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Post by Magnate Lucius on Jul 11, 2020 18:07:18 GMT -5
Ser Devan looks up at the Queen when the command was made.
The merchants and their caravans won't like the quarantine, Your Grace.
The food riots in King's Landing were still fresh and had cost the Lannister family a member, Tyrek.
I will see what I can do, but... we should be wary of the Faith Militant taking advantage of this measure.
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 11, 2020 18:30:20 GMT -5
”If the High Septon is no fool, he will see the benefit. We will starve to death if we do not control the flow of people into this city. Have some of your men see to rationing the food both in the keep and in the city. If the citizenry turns against us they might even open the gates for our enemy.”
King’s Landing was at boiling point, the people had little love for those who ate while they starved. Arianne knew that they liked her little and less, the capital had no love for the Dornish.
”Lord Willas, work with the Lord Commander and ensure there is a crackdown on thievery and food hoarding. Any found storing foodstuffs will face the gallows.”
Arianne was surrounded by few she could trust. Ser Daemon needed to remain by her side, in the keep. She would not be another Elia.
”Any man who can hold a sword should be given weapons and armour to defend the walls. My Lord husband took all the real soldiers, so we must make do.”
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Post by Magnate Lucius on Jul 11, 2020 18:34:35 GMT -5
This was going to be a hard task, but Ser Devan would obey his orders. He had little choice after all.
I will see about doing a systematic sweep of the city. I will have the better armed Red Cloaks man the walls. The City Watch is still better suited for policing the streets.
They had had little time to prepare the Goldcloaks. Still, they had some seasoned persons in their ranks.
Edric Dayne, who was present, looks at the Queen.
I still have a number of sellswords here, Your Grace. Over a thousand swords, spears, bows, and horse in total.
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 12, 2020 13:25:59 GMT -5
”Very good. Lord Edric, you shall lead them in guarding the gates.”
Replied the Queen, relaxing slightly.
”Whatever we can do to slow them down must be done. I will not have us caught unprepared if my good husband should meet misfortune in battle.”
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Post by oznerol on Jul 12, 2020 17:07:08 GMT -5
"It shall be done, my queen"
Said the Lord Commander.
"But, we hardly have the men to defend the whole city and the fucking seven gates"
He gestured somberly.
"I do think we should use the smallfolk as rank-and-file, even the Sparrows if we need to. But the Keep is where we should hold the ground, if it comes to it, let keep the best swords here"
If Aegon was to lose Daemon was sure he would grab Arianne and a horse and wouldn't stop galloping until they reached the Boneway.
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 13, 2020 9:04:58 GMT -5
”Yes. The Red Keep can hold out for weeks with a strong garrison. They won’t be able to storm it.”
Agreed the Queen, who hoped it would not come to that.
”If the High Septon will help us defend the city, then it will give us thousands more swords. He won’t sit by idly as the city is destroyed by Stannis.”
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 22, 2020 7:52:26 GMT -5
The King summons the first Small Council of his reign, despite the absence of two members there are several pressing matters to deal with. Maester Pylos of Dragonstone was present to stand in for the vacant Grand Maester and to take note of the discussions. When the members of the council had arrived and filled their seats, Stannis opened the discussion.
“My lords. We have much to set to rights, but the most pressing of matters is the most recently brought to my attention. Lord Edmure is to arrest Lord Baelish and bring him back to the capital for trial. Long have I known of his corruption, and it is time to bring his misdeeds to light.”
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Post by Magnate Lucius on Jul 22, 2020 8:45:34 GMT -5
Harrold Arryn was absent, as an advisor of the Small Council, due to the King's command to bring the Stormlands and Dorne back into the fold. Lucion Lannister sat at the seat of the Master of Coin. Hardly as great as Tyrion nor Baelish with numbers, but many steps above the talents of Harys Swyft, his predecessor. When the discussion was opened, he pulls out the treasury book, kept by the predecessors.
Ledgers from Baelish's time as Master of Coin have a lot... open ends and funds just going to nonexistent purposes. Confusion is the best way to define what I saw. It seemed my cousin Tyrion tried to correct some of these odd markings and records, but there are still plenty that don't make sense. Likely make the Iron Bank's head turn.
It was a mess.
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Crown's debt is because of Littlefinger taking from treasury. He always seems to be able to pay anyone off with ease, from what I hear.
Lannister had never met this man who had been rather fortunate during the reigns of Robert, Joffrey, and Tommen. But he had heard the stories about Littlefinger.
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Post by oznerol on Jul 22, 2020 8:50:32 GMT -5
"I've certainly been harassed by a dozen clerks about how inscrutable his ledgers are since we took control of all the affairs... ahummmm..."
Said Davos. He was nervous.
"So I handed them down to Tycho Nestoris and his people, handy folks those. They're around making sure we pay. They somehow managed to crack open Baelish's laberintine administrative gibberish and what they found is stunning"
Seaworth narrows his eyes to read a parchment. He had wrote it before the meeting to remember everything.
"He basically plundered Robert's treasury. Littlefinger moved the money around and always made sure the king had enough coin for his... ahemmmm... entertainments. But, he diverted an enormous amount of dragons to his own vaults and also used his position to better himself and his trade partners"
He coughs to clear his throat.
