Jon sat patiently waiting, taking a sip of wine from the glass on the table in front of him. Honestly speaking, he wasn't one for much enjoyment of wine, unless it was a special occasion. Now, however, he was a little nervous.
"I can see your resemblance to Ned. When you're nervous," Jon looked at the man sitting next to him, taking a closer look. Yesterday, when he'd first seen him, he'd simply noticed he had a hooked nose and was missing some teeth. He had blue eyes and broad shoulders. His hair was mostly gray, but still bore some flecks of its original, though faded, color.
This man was Jon Arryn.
"We didn't have much time to talk yesterday," Lord Arryn looked at Jon more closely. "I must admit, few would have the guts to come here for what you say. Especially a bastard."
"I have my duties, Lord Arryn. My father entrusted me with the protection of the fortress in the new gift."
"And now it's a small town with over a thousand people."
"Correct. It's one of the reasons for coming here, at my father's request to you. I'm sure that, at some point in the future, if the small town grows into something larger, it might attract the attention of certain houses."
"I think it's best to settle that problem as quickly as possible."
Lord Arryn kept his eyes on Jon, observing carefully before letting out a sigh.
"I wish there were more honest people like you. But be careful, that honesty could be dangerous to those around you. And speaking to Robert could be more than a challenge for someone like you."
"I must make the effort, Lord Arryn. Besides, I have no need to be disrespectful to Your Grace."
"I would like to ask you a few questions." Lord Arryn leaned forward a little further, and Jon could taste his bad breath, but his face remained the same. He simply nodded at the hand of the King sitting next to him at the table.
"With a small, growing city like the one you've built, how do you maintain your finances? Also, how do the people work?"
"I manage the finances myself, Lord Arryn. As for how people work, it depends on what they do. But I've made sure most people have one or two days off every seven days. This is so they can rest, spend time with their families, and see that they have a future ahead of them. Overwork will simply mean that in the future, these people won't work as well as one might expect."
"If I want them to perform well, I need them to maintain a good quality of life. This, of course, doesn't have to do with their physical condition, but also their mental and emotional well-being."
Lord Arryn looked at Jon in surprise before nodding.
"By the way, Lord Arryn. May I ask how King's Landing is?"
"Specifically?"
"Well... I don't mean to be disrespectful, but is it difficult dealing with the King's... extravagances?"
Lord Arryn smiled a little, raising his eyebrows at Jon's slightly nervous appearance. That was indeed a specific question, but it wasn't that strange. Many had heard of what Robert Baratheon was like. And from the way he had chatted with the young man in front of him, it seemed he simply wanted to learn things and gain experience in some subjects.
"It's a bit complicated. And I don't even think I need to say that you can't know everything. But, I can tell you that, with what had to be done after... that battle years ago, it took quite a bit of the royal treasury."
"Ah... I see," Jon just nodded, thinking a few things to himself. After the rebellion and the sacking of the city, there had probably been some repairs and additional expenses that had to be made, which drained some of the royal treasury. Jon had also heard that the hand tourney was quite extravagant. The winner alone would get 90,000 gold dragons—that was quite a lot. There wasn't even need to think about the feasts and such. On that tourney alone, over 100,000 gold dragons should have been spent. After that, Robert Baratheon had held a few tournaments, spending more and more. Food, luxuries, perhaps even animals and weapons.
One could say that the state of the crown's finances wasn't too good. And let alone the greedy ones who had been bribed with golden dragons from the treasury, or the greedy ones who had even been able to take some of those coins. Jon simply felt like shaking his head. King's Landing might as well be a damned hole filled with greedy rats and poisonous snakes.
Bam!
Suddenly, Jon turned his head upon hearing a loud noise behind him. When he saw who had entered, he immediately stood up and bowed to the man who had stopped to look at him.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace. My name is Jon Snow, son of Lord Eddard Stark." Jon was respectful and even graceful in his movements. Rias would have laughed happily, seeing how her lessons had worked on Jon.
"Ha, to think Ned's bastard son would come all the way to this place!" Robert burst out laughing before speaking forcefully and moving to the chair across from Jon, directly opposite him. Jon stood up and took a closer look at the King. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and thick, black hair. His eyes were blue, and he had a slightly unkempt beard. His hands were rough and large. You could also see that he was overweight by looking at his bulging abdomen.
"Tell me, boy. Why have you come all the way to King's Landing?!"
Jon nodded and got straight to the point: "My father entrusted me with protecting the fortress in the new gift, Your Grace. However, thanks to certain beneficial conditions and a bit of luck, the fort had to be converted into a small city to house all the people who have been arriving from different villages in the North."
"While this is a good thing, it will cause some problems in the future. Especially from other houses here in the south, or even from the North."
"What problems could there be?" Robert asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. "You've created a city where people can live. And you could also better support the wall."
The King, despite his current appearance and the way he lives, is not at all foolish. That was a fact many seemed to forget.
"Many might view the city's growth differently, Your Grace. Perhaps, they would even say it could be treason to the crown. It is one of the reasons I came and asked Lord Stark if I could send a letter to Lord Arryn, to arrange this meeting and demonstrate my loyalty to you. I don't want people to think I'm a traitor for helping people, and this is a possibility because of my bastard brand."
