Bab 41: Chapter 35 - Some Problems Never Change
2 AC
Zolha Noy (Sandstone)
Rays of sunlight filtered into the bedchambers, richly furnished with tasteful and functional furniture. On a lush king-sized bed, a young man groaned and yawned softly as he slowly got up, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
He turned to see the woman by his side, who was sound asleep and bereft of clothing. The man looked at his own state of undress and smiled as he remembered yesterday's fun night.
"Good morning Maryse," Lewyn said, gently stroking her hand.
Maryse stirred from her sleep, clasping Lewyn's hand with hers as she opened her eyes smilingly.
"And good morning to you, husband," Maryse greeted back, "That was a lovely wedding night."
"I have to say, Arin does know how to throw a memorable wedding celebration," Lewyn mentioned, "All the weddings I attended for my cousins and my family vassals pale in comparison."
"'Arin'? Not 'Lord Arin' or 'Grand Duke Rada'?" Maryse questioned.
"Well, he insisted I address him more casually outside formal affairs," Lewyn quickly defended.
"As you say," Maryse said, "How about we get ourselves some breakfast?"
"I'd love for nothing more," Lewyn smiled.
Breakfast was a simple affair of flatbread with three different cheeses, sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, honey, jam, olive oil and a crumbly, buttery layered dough pastry called Cambrud, or what Arin Rada called 'Baklava' [1].
First introduced by Garin Radnor, Head Chef of the Dornian Ducal Kitchen [2] and chief advisor to the Sranan Academy of Culinary Arts [3], one of several traditional spreads of breakfast first pioneered by Garin as he introduced new, wondrous cuisine to all of Ifarahoy and eventually, all of Dornia when Arin hired Garin.
The cuisine, which Garin said hailed from a country called Turkey (or Türkiye) held many similarities to Dornish cuisine - which in turn was heavily influenced by Rhoynish cuisine - in its liberal use of spices, herbs, sour yoghurts and mutton in everyday fare from the richest of princely banquets to the most humble of labourer staples. Cambrud was one example, which Garin called a less-refined version of baklava.
From there, Garin and Maryam would together revolutionise the culinary landscape of Dornia as husband and wife, and help Arin engineer new agricultural methods that far improved crop yields such as the four-field crop rotation.
It was Garin and Maryam Radnor who helped Lewyn jumpstart Zolha Noy's agrarian industry as farms sprang up with the creation of oases and qanats [4] and water reservoirs called yakhchāls [5] and ab anbars [6]. Without the crucial water supply built by an army of labourers young and old, Zolha Noy would never have gotten back on its feet after the devastation wrought by the Reachmen.
For now, they started small with rice, wheat, cabbage, rose clover [7], cucumbers and desert cabbages, to name a few. There were plans to gradually expand their repertoire of locally grown crops to eggplants, Radnor peppers [8], spinach, onions, garlic, muskmelon and beetroot.
"So how is mother these days?" Asked Lewyn in-between bites, "I hear she's settled quite nicely at Rhoyehom."
"As liaison between House Qorgyle and House Rada, she's doing well for herself," Maryse informed, licking her fingers, "Though I hear she's become extremely comfortable in Arin's presence. Some say she was giving him rather… suggestive looks."
Lewyn looked at Maryse with incredulousness, "At her age?"
"I'm only relaying what I heard from my people back there," Maryse shrugged.
"Well… I don't know what to say to that," Lewyn sighed and shrugged, "Anyway, what about Druselka?"
"Also doing well, settling into her routine at the Aryslonye Military Academy [9] without issue," Maryse said confidently, "A far cry from her rocky start in the military; Tarhuscoye blessed her with great perseverance."
"I honestly could not believe my ears when we first heard that she wanted to enlist in the Ducal Army as a common soldier," Lewyn jabbered, "I mean, having to shave her hair, endure trudging in muddy ground and long hours of marching in full soldier outfit? What possessed her to do that?"
"Maybe she just found her calling as a soldier girl?" Maryse suggested.
