5
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"Others may have mentioned you in their stories, but I have mentioned you in my prayers." ~ Unknown
Genuine connections, love, and understanding are not formed through scrolling social media, but through shared experiences, laughter, and meaningful conversation.
Invest in relationships that are felt in the heart and remembered in prayers. True connection extends far beyond the digital platform.
"For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." ~ Romans 8:29-30
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98AC
Unknown
Braavos
Wrapping the piece of cloth around the limb, and motioning to the young man to follow - I stood up and we moved towards the exit, as we approached the exit, the grateful sound of a voice could be heard,
"Thank you, thank you so much for helping my son, kind sir."
smiling softly I shook my head lightly before saying, "Thank the Lord, my Lady, for it is not but by his grace and mercy that we are here today."
Taken aback by the humble response the woman held her son who was expressing a slight discomfort on his face at being held so tightly, she stared at the gathering crowd around a small stage, with our leader dressed in our uniform discoursing with the crowd. Seemingly in thought, she continued to stare at the new gathering before turning back to me.
"I heard what that man was talking about. Your belief, about a God who you do not Know, and a son sent to sacrifice himself for us?"
She expressed doubt and uncertainty on her face and her words, yet curiosity could be seen within the depths of her eyes.
Nodding I'm agreement with her words, I waited for her to continue, while overhearing what was being said from the stage, "Men of Braavos, as I've been walking about your city, I've noticed one thing about you:
You are very religious people." As the crowd reacted positively, he continued
"As I have been walking about, I found an altar to an unknown God...
This is the God I want to talk about. What you worship ignorantly, I have come to declare to you."
"I have heard of your group," turning my attention back to the mother as she finished her sentence with a mix of emotions, "for a while now…."
"All good things I hope." I playfully joked to ease her tensions, seemingly understanding my intention, she smiled gratefully, "Unfortunately not the tales I've heard have painted the opposite picture that for a while I didn't know what was true and what was false, from hearing of sacrifices of all kinds to tales of incest like the Targaryens."
looking fondly at her child who after being let go was nursing his injured arm with a chagrincontrin,
"But after my son was injured, the only place that I could think of that would help and not without spending above our means is you all. I didn't know if the rumors about your group were true or if you healed people for free like was said, but I had to take the leap."
Nodding in agreement,
"Your strength of character is commendable, very few would have the courage to make such a decision even under such circumstances.
We thank the Lord for our encounter today."
A comfortable silence befell us for a few minutes, observing the contemplation on her face she observed her son, who was in a similar state while he observed the address happening on the stage. Feeling confident in trying, I spoke up once again,
"Now that you have heard the words from our pastor, Would you like to know more?"
Getting nods in agreement,
I thanked God for the chance to once more do his work,
I delight in the work of my father, and it pleases him.
And I shall continue to delight myself with the will of the Father,
Deus Vult.
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"A fit body, a calm mind, and a house full of love. These cannot be bought. They must be earned." ~ Naval Ravikant
That's why I believe that these fundamental aspects of life are earned through consistent effort, conscious choices, and authentic relationships we cultivate.
These are not things to be acquired, but rather the results of a purposeful And fulfilling existence.
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98AC
Aegon
Narrow Sea
Gazing over the horizon, the wind blew through my hair as the sound of Neltharion's wings flapped from Time to time as we crossed a vast amount of distance in a relatively short amount of time.
With every piece and cog coming together, none of it would've happened exactly as it has if the circumstances were not in the right place, most people in the know are still scratching their heads on why King Jaehaerys has allowed a third son to grow in such power. Despite the Royal family benefiting immensely from the development of Dragonstone, the largest visible short-term profits have come from the increased influence of Blackrock's commercial presence.
The benefits the Royal family receives from the company have largely been relegated to a form of tax and a perceived economic influence brought by the fact most would assume they had it since I am still an active member of the Royal family and while people do not know how much power the king has over the company they still presume a level of influence over the operations of the company.
Only those with bits of allowed information and the intelligence to piece it together would know that is not the case. Yet even with that knowledge taking any action against the Royal family doesn't have any guarantee of retaliation from Blackrock but who would be stupid enough to take a chance, for in this time even if Blackrock does not move - fire from heaven would rain down if the dragons ire is to be directed at anyone with too much courage and no real intelligence who would do something like that.
I mean ask the myrish stragglers, they could tell you all about it….
