บท 11: Chapter 10

Limgrave

Erdtree

Maester Coleen Excerpt from Days with the Elden Lord

When Lord Radahn returned from the Red Keep for the final time as Queen Rhaella's sworn shield he and his son young Lord Aemon quickly started doing all they could to make Limgrave a hospitable place and The Erdtree a strong fortress.

With his deal with the Celtigar's and his initial revenue he started exporting the now famed Limgrave Glassworks. It is said Lord Radahn got the secret from a Myrish slave he rescued.

The secret is the most protected in Limgrave. Different workers work in different factories producing parts of it that come together at the end noone knowing the full process.

It did not help that the quality was higher than Myr's and was sold only on pre-orders making them luxury goods. Clear glasses for wines and cups were the status symbol for the rich and wealthy. All going for huge prices but come with and engraving of their house sigil at the bottom of the glass. A golden tree on a black field.

The Elden Lord made and used reinforced glass for his glasshouses of which he made ten for himself then put five on the market saying new ones can't be made anytime soon.

This immediately drove the Vale and Northern houses into a frenzy because of the scarcity and preparation for the coming winter. House Stark bought two glasshouses for one thousand gold dragons and a huge shipment of timber which was used to create more ships but this one was not for trade but patroling his waters and protecting from pirates and iron borns.

Within a year, with the backing of Queen Rhaella and his own ingenuity the Elden Lord rose Limgrave to becoming one of the richest houses below the great houses. For an upstart this spoke volumes of his potential which ruffled some feathers.

Many times daughters were offered to him for marriage but he always says he has his heir in Aemon Radahn. Mayhaps he feared that whoever he married will try to remove him in favor of any son of theirs.

Aemon was a brilliant child. Skilled in books and even more so in arms. Aemon once shared a secret with me. That both he and his father cannot forget things after seeing it once.

Mayhaps it is the secret of their excellence.

In 281AC Lord Radahn welcomed twins. Two red haired children that were legitimized soon after. Their mother was a commonfolk woman who died giving birth to them.

The future Sword of Limgrave, Malenia Radahn and the future war hero, Xavier Radahn. Two of the best martial prodigies of the current age came from one house. All talks of upjumped nobility stopped there.

In the year of false spring The Tourney of Harrenhall was held. Lord Lucas Radahn and his seven year old son, Aemon attended while leaving the twins at Erdtree with the castle steward…

Harrenhall

282AC

'Hey. How much is the entree fee for the melee?' I asked the keeper who quickly went through the books.

'1 gold dragon for commoners and 50 silver stags for knights. Its to reduce the amount of untrained men at it to increase the quality of competition.' he said.

I quickly put the money in his hands which he pit away quickly before turning to write my name in a parchment.

'And who should I put you down as?'

'Lucas Radahn. The Elden Lord.'

The keeper looked shocked as he wrote. He quickly finished and bowed his head.

'My lord! I did not know it was you.'

'Raise your head boy. Do I look like those reachmen with a stick far up their ass.'

He smiled a little before raising his head.

'Will you join the gamble then sir?'

'Of course!'

I removed twenty gold dragons and placed a bet on myself to win. I'll need the extra cash for the voyage I'm going on to the Summer Isles to broker a deal for selling their Summerwine in Westeros.

Difference is I will be selling it in small amounts and in glass bottles. Only the ones that have aged over 80 years and more. With the packaging it will sell for a premium. I plan to get 40% of the profits but realistically I'll settle for 25%.

My main job will be transporting the wine and the glass bottles across the narrow sea. Fighting pirates and slavers will help me with the negotiations for prices tho. But it will be a success. These nobles like to think highly of themselves and won't mind getting ripped off.

I made my way back to the my tent seeing my son playing with Lord Adrian Celtigar's son, Clement. They seemed to be arguing about something.

'Dad can beat four knights at once.' said Aemon in a petulant tone.

'Impossible. No one can do that.' said Clement.

'Can too.'

'Can not'

'Can too.'

I stepped in before it developed into something else. I picked up Aemon and threw him in the air while he laughed. The kid always enjoys when I play with him.

'Yo. Aems. Your old man is competing in the melee. You have to cheer for me.'

'Of course dad.I told Clement you were the strongest.'

'Of course I am. No one can beat me.'

Ain't that the truth especially since I have to hold back mostly. I am basically superhuman even genetically gave myself magic by observing wargs and greenseer dna in the North back then and replicated it.

I have a whole flock of crows around the South spying on other houses and sometimes snatching letters for me at night.

The Greensight allows me have prophetic dreams. That's why I came here. It showed that this tourney was important and I had to see it. Too bad Rhaella isn't here but its probably for the best. I'm a secret paramour afterall.

Time went by and the announcement for the melee was called. I left my tent to go put on my battle armor and fuck up these knights of the realm.