章 655: Chapter 655: Imperial Support
"Oh?"
"What would you like to discuss?"
Upon hearing the words of this pirate governor, another might have already cried out for guards or cast him out. But a woman from the Iron Islands is anything but ordinary.
Clink.
Asha, hearing his words, not only refrained from ejecting him but sheathed her dagger instead, placing it upon her tight leather pants. She then crossed her legs, speaking with intrigued curiosity.
"I hope to gain the Empire's support."
And this dark-skinned pirate governor, Salador Saan, spoke without hesitation.
"The Empire's support?"
Asha's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing the words.
"Yes, I want to become the sole governor of Meereen, to eliminate Mors and Orton Adris."
Thereafter, this pirate governor, Salador Saan, laid bare his ambitions without any pretense.
Salador Saan came from humble beginnings; his mother was a tavern wench, abandoned after becoming pregnant by his father. Subsequently, under financial strain, Salador's mother became a bedslave, until her death.
Salador recalls a childhood without even a proper pair of shoes, running barefoot across floors, consuming meals that others would find repulsive, amid swarms of flies and mosquitoes.
Therefore, the greatest dream of Salador Saan was to slaughter his irresponsible father and alter his and his descendants' fate.
While the former seemed unlikely—Salador's mother had passed away from illness during one of his sea voyages, and he knew not who his father was—the latter was precisely the dream that this notorious pirate across the Narrow and Summer Seas was perpetually chasing.
He hoped to alter his fate, desiring that his descendants would not endure the miseries he once did.
Initially, Salador thought acquiring ample wealth would suffice. But, after plundering substantial riches, he realized the key to altering his destiny lay not in wealth, but a change in status.
As a pirate, he'd never be respected.
Even if he plundered endless treasures, intimidating countless merchants, this remained unchangeable. Even entering cities was challenging due to bounties on him everywhere.
Especially when he learned that his former smuggling companion, Davos Seaworth, had retired from smuggling and become the Count of Rainwood.
Then becoming Stannis's top confidant and now, after national stabilization, becoming the highly profitable customs supervisor.
The name 'Smuggler Davos' gradually faded, even 'Onion Knight' became an admired title in Westeros.
Davos, through reforming and choosing the righteous path, essentially guaranteed that within a few years, the name 'Onion Knight' would be no longer mentioned disparagingly.
Even when his son inherits his business, House Seaworth will become a true noble family, not 'the son of a smuggler.'
With such a vivid precedent, his friend transformed into a noble, so Salador Saan was also gradually tempted to ally with a powerful, stable force, to change himself and alter the fate of his descendants.
His age now compelled such considerations.
Hence, when the governors' council of Lys approached Salador Saan, he readily agreed.
The governors' council of Lys hoped he would return to Meereen as a wandering Meereenese and become a spokesman for Lys's interests. In return, Lys would support him to become the governor of Meereen. Salador, without hesitation, agreed outright.
However, upon arriving in Meereen, Salador discovered that everything was not as promised by the Lysene.
Firstly, he wasn't the sole authority here. There were also Mors, the governor representing Valyrian interests, and Orton Adris of Tyrosh.
Moreover, he didn't have free reign in Meereen, everywhere being constrained by the Lysene.
The other two governors would consistently undermine him, both overtly and covertly. And while Salador, the pirate, was well-versed in battle, capable of killing when swords were drawn, he was utterly unskilled in the political and commercial arenas of soft, underhanded tactics.
And even though he led a battle-hardened pirate fleet, he couldn't easily kill those two.
Because Governor Mors and Orton Adris also had the Tiger-cloaked soldiers of Valyria and the Unsullied of Tyrosh guarding them, and even if he killed them, Salador Saan couldn't defend Meereen on his own.
Because the Lysene would not allow him to act, it would provoke the enmity of Valyria and Tyrosh towards Lys, possibly igniting a war.
Lys was not capable of confronting these two formidable enemies simultaneously. Therefore, if Salador Saan acted to eliminate the other two Meereen governors, it might well provoke a joint siege from the armies of Valyria, Lys, and Tyrosh.
Hence, though ostensibly living a life of unlimited splendor, with a horde of brothers guarding him whenever he stepped out, Salador's days in Meereen were constantly stifling, until the arrival of the emissary from the Iron Throne and two thousand elite naval soldiers stationed in the port.
Salador, unable to discuss these details with Asha during the day due to the numerous spies of the other two around him, changed into night attire and infiltrated Mors's mansion himself at night.
Governor Mors's own room was heavily defended, impervious to Salador's infiltration, but the quarters where the emissary of the Empire resided were on the mansion's periphery and only guarded by her own people, allowing Salador to sneak in.
"I am willing to conquer Meereen for Your Majesty and have only one condition: to be appointed as the governor of Meereen."
Salador Saan continued.
"Of course, if Your Majesty is concerned about face and does not wish to acquire Meereen, I am willing to become the Empire's representative of interests, to deliver benefits to the Empire, forever swearing allegiance to Your Majesty."
Simply put, Salador now wished to seize Meereen and become the 'Prince of Meereen.' He had a pirate fleet capable of waging war, potentially having the capability to act, but lacked someone to back him from behind.
He didn't need the Empire's navy to help him attack the guards of the other two governors; their mere standing by without intervening would be enough.
Moreover, if Viserys wished to acquire Meereen, it would become part of the Empire's territory.
And if Viserys considered international reputation, then Salador would, like before, become the Empire's representative in Meereen, delivering substantial benefits to the Iron Throne.
Who doesn't like gold?
Effectively, Meereen would still belong to Viserys, just nominally independent and autonomous.
Meanwhile, Asha Greyjoy, sitting by the window with her legs crossed, fell into contemplation upon hearing his words.
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