved his sword and stopped, putting Darksister against his neck, leaving Garlan staring at it, stunned.
Jon withdrew the sword and simply smiled at him. "It was a good fight, Ser Garlan. You are certainly one of the best I've fought in Westeros," he said, which was no lie; above him was only the Red Viper of Dorne since he fought below the Wall, his father was a great fighter, but Jon wasn't as strong back then when he fought him in the Winterfell godswood, so he didn't consider him until he had a rematch.
"That...," Mace, from a distance, looked stunned at his son losing the fight, while Olenna just maintained a calm gaze at it, and silence fell over the whole place.
But this silence was soon broken by the first applause, and none other than Willas Tyrell himself, despite his younger brother's defeat, supported by leaning on his cane, followed by the Heir of the Citadel Lord next to him, while they were clapping, the whole area followed suit, satisfied after witnessing a small confrontation.
"I was lucky you didn't join the melee, King Artican... Otherwise, victory wouldn't have been mine," Garlan spoke, even with a friendly and playful tone.
"It was a good fight, Lord Garlan. I'm sure we would have had a good bout on the occasion if that were the case," Jon praised him as well.
"As expected..." Olenna spoke, snapping her son out of his daze.
"That was because of the sword! We should have it in our possession!" He concluded.
"You fool, as much as Valyrian steel may be superior, there was still Jon Arctic's great skill, and I've already told you we're not going to do that and try to seize the sword, don't be a fool with our guests," she said in a dissatisfied tone.
"But mother..."
"No more." She said sharply as both her son and daughter-in-law shrank back. "Anyway, I'm leaving." She announced, starting to make her way out.
"Where are you going, mother?" Mace asked curiously.
"I'm going to see our guests who are with your daughter and her friends. It's time to get to know them better." Olenna commented with a slight smile and left the premises.
Back in the courtyard, Lord Hightower approached. "You fought very well. Now, I might borrow King Artican for a little spar," He also wanted to fight the Artican. Garlan nodded, exiting the scene, and the young Hightower approached Jon. "I hope you're not tired, King Artican, for another bout now, otherwise, I can wait," he said.
"No problem, we can have our fight here." Jon nodded.
He knew this man held disdain for him, but at least he was polite outwardly. So, there was no need to show hostility to him either. They initiated a new spar as they got into position, just like Garlan's fight.
"Unfortunately, I don't have Vigilance with me, as it's in my father's possession, would love to fight you some other time using it," he said, after all, the Hightowers owned their own Valyrian steel sword too.
"That sword is certainly famous in your house's history, would love to see it in action when you can wield it." Jon spoke sincerely.
"Yes, then let's begin." He announced, and they advanced towards each other in the next moment.
Jon didn't want to humiliate this man either, feeling his sword clash against his and seeing he would easily win, he wouldn't act against people who hadn't done anything to deserve it. So, he fought on equal terms with a Hightower, while holding back in the fight too, the clash between common steel and Valyrian steel lasted until, at one point, Jon finally decided to act and immobilized him, putting his Valyrian steel sword back to the Citadel heir's neck after creating an opening.
"That was really good. I bet there are still many nobles who would like to have a bout with King Artican," Garlan approached, while the crowd had grown there.
"That's odd, where are the young ladies? My sister and her friends?" The Hightower sheathed his sword and asked, after all, his sister would love to watch the morning fights in the training yard with her companions.
"They're with my sister and our special guests," Willas commented, approaching with his cane.
"I see," Hightower nodded.
"Well, they've been chatting for a while, and we won't be seeing her around here today, as I'm sure Queen Seryna and Lady Arya will have their hands full answering the women's questions." Willas commented with a slight smile, looking at Jon, who nodded.
"It's all right, as long as they can enjoy themselves," Jon shrugged.
"I would like to see more fights, but I'm sure our guest would prefer to have other matters to attend to. I also would like to give you a better tour of the castle," Willas spoke, reading Jon's expression a bit.
"That's true," Jon admitted. "In fact, I'm here in the Reach for a special reason," Jon spoke.
"A special reason?" Garlan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, as you know, my Kingdom lies north of the Wall, and I lack many of the resources I need for my people, and one of them is a specific animal," Jon said, with a slight smile. He considered the Reach the most crucial point in his journey since leaving Artica because this kingdom had a higher concentration of things he needed in Artica.
"And what would that be? I heard you bought many animals in Dorne, filling dozens of ships with them," Lord Hightower asked curiously, to pass on this information to his father.
Jon looked at Willas and nodded. "Yes, that's true, I bought some. Many of the animals for breeding and meat distribution. However, Dorne cannot offer a specific animal, after all, we have no use for desert horses and camels," he said.
"Horses? Do you wish to buy our horses?" Willas asked, a little surprised. Jon hadn't mentioned any of this yet, although a trade meeting would be expected soon since Jon bought so many animals, books, and metals from Dorne as he traded his products and went with a fair price.
"Yes, I would like to see your breeds. After all, as a horse breeder, you must have many specific breeds, and I intend to spend a lot of money. Maybe half a million gold coins," he commented, with a slight smile, leaving the three Lords gaping at that.
"500,000 gold dragons? Do you intend to spend that buying horses?" Garlan commented, quite shocked.
"Maybe more, depending on how I like your breeds and what you have to offer," Jon said with a slight smile. "If you'll permit me, my Lord," he turned back to Willas, "we could look at some of your stables right now." He wanted to take a look, explore the stables he had seen before more thoroughly.
"Yes, of course. Let's leave our soldiers to train again, and let's head there to show you around. We'll have plenty of time to see you fight in the coming days," Garlan suggested, and Willas agreed with his brother, nodding as they returned to the stables next to the kennel, where they had left Jon's wolf before.
Meanwhile, in the Tyrells' personal garden, the girls seemed quite excited as they sat around that table after some servants brought teas for them.
The women quickly turned back to Queen Seryna. "How beautiful you are! I've never seen a woman with such bright and clear eyes. Is it a characteristic of women from your land? King Artican is really lucky to find someone so beautiful to be his wife," Lady Meredyth Oakheart commented, looking at Seryna with admiration.
"But Lady Oakheart, King Artican is also so handsome, have you ever seen someone so beautiful...?" She said, placing her hand on her chin, fantasizing something, "How can he have those unique and beautiful eyes? Have you seen his eyes?" Desmera Redwyne said with a rather unique tone.
"How can they be so forward about Jon?" Arya murmured quietly, listening to those Ladies talking about Jon as if they wanted a piece of him.
Another young lady spoke with a smile to Seryna. "Certainly, your son will be very handsome," she said, but not specifying the gender.
"It's a boy," Seryna decided to comment. Despite the barrage of comments about her and her life with her husband, it seemed she understood that these southerners liked to gossip a lot.
"Really? If it's a boy, then he's the heir," Lady Alyce Hightower suggested.
"Perhaps, we haven't decided that yet," Seryna spoke honestly. Jon had a different idea of an heir for Artica than the southerners did with their children, but they would discuss that at another time.
"And what will his name be?" Margarete asked curiously, looking at Seryna's belly.
"It will be Jon," she said with a slight smile, touching her belly at that moment.
"Jon?!" It was Arya herself who exclaimed, surprised by that, after all, she didn't know and found it quite funny with the name of Jon's first child, being Jon too.
"The same name as the father? Well, that's not very unusual." Lady Leonette Fossoway also found this fact curious.
"Many kings named their own sons after them, although they weren't always the heirs," Lady Alyce Hightower commented again, thinking of the historical data she had read, as a scholar in her town, she had an interest in historical subjects.
"But that's so cool! You're a queen, you have a rich kingdom from what I'm seeing, clothes, and many products, even giant commands. We've never seen anything like it," One of the other young ladies, Lady Delena Florent, spoke animatedly as she drank her cup of tea, looking at Seryna with some admiration and a hint of jealousy. "You have such a gallant husband, and you're expecting his child. I'm so envious of you, Queen Seryna," she innocently commented, while the other young ladies seemed to agree.
Seryna didn't know there was some disdain for her in some eyes there. After all, she didn't come from a noble family, no background that seems like a good reference base, but she was still being well treated, most likely by a demand from Margaery or Olenna, probably from Olenna to Margaery and from Margaery to the present women.