"Ahemm... according to the Braavosi, who're pretty invested in this..."
Is that a joke? Oh, Smith, you making a fool of yourself...
"He has millions worth of golden dragons results of these activities. Furthermore, we found several other men who benefited from this... deal. These good lads even listed everyone they found for us"
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 22, 2020 9:08:22 GMT -5
”Give me names, testimonies, ledgers. Whatever men we have in the city, use them. I want every brothel and counting house with ties do Baelish raided and questioned.”
Commanded the King, gesturing to Ser Lucion, his Hand, and Ser Massey. The depths of Baelish’s corruption were staggering, but once more the King had been proven right. So long as enough coin was there to buy whores and wine, Robert kept his eyes closed and let Baelish bankrupt the realm.
”Once his guilt is proven, we shall liquidate his assets in the city and divert the funds to the treasury. We can at least recover some of his ill-gotten coin.”
Stannis looked approvingly at Davos, who had the wits to talk to the Braavosi. Those bankers are as natural with coin as a knight is to a horse, and such a nose for dragons always proves fruitful in this distasteful business.
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Post by Magnate Lucius on Jul 22, 2020 9:13:39 GMT -5
I will speak with the treasury clerks about all ledgers kept by Lord Baelish.
Lucion pauses, thinking for a moment.
And I will also send for any ledgers kept by Lord Tywin during his lifetime. Littlefinger did borrow a lot from my cousin and cross checking with them might help us.
Tywin kept better records at least. Still, this was just scratching the surface. The potential of coin regained, though, would be immensely helpful to the King and the Treasury.
However, that only makes him more dangerous. Your Grace, we must find out where his stashes of coin are. He must have kept some somewhere for safekeeping in case he needed to bolt and escape with money to help his flight. Hopefully, raiding any brothels under his patronage and management might reveal answers to these questions.
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Post by oznerol on Jul 22, 2020 9:16:51 GMT -5
"I believe at least half of the Keepers of the Keys, the King's Scales and a few more were in Littlefinger's payroll, they at least benefited from the treasury well enough. And most of them proved to be very uncollaborative when His Grace demanded to know how depleted the treasury was. I knew there was something fishy, pardon my words, behind all this"
Davos added, reading laborously from the roll of parchment.
"And there's like a score more, from harbor masters to toll collectors and wine factors. This is... staggering, by the Seven!"
He left the document on the table. And he handed the roll written by the Braavosi to ser Lucion.
"Ser Lannister, this is the list of those that were involved. Nestoris said he believed there would be way more, so maybe if we apply some pleasure these birdies will sing a good song and we'll have the names of them all"
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 22, 2020 9:34:58 GMT -5
”I will leave it in your hands. Ensure Baelish’s men are replaced, fill the treasury with new men if you have to.”
Warned the King, who decided to change the subject. Robert’s council was prone to talking in circles on the same matter for hours, and Stannis found such discussion too tedious.
”In the same vein, we should begin recruitment for the City Watch. I trust Lord Massey to pick loyal and able officers. Commoners, if need be. I find they are more honest than most knights.”
The Watch had fought against him both times, almost to the last. When commanded by the right man, they were a more than adequate force.
”But for this, and everything else, we need funds. Lord Davos has already suggested a tax on the merchants. Ser Lannister, I would hear your own suggestions.”
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Post by Magnate Lucius on Jul 22, 2020 9:42:42 GMT -5
”But for this, and everything else, we need funds. Lord Davos has already suggested a tax on the merchants. Ser Lannister, I would hear your own suggestions.” Lucion nods his head before turning to the Small Council. It was an idea that came from my talks with Lord Lannister on the way to King's Landing.He pulls out a small map of the Westerlands with two red circles upon the northern and southern parts of Lord Paramountcy's lands. The gold and silver of the Pendric Hills and the many hills across the Westerlands are the wealth of generations of Lannisters, dating as far back as before King Cerion, who conquered the lands around Lefford and used their gold to enrich his realm and descendants. Lord Lannister believes that there are still fresh veins to be found and mined as a result. He plans to have Westerling, Lefford, and Marbrand scout the northern hills. Serret, Swyft, and Lydden will survey the southern hills. He hopes there are new veins to help with the economic recovery of the Westerlands and the Crown.He indicates both circled areas. To help with the royal treasury, the Lord of Casterly Rock plans to lease both new and old mines of these precious minerals to help mint coin and pay off dues.The Master of Coin turns to Stannis. It would be helpful if the Crown had good assets, such as these, to help pay off debts and replenish the treasury.Lucion had a few other ideas beyond this one. We must also encourage renewed trade once the Stormlands and Dorne are reclaimed. Oldtown has taken a beating and so did the Arbor. Trade that flow from one side of Westeros to the next and across the Narrow Sea will help revitalize the economy and further rebuild our treasury. Trade was... a bit of a mess due to the war after all.
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 22, 2020 10:04:26 GMT -5
”I am already many dragons in debt to Casterly Rock. Does this proposal not simply pay off one debtor at the expense of another?”
Stannis sharply replied. The King was wary of owing too much to the Lannisters, having considered that one of Robert’s chief errors. They had dominated every facet of power, and the crown relied overly on their gold and silver.
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