And why King Jaehaerys agreed, while I can infer based on how our conversation went, that is something only he himself can only fully explain.
—-————————Flashback————————-
As the full moon hung high in the sky, I approached the set of guarded double doors.
Nodding to the kingsguard guarding the door as he silently allowed me to enter,
I Walked down the hallway, the thought of the actions I am preparing to make today gravely weighing on my head, actions that could make or break a few of my plans for the future. It shall either be a win or a lose, there shall be no in-between and I am determined to achieve it, Not for myself but for the future of the family as a whole is on the line.
"There was something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Those were the words he spoke immediately after I entered the room, bowing in response to his words.
"Yes Grandfather, I feel that this is something important and it is my duty to say."
Nodding In ascent, he gestured for me to continue.
Preparing to spin a tale Of a bit my foreknowledge,
I started to regale My grandfather with words,
Words that as the night continued will reshape the course of the future,
The conversation that happened in this solar shall ring its effects several millennia from now, influencing the course of global society as a whole. Shaking the
Yet of the two, only one has even an inkling of the impact that will be brought upon the world, all buildup coming from a baby that should've not survived, all culminating to this one night, a night that shall cause Shockwaves to resound through the very bedrock of society, causing change even the sole cause - at the time could not fully grasp the full consequences of his actions.
Yet when he looks back after everything is said and done,
Regret will not even be a thought in his mind.
—-————————Flashback End————————-
Despite the fact everything is going well, at this point I still cannot relax. There are still threats towards what I want to build, there are shadows who think themselves still unknown and some who might truly be - all waiting for a moment to strike and tear down and deal irrevocable amounts of damage. For they hate the change my presence is bringing, they despise the power they are losing although they would never admit it, and they fear the power I am amassing.
And it will only continue growing, my plans for Blackrock are to turn it into a medieval Amazon, having a presence in every market possible. And with such little actual competition and my advantage with modern knowledge. Making such a thing happen is within my grasp.
But to reach that goal, obstacles will have to be dealt with. And just like how people did not see Amazon's ambition before it was too late, my plan is to implement the same tactic and keep my intentions inconspicuous until it's too late and Blackrock has a chokehold on the global market. However, throughout the process of implementing such a plan, not everything will go as originally laid out.
Some people might perceive a bit of what I am trying to accomplish - and if that news spreads, resistance will be even more aggressive than we currently predict it will be.
Humans are creatures of comfort and with that comfort we are predictable, but if you're not careful there is an element of chaos within all humans and only God knows what we are truly capable of under the right circumstances.
That is why even if you know your enemy more than they themselves know. Always prepare for any anomalies and situations outside of your expectations.
Not letting your knowledge lure you into a false sense Of security, for the only way to not be blindsided is to look at every piece of information with the mindset that not everything you know could be the full picture, acknowledging that you know nothing and there is still much to know is the first step towards gaining a greater understanding of everything.
*growl*
The growl of Neltharion caught my attention as I felt him communicate through our bond, breaking me out of my introspection.
Looking forward I caught the distant figure of a bronze statue, smiling. I shared through our bond my gratitude.
Getting another growl in response, I chuckled, "Yes, Yes, what would I do without you." I patted his scale.
Feeling his air of mock Superiority through our bond, I imagined a mini cartoonish black dragon smiling in Superiority and couldn't help but laugh hard.
Getting a flare of annoyance through our bond, "Alright, you don't have to get salty, Let's find everyone and I'll treat you to some premium cows as an apology."
Getting a growl Of approval, I chuckled lightly amused at his childish behavior.
Seeing the fast-approaching statue now identified as being truly made of bronze metal.
Gazing past the statue I observed the chain of small islands.
———————scene break——————-
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the city of Braavos, Prince Aegon Targaryen found himself seated at a grand table in one of the Iron Bank's opulent meeting rooms. The room was adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of wealth and power, a reminder of the institution's influence across the known world.
"This is a valuable opportunity, after discussing with our colleagues, we have come to a conclusion; we are happy to invest."
Sliding over the table a piece of parchment, the confident old man with a ceremonial key chained to his waist - continued talking,
"Here is the official offer the Iron Bank is settling on."
Picking up the paper, I read over the numbers. Displeasure was the only thing I felt looking at what was written, tossing It back onto the table, I picked up the glass of whiskey in front of me. I took a sip before observing the cup,
"What do you see?"
"Excuse me?" the man voiced, befuddlement barely hidden at the unexpected reaction.
"The cup… What do you see?"
I observed the silent curiosity present on his face Before he answered, "I see a liquid."
Placing the cup down next to another empty cup Before me I stared at him,
"Exactly"
Giving everyone at the table a hard stare, I slowly let the seconds tick by - waiting for everyone to get uncomfortable before gesturing towards the two glasses before me.
"Liquid at a clarity not seen before, a quality surpassing all competition - even glass work from Myr cannot compare to the quality of what I have shown you.."
Taking a pause as I observed their reactions before continuing With my words,
"Whichever city would produce such work, as long as they have the capacity - they would quickly dominate the market within a short amount of time.
I have offered you an opportunity to dominate a market and weaken a rival at the same time undermining the power of the Triarchy. Who has no doubt been a topic of great discussion amongst you all…..
And yet you deign to regale me with such an insulting offer?"
Glancing at each other, various emotions flashed across every single one of their faces, taking note of the subtle anger coming from the obese middle-aged man; the second man in this room to have a ceremonial key in the room. Who with a sense of victory - haughtily voiced,
"It seems we have reached an impasse Prince Aegon, unfortunately, we are not going to increase the price of our offer."
Raising An eyebrow I took note of his subtle hostility before I continued resolution Bleeding through my voice,
"Is that so?
Then it seems I will have to take my business elsewhere,
Perhaps Lys or….. Pentos?"
Getting the desired reaction I wanted, the obese man decided to double down on his offensive stance,
"Excuse me? Pentos,
Prince Aegon, I am not sure such a course of action would be 'beneficial'."
Shrugging in response to his subtle threat, "Maybe, but Pentos will definitely see the value of such a product,
If presented to them, I have no doubt they would willingly pay over and above any asking price."
I observed their veiled panic, yet the men with ceremonial keys, the most notable of the two from house Antaryons. Reactions from the two were veiled, barely noticeable to even Body language experts. Yet under my eyes, they were an open book, observing the storm of emotions between the two. Warring with their pride and the prospect of rivals who would jump at the chance to get one over them.
Giving them a momental, possibly critical chance against them - losing much of their economic advantage against them.
But would that give them an advantage over Braavos? No, it would not, but it would take away a lot of the economic power they have over them. And with them rebelling from time to time now, what would happen when they're not as scared of retribution as before?
As you can imagine, that is not something the upper echelon of Braavos would be happy about. And if it's found out that they had participated in the elevation of such competition, not even holding the position of keyholder of the bank could save them from the consequences. All their lives would be at risk, and every single person involved will have their life in jeopardy.
If the keyholders cannot compensate for such a fault it would be over for them since their families would most probably take little action in such a situation to help but would much likely serve them up on a silver platter, let alone those in the room who do not have such status and resources. They would die before they could ever leave the building.
And such a conclusion brought about an incredibly sober realization, that their lives are hanging In the balance, and the outcome of this meeting shall be the deciding factor in their fate.
Clearing his throat, the older man smiled placatingly, "Perhaps we have gotten ahead of ourselves, let us discuss a better contract. One that is satisfactory for both parties."
I smiled back, despite my gentle smile and benign demeanor, shivers went down each and every person in this room.
Crossing my hands under My chin, my eyes squinted in amusement, "Of course."
Only now taking notice of my eyes, the subtle glow and Slit making everyone within the room uncomfortable as they for the first time felt like their soul was bared before such eyes like all their secrets have been laid bare and all lies have been seen through and only the truth remains.
Yet as everyone brushed the thought off with a Wry thought...
They would never realize just how close their intuition was to the truth.
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"If your phone doesn't ring when you're struggling, don't pick up when you're winning."
Recognize the difference between Fair-weather friends and those who stick around during tough times.
Choose quality over quantity, ensure that your journey, both uphill and downhill, is shared with those who truly value you.
When the phone rings, answer wisely.
It is not just a phone call.
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A/N: here's another chapter,
Apologies for missing last week, life's been busy.
I like to write long chapter but it's bit difficult when using only a phone to write, but I wont complain atleast I have device that can handle such a strain perfectly, I'm greatful - I can make due for now.
One of my priorities will be to aquire a laptop since it will streamline everything, we will see what happens on that front.
At this moment I can't guarantee a stable amount of chapters but I will promise to release chapters as soon as I can.
I hoped this chapter was enjoyable,
Until next time.
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
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