Chapitre 89: Chapter 89
And luckily these promising little ideas for the future had swiftly managed to change your mood as you finally fortified your mind anew, and after a moment of realisation you supposed once more that there were fates far worse than serving the Lannisters. Had it been up to you then you would have naturally remained free, but you knew that few had the luxury and ability to simply defy the world as your new master had done, so there was everything considered nothing left to do but to bow your head like everyone else.
Anything else would have just been madness, and as far as you were concerned it really didn't matter if the madness stemmed from defying such power out of misguided pride or a genuine wish for freedom, as opposing your master would assuredly still end the same way. And as if to make sure that you wouldn't change your mind again, your companion silently stopped for the day, so you could rest and prepare for the last stretch of the journey as he threw you one of his heavy pouches filled to the brim with silver before he stripped his gauntlet once more.
"That's an awful lot of Silver, but I understand that gold might be a bit problematic, still, could you explain what I'm supposed to do with that much silver again?"
"If I remember it correctly, the town you sent us to is supposed to be pretty small, right?"
"Quite so, Ayna, but while the price and amount of local goods won't be too outrageously different from other places in the realm, it isn't like the value of the merchandise in Nora's harbour district will follow the same standard for prices we have in the west."
"The prices of a port town on the western side of the continent just can't be compared with the ones on the eastern side, so much so that it's hard to even tell which goods will be more expensive, and which ones will be cheaper."
"Besides, nobles of the Westerlands are never seen without some coins on their person, even if it's just silver, if it's too bothersome like that we could split it into smaller pouches."
"But let's leave that for later, you're of course still free to use it however you see fit as long as I get my report on the local state of the economy once the ship I sent delivers its crew and cargo."
"Um, I think you added there something we hadn't discussed, my Lord."
"Hmm, I honestly can't see a problem with what I wrote, Ayna, it's obvious that House Lannister needs its own presence in the Vale since the Starks and Baratheons are already here, and that presence naturally needs more than two people and of course some kind of leader."
"I get that, but I can't play a noble no matter how much coin you're willing to throw around, Master, I don't have the slightest idea where to even start, playing nobility was never something I needed, the role of servant was always far more logical for my profession."
"Who said anything about playing a noble, you are one, Ayna, most lords of the Westerlands are needed where they are, and the rest are still occupied with securing our new holdings, and it wouldn't look good if we would send only a bunch of commoners and knights to deal with the great lords of the Vale."
"Normally the amount of land a house controls would be directly tied to its power, but House Lannister isn't all that dependent on it with our land reclamation effort and the Rock being the Rock, so it wasn't that hard to get you a few villages and a keep to create House Waydner."
"I understand that you mean well, my Lord, but that seems absolutely insane, and actually giving me a title and land won't change the fact that I have genuinely no clue how a competent noble would act in my situation."
"It's a bit disappointing that you still don't understand my plan, Ayna, but we have time, so it's not the end of the world, you might be a noble, but you were sent as a direct vassal of House Lannister to represent us in the Vale, not because you were groomed to be a diplomat."
"What really matters is the standing of House Waydner as one of our direct vassals in the Westerlands, the lords of the Vale won't care too much about everything else as long as you show the basic qualities they would tie to being a noble such as loyalty to your liege and pride in your standing."
"Sigh, I will do as you wish, my Lord, though I still have my doubts."
"I'm confident that things will work out, Ayna, so just focus on your work and collect your proof of my authority once it's delivered and do not fall to despair over such simple matters, the worst that can happen is that they send a letter of complaint to the Rock which won't change anything."
"Very well, my Lord, going back to I believe you called it Nora, what can you tell me about the town, is there a special reason you chose it?"
"There were no special reasons beyond its location as the archives of my house don't contain much about towns of that size so far away from the Westerlands, but its walls are as far as I'm aware still made of wood, so it shouldn't have attracted too many refugees, but since Nora contains some eight-hundred homesteads it's really up to chance."
"Well, if Nora turns out to be overrun with refugees I still want to know about it in your report, but it's all in all a rather normal town you might find on any coast of our continent, which is why it's ideal to serve the role it serves, any more questions, Ayna?"
"Yes, my Lord, I still have a last one for today, how will we communicate once your men arrive, are they aware of your abilities?"
"I'm not quite sure myself just how aware they are of what I can do, though that being said, each one has served House Lannister for long enough to be trustworthy if it came down to it, but anyways, once you nudge your companion about conversing with me, it's only a matter of time till I will respond, Ayna."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone