Capítulo 3: Chapter 3 - A Desert Blossoms
14 BC
Two years. For two years, Arris Rada indulged in his son's ideas for a more prosperous and fertile Ifarahoy. For two years, Arin put Garen and the Orphans to work, drafting legions of workers to dig and pave canals for proper irrigation of farmland. Thankfully, through the work of Arris's ancestors during the reign of Nymeria, countless reservoirs and oases were dug and filled with water magic, with trees and grasses planted for water retention.
Over successive generations, House Rada developed a strong agrarian economy through the digging of smaller-scale canals and farms to feed their people, and as a result they could support a larger population than most noble houses and their immediate neighbours.
Such efforts, sadly, had earned them the ire of many other Dornish houses who did everything in their power to sabotage them, culminating in centuries-long rivalries that had yet to be resolved.
Through the new Arsalm Crop-Rotation [1] method and the introduction of fertiliser, farmers experienced higher yields for every harvest, and the growth of clover provided ample feed for livestock. With increased yields came increased surplus, which Arris quickly ordered stockpiled in the granaries.
In the past, farmers had to give a tenth of their harvest to the ruling lord as part of their serfdom obligations. In Ifarahoy, the farmers were paid good coin for their tenth of the harvest, not only enriching them but also motivating them to take better care of the farmland - land they now owned in their names.
Blacksmiths were tasked with creating a new building material called concrete [2], a substance Arin said would be invaluable to construction especially in waterproofing structures. A liquid, viscous substance made of ground limestone and volcanic ash, once dried and hardened, it was capable of preventing leaking caused by gradual erosion, perfect for waterproofing castle moats along with canals and aqueducts Arris built to supply an ever-ravenous appetite among his people, and for building the new Ifarahoyan Roads [3] that now stretched across the entire province, connecting every single town and village to each other.
Some oases, wells and reservoirs had dried up, while new ones were being dug. Then Garen and his fellow Water Wizards went to work filling up both new and old water sources. The provision of fresh water was like a balm in a parched desert, and where there was a stable water supply, new communities would spring up, paving the foundation for a more populated and prosperous Dorne.
With food self-sufficiency more or less tackled came the establishment of other industries; textiles, pottery, carpentry, stonemasonry, wine-making, and the production of other foodstuffs like cheese, jerky and pickles. Some of these industries were owned by House Rada - state-owned businesses, as Arin put it, to earn House Rada some extra pocket money.
While true economic prosperity was years away, it was safe to say the immediate crisis had passed, granting Ifarahoy time to grow economically.
Once the economy stabilised, Arris turned his focus towards the military.
While composed of war veterans who fought off more than a few bandit gangs and raider incursions, Ifarahoy's army was hardly as strong and powerful as that of the likes of Houses Yronwood and Dayne, who once were Kings before House Martell overthrew them. Like most armies in Westeros, they are primarily made of feudal levies with half-decent equipment and a smattering of light cavalry. Unlike the other Andal Kingdoms, Dorne lacked dedicated heavy cavalry due to their cost of upkeep, and House Rada was no exception.
Arin suggested that rather than rely on levies, they should instead create a full-time professional army who can be called upon to fight at any time of the year so that there would be no need to worry about the harvest season. Furthermore, there existed countless third sons or fourth sons etc who could not inherit the family business, and for them the army would constitute gainful employment.
To better organise the army, Arin proposed the following structure:
- Squads of 10 troops were led by a Corporal.
- Platoons of 50 troops were led by a Sergeant.
- Companies of 200-250 troops were led by a Lieutenant or a Captain.
- Battalions of 1,000 troops were led by a Lieutenant-Colonel.
- Regiments of 5,000 troops were led by a full-fledged Colonel.
- Armies above 5,000 troops were led by Generals.
Arin admits that he has ideas for larger army groups, but considering their current population levels would not be feasible to implement.
As for their equipment, Arin insisted on standardisation; standard-quality armour and weapons, standard-issued banners and insignias, and so on, making the army easier to organise and ensuring consistent quality of arms for the troops. Countless blacksmiths had to work day and night to forge such a huge order, and most older equipment had to be reforged due to wear and tear, rust or poor craftsmanship.
The Water Wizards had new recruits given to them to train and raise to restore their depleted ranks, and scribes wrote down all the knowledge they possessed, making hundreds of copies to spread across the libraries of Ifarahoy.