"Or I think she somehow wants to ruin her image of a 'proper lady', as a way to spite some licklespits and sycophants and such," Lewyn implied, "Though to be truthful, I think our past experiences motivated her."
"It is plain to see," Maryse nodded, "In fact, a great number of smallfolk who once suffered under Rhodry's rule have taken to military life once the war ended."
"Trading a life of captivity for a life of harsh soldiery," Lewyn muttered, "You know, I sometimes wish I was there instead of her, or at least with Druselka; soldiering would be so much easier compared to all the bureaucratic work I've had to do over the past year."
"I do not know about that, Lewyn," Maryse shrugged, "I don't think you'd appreciate being shouted down by drill sergeants every day for two months."
Lewyn grimaced at that, "No, I would not."
He harrumphed and then asked, "Alright, what about the other projects being undertaken in Eyarha? I heard the roads are taking shape."
"The Ifarahoyan Roads are slowly being built in accordance with the Concept Plan [10] conceived by Grand Duke Arin and Chancellor [11] Huang Xue," Maryse reported, taking another bite of baklava and humming approvingly, "Our section of the road network will see completion next year."
"Good, good," Lewys nodded, "What about the new Qhamnoy [12] deposits?"
"Slowgoing, with an unclear date of completion," Maryse admitted reluctantly, "The Geomancers are struggling to master their new arts in shorter time frames, and making new deposits of Qhamnoy as shown in the recovered records requires great mastery and control."
Qhamnoy was a magically-grown stone made through the once-lost Rhoynish art of geomancy, once taught by the adherents of Lhorulu, one of Rhoynamhari's daughters hailed as the Goddess of Magic. Known to possess a glittery sparkle on its surface with a glossy, purplish-yellow colour, it was far stronger than sandstone and resistant to magic attacks, though certainly not impregnable like the legendary Black Stone.
There were plans to incorporate this material in the construction of new forts, castles, castrums [13] and for walling towns and cities, timing it with Arin Rada's famed Concept Plan.
"Suppose we cannot have everything going smoothly in life," Lewyn shrugged, "Oh well, it is not as if this peace is so fragile and short-lived."
"Famous last words," Maryse warned.
"Oh come on, can't a man have a little peace in his life?" Lewyn whined a little bit.
"Can't a woman have his husband's assurance of not tempting fate?" Maryse whined back.
Lewyn smirked and kissed Maryse on her cheek.
"If it makes you happy," He said.
IIOII
Ry Beren [14]
Casper Jonson, a proud Reachman by birth and heir to one of several minor Reachmen houses close to the Dornish border who once lived in cautious anticipation and fear of raids by their hated neighbour, by the depraved House Wyl and all their vassal sycophants. A house that (grudgingly) admitted its survival to a Dornish house who exterminated countless other Dornish noble houses.
Young and at the cusp of adulthood, he was a man more suited to politics than warfare, his body skinny and slightly rotund from one hearty meal too many, his square jawline and sharp nose bearing traces of pudgy fat that matched poorly with sandy yellow eyes. His hair was chestnut brown, curly and short, his clothes immaculate and free of stains and damage, and he grumbled from the infamous Dornian heat.
Ry Beren, or Blackmont in the common tongue, was the former seat of House Blackmont and one of the former kingly houses forced into submission by Nymeria the Uniter. King Benedict Blackmont, the ruling king of his house at the time, was one of six kings sent to the Wall in the aftermath of Dorne's unification.
In Casper's opinion, House Blackmont was a scourge they could do without, being one of several Red Mountain Houses who performed their ancestral duty of antagonising and instigating conflicts with the Marcher Lords and Reachmen border Lords, and his house was no different.
All Reachmen could agree House Blackmont was one house of many they could do without.
During the war with the Reachmen, Blackmont was completely reduced to rubble after House Blackmont stubbornly refused to surrender, and in the chaos of the fighting the centuries-old house was exterminated in the fighting; no one gave the order, the family mere casualties of happenstance beyond anyone's control.
Since then, Arin Rada had enfeoffed no true houses, instead reducing noble titles to mere titles of formality and giving actual power to smallfolk elevated to high positions - mayors, magistrates and governors.
Casper resisted the urge to scoff; Dornish or not, Arin had no right to do away with centuries-old traditions.
It was late afternoon, and he was busy snacking on tea and a new crumbly, biscuit-like desert called Halva. He hummed in grudging approval, a welcome treat to deal with his stress in shifting through documents and missives sent from the Stormlands.
He heard a knock on his door, and a butler [15] entered to speak to Casper.
"My Lord, Governor Arosar wishes to speak with you regarding the matter of trade agreements," The butler said with a bow.
Nodding at him, Casper said, "I'll be on my way."
Finishing his tea and snacks, Casper followed the butler towards the meeting room, where Governor Arosar was expecting him.
Arosar Gazrad was the same age as Casper - at ten-and-eight - and freshly married to one of the locals. Like many Greenblood Dornish, he bore the characteristic brown eyes, black hair and dark brown skin, and was far taller and more muscular than the latter due to his time spent at war in Arin's armies.
His military career was short-lived, retiring at the rank of corporal after the war ended, and resumed his education to pass with flying colours at the Sranan Vocational School. It was by pure chance that he was assigned as governor of Ry Beren, due to Arin's chronic lack of bureaucratic personnel that was slowly being rectified over the years.
"Governor Gazrad," Casper greeted curtly, "You wished to see me?"
"Yes, Casper," Arosar nodded, beckoning towards the chair, "Please take a seat."
Casper obliged and took his seat opposite Arosar.
"Casper, as you know, your family has expressed the desire to sell its agricultural produce to us - cheese, ale, preserved fruits among other products," Arosar began, "So far, demand for your goods is steadily growing, and as such we've decided after consultation with merchants that we'll be increasing the amount imported."
It came as an honest surprise to Casper, who smiled and said, "My most gracious thanks, Governor Gazrad. House Jonson owes its gratitude, truly."
"I am sure," Arosar said, his face a polite yet blank mask, "Cheddar and coramburt [16] are in high demand."
"It is good to see the Dornish-I mean, Dornians, have good taste in cheese," Casper said smilingly, "How much of an increase are we talking about?"
Leafing through his documents, Arosar took a look then said, "By roughly a third."
Casper personally wished for twice the amount, but it took him months to earn an increase, so he held his tongue.
"That is good to hear," Casper nodded, "Perhaps if there is a further increase in demand, we could negotiate a lowering of prices?"
"That depends on the prevailing demand for your cheeses and how much it changes, if it changes," Arosar pointed out.
"Of course," Casper said.
"However, we have discovered a worrying trend over the past week," Arosar informed, making Casper frown, "There have been imitation goods masquerading as Jonson cheese, highly inferior and some even unfit for consumption."
"What?" Casper said with disbelief, "Governor, how prevalent is this trend? I assure you, I wish to provide nothing but the best! Anything less than that is a blemish on my house's honour!"
"Calm down, Casper," Arosar reassured in a gentle tone, "I did not accuse you of any crime; I was merely saying there were defective goods mixed with yours."
"I-I see. Forgive my lack of composure," Casper quickly apologised and sat back down, "But who would do such a thing?"
"Most likely, rivals seeking to bring you down and secure favourable trade deals for themselves, and scammers seeking to profit from this petty crime," Arosar suggested, "In any case, rest assured we have this handled, but our investigations have shown that some people on your end are perpetrating this deed."
"Bless you, Governor Gazrad," Casper smiled in relief, "Please, bring the culprits to justice."
As Casper took his leave, Arosar merely sighed and neatly arranged his documents on Casper's trade agreement - one of a dozen he signed in this month alone - into neat stacks as other clerks came and took them away by his leave. Opening a drawer, he took out a porcelain tray and wooden pipe, filled it with dried leaves and ignited the leaves with a matchstick [17]. He took deep breaths, and the burnt smell of pipeweed filled his lungs and nostrils, calming his nerves and relieving some stress he had accumulated from his mentally exhausting work.
I swear, last time we had to deal with Reachmen and Stormlanders sneering and looking down on us, and now all of a sudden they want to play nice and seek favourable trade deals instead. Guess the Tian Feng Huang really deserve their reputation.
Barely half a minute into his smoking break, however, his butler knocked on his door and entered the room with a bow.
"Pardon me, Governor, but merchants from Blackhaven have come seeking to renew their permission for selling in the Ry Beren marketplace," He reported, "They are led by the merchant Borogar."
"Ah, Borogar," Arosar spoke with understanding, "What wares does he bring?"
"Some preserved fruits and vegetables, pottery, silks and cooking utensils," The butler reported, "Here is the inventory list and other documents they prepared."
When Arin Rada went about establishing trade deals with his neighbours, he made it mandatory policy that all merchants in Dornia practice double-entry bookkeeping, a method of recording transactions through two-sided accounting entries to maintain accurate financial information, and for them to prepare inventory lists of goods they planned to sell in Dornia. This way, fraudulent commerce would be kept to a bare minimum and contraband difficult to smuggle into and out of the province.
Taking the document, Arosar spent a few moments scrutinising the list, before nodding in satisfaction and handing it to the butler.
"Have the clerks approve their renewal of permission," Arosar ordered.
"At once, Governor," The butler bowed, "Although…"
"What is it, Ivor?" Arosar questioned.
"Perhaps it is just a feeling of mine, but wouldn't the sudden surge of merchants be cause for suspicion?" Ivor mentioned, "That, and the fact we mostly deal with people willing to be polite instead of snobbish and derisive?"
"I am aware," Arosar nodded in agreement, "And what are you suggesting?"
"That many of these merchants are not truly merchants, but spies masquerading as such," Ivor concluded, "I surmise that having heard of Grand Duke Rada's achievements and jealous of his rapidly growing power, they are desperately attempting to establish firm sources of information in case he dares to achieve something impossible again."
"Why tell me what we already know, Ivor?" Questioned Arosar.
"Well, I believed that with how many merchants you were entertaining, some of them might hoodwink you into believing their intentions, Governor," Ivor put forth, "You never know."
Arosar smirked in response, "If they are sending spies, let them; at times, it is better to use them rather than just get rid of them. Namely, we can use them to spread lies and half-truths."
Ivor returned his smirk, "Good to know your intuition is as sharp as always, Governor."
"I learned from the best, Ivor," Arosar replied.
IIOII
Storm's End
A lone man awaited the end of a rather short session of court proceedings, feeling bored out of his mind as his feet ached from what felt like hours of standing.
The new master of Storm's End, Orys Baratheon, leaned his head into an outstretched pair of fingers as he listened to the latest petitioner jabbering about his inane feuds with no-name nobles and schmucks he was bothered to half-remember. He wanted to groan, he wanted to be done with it, but his responsibility as Lord Paramount meant he had to suffer such brown-nosing as part of his job.
Rather than waste more time dealing with such tomfoolery, Orys waved off the man and ordered a swift resolution, before the noble bowed and gave all manner of polite pleasantries before storming off.
When Orys dismissed the court, he heaved a sigh of relief as his wife patted his shoulder.
"Good work, husband," Argella soothed.
"Good Gods, this never gets any easier," Orys muttered under his breath, "How my brother handles such sycophants, I'll never know."
The man harrumphed and bowed politely as he approached the two Baratheons.
"Ah, Josland, I've been expecting you," Orys greeted the man, "What have you to report about Dornia?"
Josland Dondarrion, Lord of Blackhaven, was acting Master of Whispers for Orys Baratheon due to his expert intelligence-gathering capabilities. His build was skinny and lacking in muscle compared to his warrior counterparts, but his demeanour was like a quiet wolf, stalking its prey. His black hair was straight and smooth, meticulously groomed to cover one of his eyes naturally.
"My Lord, as you ordered, I obtained information about the governmental structure of Dornia and the recent changes that have taken place in the province since Arin Rada's ascension as Grand Duke," Josland reported in a smooth mezzo-soprano, "They are… mind-boggling, to say the least."
"I had a feeling you would say that," Orys remarked, receiving a few vellum scrolls from Josland before having a trusted servant take them to his office, "Now, please elaborate in detail."
And so Josland told Orys and Argella everything he managed to learn; the massive projects undertaken throughout the province, including a province-wide network of freshwater canals and stone-paved roads that would otherwise bankrupt most wealthier houses; the flow of Rhoynish migrants to once-predominantly Andal towns and villages that slowly subsumed the local population; how noble titles were mere titles of courtesy, with real power resting in the hands of appointed smallfolk leaders: Mayors for villages, Magistrates for towns and castles, and Governors for entire provinces; and the massive naval buildup of merchant and warships for the Dornian Ducal Navy.
"He truly wastes no time or money, does he?" Argella remarked, "Perhaps give him ten years, and he will build a navy far outclassing the Reach Navy."
"Argella, please do not go tempting fate," Orys pleaded before pursing his lips, "How much is Grand Duke Rada spending, by the way?"
"I have not managed to secure an accurate number, I'm afraid," Josland reported, "Although going by rumours alone, Grand Duke Rada is easily planning to spend a full ten million in this decade alone."
Orys's throat went dry while Argella's eyes widened like saucers.
"T-That is an exorbitant amount of expenditure," Argella commented, swallowing as she composed herself, "And you said it was for the first ten years?"
"That is correct, My Lady," Josland said, "But that is not all; he plans to expand countless towns in Dornia into true cities, and by that I mean at least a third."
"You're certain of this?" Asked Orys.
"Very," Josland said with certainty, "I did not manage to obtain many details, but I can surmise that Grand Duke Rada wishes to turn Dornia into a great power."
Why would he not? After sacrificing so much and risking all in his rebellion for House Targaryen's cause, he was their favourite 'errand boy' as Aegon so eloquently put it, and as Master of Laws he held considerable clout in the King's court. Even worse was his obese treasury stuffed to the brim with Lannister gold. Spend enough time and effort building up the country, and Dornia could soon turn into a military power capable of equalling the Reach in sheer troop numbers alone.
The last one was admittedly a stretch, but entirely possible given generations of work, perhaps centuries. When that happened…
"Has he made any other overtures as of late?" Argella inquired, "Diplomatic dealings, foreign diplomacy and such?"
"No, My Lady. The Grand Duke has seen fit to keep to domestic affairs for the foreseeable future," Josland shook his head.
"Very well, you are dismissed for now," Orys said.
"My Lord and Lady," Josland bowed before making himself scarce.
Orys sighed heavily, his face creased with worry, and Argella embraced him with concern.
"Whatever happens, I am with you," Argella reassured, "Although I must question your brother's wisdom by empowering such a man with great responsibility."
"I trust my brother - he's never failed us," Orys resolutely declared, "If he says Arin is the best man to govern Dorne, so be it."
Little did he know, however, that he would be eating his words.
[1] Baklava - A traditional desert from the Middle East made with filo pastry sheets and filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with honey or syrup.
[2] Dornian Ducal Kitchen - The official name of the kitchen in Rhoyehom in charge of preparing all the meals of the Ducal House Rada, the head chef in charge of commanding the countless butlers, maids and cooks like a general.
[3] Sranan Academy of Culinary Arts - An educational institution recently opened in Garin Radnor's home of Sranan, to better promote the advancement of culinary arts of Dornia in both Rhoyehom and elsewhere.
A subsidiary branch, known as the Sranan Home Economics School, was opened as a school readily available for the masses in order to teach common housewives and househusbands how to cook meals for their families, and instruct them in the finer details of housekeeping from laundry to cleaning.
[4] Qanat - A system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface through underground aqueducts, originating around 3,000 years ago in Iran IRL. Allows water to be transported over long distances in hot, dry climates without losing most of the water to evaporation. It is especially resistant to natural disasters like earthquakes or floods and deliberate destruction in war, and insensitive to levels of precipitation.
This proved especially useful in the desert regions of Dorne where there was little shade from the hot, overbearing sun, and facilitated the agrarian development of countless towns and villages.
[5] Yakhchāls - An ancient type of ice house which made ice, originally built by Persian engineers IRL as far back as 400 BCE. They had domed shapes above ground and subterranean storage spaces, shade walls and ice pools, and both the underground spaces and thick heat-resistant construction material used insulated the interior all-year round.
In Dornia, they are used for the storage of both ice and perishable ingredients, and though originally ice was used primarily for storage-keeping purposes, Dornians began increasingly using ice for the making of cold deserts to beat the desert heat, adding cream, milk, syrup and fruits both fresh and preserved.
[6] Ab Anbar - A traditional reservoir or cistern of drinking water found in Iran, consisting of large domed structures and windcatcher towers aboveground and large subterranean storage tanks, which themselves are resistant to earthquakes. The mortar and bricks used to build them had to be specially made to be waterproof to prevent leakage and loss of water to absorption, and the bottom of the storage tanks filled with metal for various structural reasons.
The windcatchers themselves create a pressure gradient that sucks out hot air from inside the Ab Anbar, preventing dew from forming within and keeping the interior cool and thus resulting in fresh, cool and clean water all-year round.
[7] Rose Clover - A herbaceous, self-regenerating winter legume originating from the Mediterranean. Used primarily as pasture species often combined with sub clover, medics and serradella, and to stabilise degraded areas associated with mining or road-building, and as cover crops for vineyards.
[8] Radnor Peppers - A general term for a variety of spicy chillies and peppers cultivated by Garin Radnor, improving on variants available in Dornia and those imported from elsewhere like the Summer Islands. These resulted in much spicier and more flavourful curries, the former bringing joy to Dornians and chagrin to foreign visitors.
[9] Aryslonye Military Academy - A military school for officer cadets, where all top recruits of their batch go once they finish basic training. It was built at the outskirts of Aryslonye, or Sunspear, and doubles as a fortress and barracks. Here, cadets undergo a training course lasting two years, instructed in the finer arts of leadership and military strategy to develop into leaders of character.
At times, it is referred to as East Point.
[10] Concept Plan - A Plan that governs the gradual urban growth of Dornia over the next four to five decades, subject to revision every ten years to account for any changes and improvements to be made in accordance with prevailing circumstances. Devised by Arin Rada in a bid to turn Dornia into a true powerhouse.
[11] Chancellor - The position of second-in-command in all of Dornia, handling all manner of foreign and domestic affairs besides the Grand Duke. Currently, Huang Xue holds the title.
[12] Qhamnoy - Translates as Moonstone in Rhoynish.
[13] Castrum - A type of fort built in a strictly square, grid-shaped layout, capable of housing one to four regiments of troops when fully built. Often comes with a plethora of facilities and strong walls, battlements, towers and gates, making them more akin to castles by Westerosi standards.
They had training courses and a central plaza to maintain training and drilling standards within the safety of the castrum, barracks made of brick and stone for durability, latrines and sewer systems for sanitation, along with wells and fountains for clean drinking water. There was also a courthouse in the event court trials were to be held for errant troops committing crimes or disobeying direct orders.
[14] Ry Beren - Due to its unique position on the Torrentine River, Ry Beren plays host to a strong and thriving agrarian industry further improved upon by Garin Radnor's agricultural reforms. It also houses a strong fishing industry, and its quality of smoked fish jerky is widely renowned in the entire region.
As of late, it plays host to countless Reachmen and Stormlander merchants hawking their wares, and the town has begun to develop as a trade nexus.
[15] Butler - A term coined by Arin Rada to describe professionally trained male servants working in rich households.
[16] Coramburt - The Reach version of camembert, a French cheese made from cow's milk that is soft, moist and creamy once surface-ripened, first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwestern France.
[17] Matchsticks - Dornian matchsticks were pinewood sticks whose tips were covered with a combustible mixture of sulphur and other combustible materials including starch and gum, and came in boxes. They were used to light fires and smoking pipes.
A/N: I admit, I wanted an excuse to add a Westerosi West Point, or 'East Point' in this case. Next chapter will be where Arin makes a very important decision regarding his future, so stay tuned.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone