125 Dealings in the capital
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POV of Jon Arryn second moon 285 AC
I took a deep breath, as for the past few days, the city's smell had significantly improved. Now, only in the lower districts, could one sense the nauseating characteristic odor of the city.
"Crazy things have been happening in the last few days," I remarked.
Not long ago, we received news that the Prussian diplomat Maximilian was marrying into the Stokeworth family, one of the few marriages Prussians had accepted with other noble houses, seeking to protect consecrated lineages that had proven themselves.
This marriage greatly reinforced Maximilian's influence in the city. Not only with his bank, which moved enormous amounts of coins every day, or the control of several hundred knights in the city helping with security.
Although his wife was not the heir, that didn't seem to matter to young Maximilian, who happily married and later returned to the capital to continue his work accompanied by his wife.
The surprising part was what happened a few days later. Ser Balmain caught his wife in an affair with a servant and flew into an incredible rage. He killed both the servant and his wife, and as the guards couldn't calm him, they forced him to kill himself. It was a huge tragedy for the houses of the Crownlands. Lady Tanda lost her heiress, and her new heiress was married to the head of Prussian diplomats.
Varys decided to investigate because it seemed too suspicious and too beneficial to Prussian interests. But from all the interrogations, he extracted the same information about what had happened: an affair, anger, and everyone dead. Although Varys still had suspicions of poison use.
"What a headache this will be when it explodes," I thought.
This will be the first case of a Prussian inheriting a noble title, as Lady Tanda doesn't have much time, especially with the pain she must have suffered upon learning of her heiress's death.
It's only a matter of time before Maximilian takes control of the Stokeworth house, and complaints rain down from all sides. Some nobles will undoubtedly try to claim the castle for themselves through some marriage that happened centuries ago, or worse, some complaints from septons to intervene and prevent it from happening, such as declaring the marriage null...
Who would have thought that controlling relationships between subjects of different religions would be so complicated? Luckily, the fanatics are of the Faith of the Seven, and the Prussians maintain their religious tolerance, although Varys told me that the Prussians have redoubled their efforts to convert the inhabitants of The Reach.
The sound of the Master of Coin dropping several books in front of me made me focus on the council meeting.
"Here you go, Lord Hand, what you requested about information on the recent price falls in the kingdom," said the Master of Coin.
'Oh yes, my new headache.'
The Prussians created a company in the North dedicated to extracting raw materials from the area. With a deal with the Starks, they gained the trust of the Northerners and became the largest job creators in the North. Since their company addressed all the shortcomings the Northerners had suffered for centuries, this significantly impacted the internal economy of the Seven Kingdoms.
According to Varys' informants, the Northerners adapted incredibly well to the Prussians, as their cultures were quite similar in terms of honor and loyalty. In just months, they destroyed the internal trade the kingdom had for centuries. Even with the resistance of two of the richest and most powerful houses in the North, the Manderlys and the Boltons, it was not enough to prevent the Prussian company in the North from spreading like wildfire in dry grass.
The North had an active economy with the Westerlands, the Riverlands, and The Vale, but now almost all trade was done with the Prussian company. Although Lord Hohenzollern maintained his plan to keep food prices stable to avoid affecting the finances of lords heavily dependent on agriculture, this was equally bad.
Selling grains and food to the North was how many lords made a living, including myself. It was the first time I felt the financial blow of competing against the Prussians, and it hurt a lot, especially since The Vale's farms were expanding now that there were no dangers from the mountain clans, and we expected a considerable increase in this harvest.
This suddenly increased the amount of grain in the local market, although it was not of very good quality. What is usually sold to the North is not the best grain; it's all decent enough for the peasants to eat.
The Prussian company now sold grains to the Northerners at a lower price than what we offer. According to Varys, who managed to inspect the shipments the Prussians sent to the North when they loaded them in King's Landing towards White Harbor, Varys determined that the grain was of very good quality, and the amount sent every day was considerable.
The worst part was that now not only the lords complained about the grains, but also those who sold raw materials to the Prussians due to the drastic price drop. From the North, tons of raw materials arrived that the Prussians no longer bought from other lords, and the price of iron, tin, wood, and coal plummeted. The only thing that still maintained its price was copper because the Prussians were still addicted to products made from this material.
I don't know what happened. No one knows, but suddenly, the North started producing such a large amount of materials that I even thought the Northerners had been lying for years about their fiscal capabilities. If it weren't for Varys explaining to me that literally cities were created out of nowhere in the North, around branches of the Prussian company, I would have almost called Ned to the capital to explain everything.
But for some time now, the Northerners have relied on the Prussians: grain, tools, clothes, and, to everyone's surprise, security. The Northern roads were being protected by soldiers from the company, and they had eliminated the bandit problem, with the company's strength almost equal to the number of men the Starks could mobilize on their own without their bannermen.
"What do you think of all this?" I said, pointing to the enormous number of books we had on the council table.
"The matter is complex, my Lord Hand. Although this barely affects the crown; on the contrary, the fall in wood prices and the increased availability have reduced the costs of rebuilding the royal fleet. Isn't that right, Lord Stannis?" Varys said in his calm tone.
Stannis nodded but didn't say anything more.
"But it is also the king's duty to prevent this widespread discontent from increasing. The big problem will be how we try to resolve it, or if it even has a solution other than waiting," Varys said with a slight smile.
"Unless we incentivize construction, material prices won't be affected. Many lords focused on meeting the enormous construction material needs of the Prussians, and now they have greatly reduced their purchases because they supply themselves from the abundant market in the North," said the Master of Coin.
"Well, we could also impose taxes on the trade of that company. It would enrich the realm and could reduce the level of trade the Prussians have with the North, returning prices to normal in a short time," said Pycelle, adjusting his chains.
"That would be a great idea... if it weren't for the fact that we are talking about a company owned by Lord Hohenzollern, who is a key player in maintaining the realm stable. If we impose a tax only on him, he would quickly forget our agreement to control food prices," Varys said with a sarcastic tone.
"Could we reach another agreement perhaps? Lord Hohenzollern seems like someone with whom compromises can be reached, although obviously, he will ask for something in return," said the Master of Coin with some doubts.
"It has to be well-negotiated because the last time..." I tried to say, but something interrupted me.
The debate was interrupted when a man entered the council. Small, and he quickly went to speak with Stannis, telling him something in his ear.
It must have been something important because I noticed how Stannis opened his eyes abruptly, stood up from his chair, and walked toward the exit.
"What did you tell Lord Stannis?" I asked the man who was missing a couple of fingers.
"Oh... excuse the interruption... it seemed pertinent to inform the Master of Ships about what is arriving at the port... the Kingsguard let me pass," said the man quite nervously.
"What arrived?" Varys asked intrigued.
"It seems to be one of the Prussian galleons... a giant made of wood... the whole port went crazy when it was spotted on the horizon."
Curiosity got the better of the entire council, and we rushed to one of the windows where we could observe the port. We watched as the gigantic Prussian ship was clearly distinguishable.
"It seems that my information was correct. The Prussians created a huge ship that doesn't collapse on itself, Grand Maester Pycelle," Varys said with a somewhat sarcastic tone.
"Lord Hand, Lord Maximilian is requesting an urgent meeting with you," said one of the members of the Kingsguard who approached us.
"Oh... let him in on the council. It must be important," I said to the guard and signaled to the council members to return.
We returned to our seats, waiting for the arrival of the Prussian ambassador.
We waited a few minutes when we heard the Prussian boots approaching.
Maximilian arrived as usual, wearing increasingly extravagant clothes, this time in a dark purple suit with silver decorations that contrasted a lot with his companion, who simply wore a white uniform with military decorations that the Prussians awarded.
"Lord Hand, I appreciate this extraordinary meeting, and I apologize if I interrupt anything, but my companion here must give a report," Maximilian said in a relaxed tone, pointing to the other Prussian who looked at Maximilian with a bit of disdain.
"Of course, no problem at all... Who am I addressing?" I said, looking at the Prussian officer dressed in white.
"Karl von Rügen, admiral appointed by the king in..." he couldn't finish because
Maximilian interrupted him by stepping on his foot.
"You stomp like a girl, von Goslar," said the Prussian admiral in his language.
"I don't give a damn. Keep to the protocol," Maximilian replied in German.
"Karl von Rügen, admiral appointed by... Lord Hohenzollern to eliminate the pirate threat in the Stepstones," the Prussian noble finally responded.
"Well... then, Lord Hohenzollern plans to attack the Stepstones? Do you want to coordinate an attack with the royal fleet?" I said, responding to the Prussian naval officer and looking at Stannis.
"On the contrary, the attack has already been carried out. The islands are secured, the pirates crucified, and the rest working for life in the lowest mines. The waters are safe, and all the ships that the pirates used to torment the seas are in our possession," Karl replied with a stern tone.
"So, these are excellent news," said the Master of Coin with a big smile.
"How did you achieve it?" Stannis asked.
"A well-planned and perfectly executed strategy," replied the Prussian admiral.
"So, the islands are safe," I said, looking at the council.
Karl seemed like he was about to speak, but Maximilian took the initiative.
"Yes, the Stepstones are secure, and my lord requests that this territory be recognized as part of the Seven Kingdoms and as the property of my lord so that we can actively protect trade from that area," Maximilian said with a smile.
"The Prussians already have a lot of power. We should give them a reward for their actions, and the crown should take control of the area, giving it to loyal nobles,"
Pycelle said, looking defiantly at Maximilian.
Varys almost rolled his eyes at Pycelle's idea.
"Tyrosh specifically ceded its rights over the Stepstones to my lord... look here, signed by the Archon... he will not accept anyone else controlling the islands... I hope the realm does not want to have a conflict with Tyrosh," Maximilian said, showing some papers.
"No, war is bad for the economy, but I suppose your lord will establish a toll. I guess the crown will take a share," said the Master of Coin.
"Yes, we will have to negotiate... but we cannot negotiate under assumptions. If you could confirm the possession of the islands for my lord, we could continue with negotiations on subsequent matters," Maximilian said, maintaining his smile.
"Oh... well, Lord Maximilian, consider it done. I will make sure the recognition is signed today," I said to the Prussian ambassador.
"Good, Karl, your job is done. Return to the Stepstones," Maximilian said to his companion.
The admiral turned and left the council, and when he left, Maximilian sighed.
After that, he took Maximilian to my room, where, with Varys and the Master of Coin, we engaged in a tough negotiation on various fronts.
We agreed that thirty percent of the toll's proceeds would belong to the crown, but we also had to collaborate with the expenses of the Prussian navy based on what we charged.
Later, we negotiated a tax exemption for the Prussians regarding the fortification tax since Maximilian promised that Lord Hohenzollern would rebuild to the same levels as the previous year if we removed that tax. This would solve our problem, and we could gain a bit more or less gold depending on the sales tax, as the Master of Coin suggested.
Everything ended with Maximilian's request for a favor: to instruct the heralds to spread the message and encourage people to establish a permanent life in the Stepstones. This was a way to depopulate King's Landing a bit, which was overcrowded after the war.
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