Arin himself became a student of Garen, absorbing all the fundamentals with the speed and intelligence of a fox. One thing that quickly became apparent, however, was that Water Magic, while powerful, was exceptionally showy and slow to cast, leaving the Water Wizards themselves vulnerable in close combat.
And distressingly enough (from Arin's perspective), their powers were limited to river water, for the Mother Rhoyne's domain did not extend to the sea. Arin bemoaned this many times, before eventually huffing and accepting this inconvenience.
Arin himself experimented tirelessly with Water Magic, combining it with what seemed like pugilistic fighting styles to create a new style of Water Magic which was both faster and easier to cast, and suited for close combat. Whether it be with melee weapons or the caster's bare hands and fists, such Water Wizards could easily change the face of warfare. While his own water magic was nothing spectacular, neither was the Hydromancers' powers in general, their powers greatly diminished for centuries.
"Could they still be called Water Wizards if they emphasise close combat?" Was a common saying by Garen.
None could truly say.
What truly helped House Rada implement all these reforms so effectively, however, was the radical political reforms Arris enacted with Arin's input. Instead of naming nobles, mayors were named by Lord Arris himself to effectively govern the towns and villages, and these mayors were given meticulous education and reward based on how well they did in governance, inculcating strong loyalty to both Arin and his ways.
All mayors and other political figures had to follow a standardised code of law finalised by one of Arin's newly recruited retainers: Huang Xue.
Huang Xue, styled Shuren, was an absolute monster in the fields of arithmetics and legislation, and he single-handedly reformed the Ifarahoyan Code of Law. A Yi-Tish merchant who travelled to Dorne to do business, it was coincidence that he and Arin met during a visit to Arsalm. The two hit it off from there, and Huang Xue had entered his employ as Minister of Law.
It was also Huang Xue who helped Ifarahoy transition from a feudal state to an authoritarian state, with absolute power concentrated in the hands of Lord Arris Rada and his vassals' privileges and rights revoked. Those who resisted were punished severely and their families removed from power.
Any newly ennobled vassals (fewer than mayors) could only train enough troops in their private armies for self-defence, and never to instigate conflict with one another.
Then there was Elanzo Aresaryn, formerly from Braavos and who now served as Admiral of House Rada's navy. Arris could not bring himself to trust Elanzo due to his willingness to hand over his traitorous master to the Braavosi authorities, but Arin seemed to not mind at all; Elanzo's valuable experience in naval command made him believe the risks to be worth it in the end, and that there was no chance they could find another man so talented in a hundred years.
Now, at the age of ten-and-six, Arin Rada had reached the age of majority, and was ready to take a spouse. However, thoughts of marriage would have to wait as urgent news came in.
"My Lord, My Lord!"
Whilst Arris was in discussion with his officers on the next expansion of their navy, a messenger burst into the throne room, frantic and panting heavily with exhaustion.
"A group of bandits have raided a merchant caravan! All the goods were stolen and the caravaneers massacred!" He reported.
At once the throne room was thrown into a frenzy, gasps of shock and whispers erupting in unison.
"Silence!" Arris bellowed, and once the throne room was silent again he questioned the messenger, "Who was responsible for this?"
"We don't know, My Lord," The scout answered, "They looked like bandits. Didn't carry any sigils or heraldry."
Arris cursed beneath his breath; for all he knew, they could be a noble's private army dressed to look like bandits. Such were the dastardly tactics that his house's rivals employed against his ancestors, and now he was suffering his house's ancestral curse.
"How many were they?" Arris questioned.
"Roughly a thousand, My Lord," The scout reported, "When other patrols came, they were quick to run, and they were very organised."
Arris growled menacingly, clenching his hand into a tight fist.
"Sainalia, investigate these bandits immediately," He ordered, "Someone orchestrated this attack, and I want to know who."
"Yes, My Lord," Sainalia bowed.
"The rest of you, tighten our defences and expand our patrols," Arris continued, "Make sure no more caravans fall prey to these bandits."
Amidst all of this, Arin felt a boiling rage bubble beneath the surface, a rage hidden deep within a mask of stoicism and iron self-control but which was gradually being eroded. His hands clenched, his eyes hardened and his heart thumped with fury.
He stormed off, taking care to not shove aside or bump into anyone, and Aimelia could only offer a look of sympathy at her son's retreating back.
IIOII
A group of men clothed in armour and roughspun clothed cackled in raucous celebration, breaking out casks of wine and feasting on their ill-gotten gains, some of them having their way with the women they captured.
A great bonfire burned in the middle of the desert, illuminating the dark landscape and bringing warmth and joy to these scavengers who prey on the hard work of others.
"Ha, never thought I'd get to enjoy their strong liquor!" Exclaimed the first bandit, who gasped after taking a huge swig from a bottle, "Whew, it's so damn strong! What'd they call it?"
"Omsyak [4] I think," A second bandit stated, "Said it was wine mixed with moonshine."
"Moonshine? The heck's that?" Said the first bandit.
"Some kind of strong, distilled liquor that's plenty strong with no flavour, so I heard," The other bandit explained.
"Heh, no wonder they mix it with this wine, it's fucking nice!" The first bandit exclaimed, "Never thought I'd taste something so strong in my lifetime!"
"I hate it," A third bandit commented, "Too strong for my liking."
"Ha! Don't be such a weakling, you-ugh!"
When the first bandits started dropping like flies, everyone else quickly drew their weapons and prepared to face their foes, only to witness cavalry charging towards their position. With most intoxicated and the rest badly caught off-guard, the battle did not last more than a few minutes before the bandit gang was completely exterminated, save for three survivors.
Bearing the banner of House Rada - a sword-bearing arm upon a field of crimson - these troops quickly searched the bodies for any evidence pertaining to their true master.
"Captain, I found something!" A soldier reported, handing over a piece of parchment, "I found this on one of the bodies."
Opening the parchment paper, the captain scanned the contents for but a brief moment, and crumpled it slightly under his angry grip. Taking a moment to compose himself, the captain ordered, "Have it sent to Lady Sainalia immediately."
"Yes, Sir! I am to deliver the parchment to Lady Sainalia, Sir!" The soldier saluted.
The captain looked at the departing form of the soldier, and at the carnage before him.
I swear, whoever thinks they can mess with House Rada like this… they'll know what it means to face Demons themselves.
"The prisoners Sir, what do we do with them?" A soldier asked, his eyes belying his enthusiasm in awaiting their next order.
"Kill them," The captain ordered remorselessly.
The soldiers were happy to oblige, and the bandits would be left to the wilds, fed to the wolves and carrion birds for tonight's supper.
IIOII
"The Three Houses of Nasyr, Barra and Haro… to think they'd do this now… Damn them!"
Arris banged his fist on the table, frustration rippling through his very being.
"We can't let them get away with this," Arin stated.
"No, we can't," Arris agreed, "And yet they are lackeys of House Martell; we get rid of them, they'll pounce on us like wolves against rabbits."
"This is no time to be cautious, Lord Arris," Huang Xue interjected, "Rather, we should take the initiative and pounce on them before they pounce on us."
"And how do you propose we do that, Huang Xue?" Arris questioned, "Even if we do get rid of the Three Houses and we somehow do not suffer punishment for it, our western neighbours will want to pounce on us as well! They've always greedily eyed our more fertile lands, since theirs lack the sheer number of stable water sources!"
"My husband does have a point," Aimelia added, "My contacts say that Houses Mussoyne, Gargalen and Calathren have already formed an alliance of their own, preparing a military invasion of our western border the moment we act against our western neighbours."
Ordinarily, this kind of situation meant that a House was checkmated, lost before it could even make a single move. An air of defeat began to loom over the assembled council, some simply shaking their heads with fatalism in their hearts.
Save for three of them.
"It's not over," Arin declared, "We can still turn this around."
All others turned to face him, disbelief clearly reflected in their eyes.
"This isn't a very favourable situation for us, Son," Aimelia softly stated, "Not to say we don't appreciate your willingness to fight on, but…"
"It's not looking good, but there's also opportunity," Arin countered, his eyes burning with fire, "We've two different alliances on our flanks, but who's to say they're working with each other, or just looking to put the other down?"
"The Young Master is correct, Lord Arris," Huang Xue added with a slight smile, "And even if the triumvirate to our east is united in common cause, who is to say they are not scheming against each other? In my opinion, they will go back to squabbling with each other whether we win or lose in the upcoming conflict."
"Pardon me if I do not share your optimism, but I still believe our odds are bleak," Arris pointed out, "And you haven't stated your possible plans for dealing with such united opposition."
"Then all we need to do is employ a strategy of divide-and-conquer," Arin put forth.