But Seryna didn't care about these issues, and more importantly, Jon never cared about these things either. He said he loved her regardless of her family background or even her being originally a giant. Jon always said that what mattered to them was the future they would build together with Artica and their children.
Perhaps they would have to break noses here and there, kill another, destroy one kingdom to another in the future to establish their position, which was still too early to be solid in foreign lands, but this was not the time. Jon always wanted to seek friendship above hostility, of course, he had limits, but he hadn't done anything with them that provoked his wrath to destroy cities of any kingdom, although Dorne had created an enmity that Jon would not visit the kingdom despite its negotiations being a success, they would always have a complicated relationship and could never be called allies beyond being trading partners.
"Anyway, Lady Arya is also very beautiful. I didn't know the North could produce such beauty, as expected of one of the great Houses," Lady Elinor Beesbury commented with a polite tone, as if she were used to praising people to achieve things, she put her hand on her chin, looking at Arya, who was a bit silent the whole time.
Arya, although she didn't find that environment the most pleasant of all, she still knew how to behave like a true lady, after Jon made her learn all these things from Artica.
"Thank you, Lady Elinor Beesbury," she commented, she had memorized the name of all the women there with just one introduction and spoke with a respectful and feminine tone. "I've been fortunate," she said politely.
"I heard that Lady Sansa Stark, your older sister, is also a unique beauty," Margaery's cousin, Lady Mina Tyrell, commented curiously. "There was even some interest from us to have her as the lady of Highgarden," she said.
"Of Highgarden?" Lady Elinor Beesbury asked, surprised by that. "But I heard she has a great chance of marrying Joffrey Baratheon himself, the heir of King Robert," she said.
Seryna noticed how Margaery seemed a bit uncomfortable with that, despite the girl subtly shrinking, but she could see the signs, which made her understand a bit of the situation there.
"Well, the future is hard to prove. Although we all know that King Robert is a great friend of Lord Stark's and that it's clear his desire to unite the two families..." Another young woman suggested.
"Anyway, we're in the presence of a lady who is not only the younger sister of the Future Queen of the seven kingdoms but also sister of a King of another Kingdom. I'm sure many of our nobles will be sending letters to Winterfell with gallant marriages." Lady Talla Tarly said with a dreamy tone and a slight smile.
"I hope not..." Arya grimaced hearing that until she received a touch from Seryna asking her to behave a little.
Some women noticed that Arya didn't seem very excited about this fact, unlike them who would love to be in a situation where they had many handsome, strong, rich, and powerful suitors to marry.
"I'm sure if your sister is as beautiful as you, the prince will certainly not deny your beauty," Lady Delena Florent spoke, and Margaery seemed a bit more uncomfortable with that, so much so that she became quite silent after this subject came up.
'So she wants to be queen,' Seryna murmured internally, looking at Margaery's behavior. Despite this, she also saw her looking at her husband in a rather peculiar way. Perhaps she projected the image of the prince onto Jon, but Artica was not a kingdom she intended to have. She had come to this conclusion by seeing the woman known as the flower of Highgarden in silence in her corner, perhaps she had not yet been trained for it, after all, she was still young.
"Anyway, I wonder where your husband is and if he's in the courtyard. We should be watching the boys fighting in the yard right now. However, let's continue talking. I would like to know more about this Artica," Lady Highgarden suggested.
"Yes, we can do that tomorrow. I heard that Jon Artica is an excellent swordsman. I would like to see him in a fight against Lord Garlan, something that should be happening now in the courtyard, but we'll leave it for tomorrow," Another lady commented, unaware that Jon had already fought and won against Garlan at this moment.
The girls resumed their conversation, and Seryna was bombarded with questions, along with Arya, as they wanted to understand more about her mysterious kingdom in those lands, with Seryna trying to keep things as discreet as possible.
Meanwhile, in a nearby estate, someone opened a door. "My lady," a servant looked at the older woman and greeted her. "Do you need help?" he asked.
"No, I may have reached a very old age, but I can still join those young ladies in the garden, they say you get younger when you're surrounded by beautiful ladies," Olenna commented with a smile as she began to walk to the location. She would join the group.
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