Robert snorted sharply, causing his chest to heave a little, as did his shoulders.
"You're too much like Ned, except that your mind seems more cunning and scheming!"
"You mentioned one of the reasons... what is your other reason for coming all the way south?"
"The Night's Watch, Your Grace."
"Eh?" Robert was a little surprised, as was Lord Arryn, who hadn't heard about it.
Jon frowned slightly as he spoke on the subject: "The watch is not in its best shape these days. There are very few people, and some castles have been abandoned. As if that weren't enough, the taxes the deputies collect are... meager, for lack of a better word. When they saw the sacks of wheat, barley, and other items I had for them to levy, they practically swallowed and became respectful instantly. From what they told me, sometimes they can only collect small sacks of spices or grain."
"I... wanted to see if it was possible to implement a new way to help the watch."
"And what would that be?" Lord Arryn asked immediately. In fact, Robert even seemed interested.
"Make the guard non-permanent for new people. I was thinking, for example, of sending a group of 100 people to the wall for a certain amount of time, a moon for example. After that time, this group would return and another group would be sent to the wall."
"I can't guarantee anything, but I think that would also help the guard's deteriorating reputation."
"Your Grace..." Jon leaned forward a little, looking directly at Robert. "The wildlings have advanced further and further, from what I've heard. Bodies of children have been found at the foot of the wall, from climbing. Even adults, women too. Some bodies even take a while to find. Who knows if some wildlings carry some disease? If the bodies aren't burned in time, it could affect not only the wall and the watch, but also the north and south."
"..."
"..."
Robert and Jon Arryn looked at each other more seriously. What Jon had just said was true; nothing seemed fabricated or even a lie. In fact, both men knew that a possible illness was possible if a diseased body wasn't burned. Even more so if it involved wildlings, given the way they lived!
Besides, there was some merit to his plan.
"How do you intend to reward these people?" Lord Arryn asked, a frown forming on his face. That was an important issue.
"Also, you have to consider the problems that would arise from this idea of yours. The members of the guard might become disaffected when they see themselves staying and the new recruits have the opportunity to return."
"Many of them, if not most, have nowhere to return, Lord Arryn. What could they do?" Jon said seriously. "Besides, there's still the fact that they would be executed for such a thing."
"I like the idea, actually," Robert smiled tightly, surprising Jon Arryn a little. Frowning, the Hand of the King began to think more about the matter. He knew this idea wasn't bad, but certain repercussions could unravel everything. He also understood that paying so many people could be a problem, especially if it involved coin.
Jon also thought for a while as he spoke to the king in more detail. Especially the people. In reality, this plan wasn't just for the benefit of the Night's Watch. Because when people—if the plan was approved—traveled toward the Wall, some would definitely pass through Aeternum City. And when their time ended, there was also a chance they would pass through there. So, as long as Jon maintained the city as it had been until now, his popularity could increase, as well as its population.
Jon had given up trying to stop Rias from making him King. Not because it was impossible, but because it was an opportunity for him. He had received opportunities with the Aeternum group and also with his father when he sent him to the new gift. So, if he could help people and make a name for himself, why not do it? Jon understood the dangers of this, which was why he did his best to learn everything Rias could teach, which was also why he trained every day.
That day, many things were discussed, especially Lord Arryn talking about the pros and cons. Jon understood, but he also explained some things that could help make things work. For example, making the city of Aeternum a sort of residence for people who decide to attend this duty. What exactly did this mean? Jon explained that people going to or returning from the wall could stay in the city permanently or just for a while. The influx of people would help increase crops and, therefore, taxes for the wall. Similarly, it would also ensure a certain amount of coins to pay people for their services to the wall.
Another idea was for the crown itself to pay, with various forms appearing on the table: either by winning the chance to become a squire, or later a knight. This could be done with coins, and Jon proposed a trade between the crown and Aeternum in the form of things that could be obtained in Aeternum. For example, the crown would set up a shop selling things like cocoa, vodka, and future inventions for the city. In return, the crown would provide weapons and armor as payment for these things.
It must be said that Jon Arryn was impressed by the thinking of the young man at his side. King Robert found the conversation a bit annoying, but continued listening. He thought his friend Ned had been lucky to have a son who was intelligent and, judging by the young man's body, also strong. Robert couldn't help but compare him to his son, Joffrey.
In the end, Jon had to stay three more days in King's Landing before he could leave through the Red Keep with a sigh. It was a relief that everything had ended well, but that only meant more effort and work on his part. Well, not that he hated it. Now some problems had been solved. In fact, it had been easier than he thought. Perhaps he was simply lucky, since his father had sent that letter to Jon Arryn.
At first, he thought he wouldn't be taken seriously. After all, he was young compared to the King or his Hand.
"Good, now for the last thing I have to do before I go," Jon moved his head to the side as he walked, causing a clicking sound to come from his neck. The last thing he wanted to see was if he'd found someone with enough potential who wouldn't mind going with him. If it was an orphan, so much the better.
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