"In other words, you're proposing that we keep one side bogged down by internal troubles to focus on the other side?" Sainalia enquired.
"Exactly," Arin nodded.
"Such is but part of the strategy that I, Elanzo and the Young Master conceived to ensure our victory, My Lord," Huang Xue explained, "Elanzo, if you will?"
Nodding at this, Elanzo came forth and began to explain the battleplan.
"The eastern triumvirate seeks to put us down no matter what, so we have to put them down in one battle. On the other hand, the western triumvirate is adopting a wait-and-see approach, and its constituent houses have a long history of scheming against each other. Play our cards right, and we can have these imbeciles squabbling with each other, allowing us to focus east."
"That leaves the land battle, and I think we don't need to worry about that with you and Huang Xue in the picture," Arris concluded, "Of course, there's still the matter of potential political fallout."
"Not to worry," Huang Xue reassured, "The evidence we recovered means that Princess Meria has no other choice but to disavow them, and considering the western triumvirate's terrible history, we can exploit that to ensure the same with them."
"Good, then we can preserve our territory and come out the paragons in this instance," Aimelia nodded.
"No, it's not enough," Arin grits out.
"Arin?"
Arin clenched his hands tightly, gritting his teeth as long-buried frustration surfaced like a raging volcano, ready to erupt.
"Arin, is something the matter?" Arris asked softly.
Taking a deep breath, Arin spoke, "Even if we punish these houses, their successors will continue to hurt us. Last time, it was because we refused to renounce our ways. Now, it's because they are jealous of our growing wealth. We must annex their lands under our control… and remove these houses for good."
Everyone looked at Arin as if he grew another head, unable to believe such words came right out of his mouth.
"Son… if you do that, if we do that, if things do not go according to plan, we'll be condemned within seconds," Arris pointed out, "And you still want to do this?"
"Yes," Arin answered firmly, "We have to."
Arris looked at Huang Xue and Elanzo, and saw nothing but certainty in their eyes, as if they already discussed their plans beforehand. Both they and Arin now looked to him for confirmation, and it was here that his thoughts drifted back to the prophecy told by Garen.
Is this the time when the so-called saviour of the Rhoynar finally makes known his ambition? He wondered, Can this truly be the moment we can start taking the first steps to changing our future?
Hope was a dangerous thing, in his experience; the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The whole world was comfortable with stagnation, and any and all attempts to change it were met with fierce resistance. This would be no different.
And yet… I still yearn for this brighter future. Prophecy is a dangerous thing to believe in, yet this one strikes me deep… Furthermore, Arin is already old enough to make decisions for himself, and has shown considerable talent in administration and government. I don't know about his military capabilities, but Elanzo and Huang Xue can cover that for him.
Arris heaved a heavy sigh.
No time like the present then.
"Arin, take our troops and meet the eastern triumvirate in battle," Arris ordered, "Make them regret stirring our wrath."
"Water washes away all sins, both ours and our enemies'," Arin smiled, "It will be done."
[1] Arsalm Crop Rotation - A four-field crop rotation sequence as opposed to the Valyrian Three-Field Crop Rotation method, the sequence of four crops included a fodder crop and a grazing crop such as clover, allowing livestock to be bred year-round.
[2] Concrete - First introduced by Arin Rada, the material has since become a staple material in Dornish construction, valued for its ability to waterproof structures and protect the bricks within from erosion by rain.
[3] Ifarahoyan Roads - The term first arose when paved roads of stone dotted the entire province of Ifarahoy. First, a deep and wide trench was dug into the earth and the ground pounded flat to pack the dirt, with small retaining walls built along both sides.
The first layer was mortar or sand topped with small stones. Next were layers of crushed rock or gravel cemented with lime mortar. Finally, the surface layer was built with neatly arranged blocks of hardened volcanic lava.
Such roads, however, were not built until after the triumph of House Rada over its neighbouring houses, which secured its trade routes with House Targaryen of the Crownlands.
[4] Omsyak - Rhoynish for 'Sundew', it is the name of grape wine mixed with moonshine, boasting enhanced alcoholic strength and longer shelf life than ordinary wine, which at times tends to have a notoriously short shelf life especially when mixed with water as compared to Arbor Red and Arbor Gold.
A/N: For those who don't know, Erkin Ahrassar, the MC's chief admiral, has his name changed to Elanzo Aresaryn, who comes from Braavos rather than Great Moraq.
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