Because of the ongoing war, the Rhoynar were temporarily unable to help Viserys build his walls.
But that didn't matter much — they couldn't farm either.
And that, more than anything, was what Viserys cared about.
Especially after learning that they were camped with eight thousand people on Terno's lands, neither advancing nor retreating. That could only increase their food consumption.
The planting season had already passed, and famine among the Rhoynar was now inevitable.
He reassigned a portion of his men to the north to build fortresses, ensuring that no grain could be transported in from Norvos. He also sent Arthur to guard the reservoirs.
As for the Rhoynar laborers who had stayed behind to work on the walls, those willing to remain could do so; those unwilling would not be allowed to leave.
After all, if they returned, they would almost certainly come back with weapons in hand.
He therefore increased their workload but kept their wages the same. He promised them that once the war ended, they would be allowed to return to their families.
Of course, he also increased the number of guards watching over them.
Elisa, for example, who had been brought down from the Wall, temporarily took up the role of overseer. Meanwhile, Viserys was no longer as pressed to complete the walls quickly.
The rammed-earth fortifications were already taking shape and provided a fair amount of defense.
The bricklaying work was nearly complete as well, which meant Viserys could now rely on the walls to build additional defensive structures, ensuring the Rhoynar could not launch sudden raids to seize grain.
He was now working with craftsmen and officials, planning the construction of warehouses, stables, and barracks inside the rammed-earth walls.
These would require a great deal of timber, which they would need to buy from Norvos.
Previously, Oberyn had already purchased materials from Norvos to build Elia's courtyard, so Viserys intended to send him again to make the arrangements.
"Fine," Oberyn said, pointing at the central area marked out on Viserys's plans. "But in return, I want to build another garden here for Elia."
"Agreed."
Apart from the newly built walls, Gohor was still surrounded by empty, undeveloped land.
Oberyn's requested plot might become valuable in the future, but that was a matter for later. To quibble over it now would be meaningless and make Viserys seem petty.
"Prince Oberyn, I'll have to trouble you to make another trip to Pentos," Viserys said.
"What for?"
"Money, of course. We killed a hundred water wizards and captured one of their elders' estates. They can't just let that pass without some… contribution, can they?"
Oberyn stared at Viserys's smiling face, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
When other people fought wars, even victories strained their finances.
But Viserys was different. After a battle, not only did he seize spoils, he even managed to have others send him gold.
When he first proposed moving east to Gohor, almost no one had supported him. Yet now, he had skillfully carved out a position for himself between rival powers.
At this rate, once the Dragonstone relocation was complete, he might even have to expand his treasury.
"Oh, and tell Illyrio that Ser Arthur has already been bought off by us," Viserys added. "Get him to send more gold."
Oberyn thought for a moment. "Perhaps it would be better to say Ser Adrian instead. Claiming Arthur has been bought might not sound believable."
Old Crab: ??
"One Ser Adrian alone might not be enough," Viserys replied.
Old Crab: !!!???
"What I mean is, no single person's name will do. Pick a few more and tell him."
Hearing this, Old Crab relaxed considerably.
"Your Grace, would you like to give our city a new name?" he suggested. He'd been unexpectedly dragged into the conversation twice already and wanted to regain some of his lost credibility.
Viserys considered it but shook his head.
Gohor had existed for thousands of years. Changing its name wouldn't make people accept it more easily. In fact, it might provoke the locals, especially since he had not yet conquered the Rhoynar completely.
"Our city will remain Gohor," Viserys said. "But I've already chosen names for the three walls we'll be building."
He picked up a charcoal stick and drew two concentric circles on the map, one large and one small, representing the walls.
Excitedly, he explained, "From the inside out, the three walls will be named Balerion's Wall, Vhagar's Wall, and Meraxes's Wall. As for the castle we'll build inside later, it will be called Dragonhold."
As he spoke, everyone leaned closer to the map, picturing the grand sight of the three walls standing side by side.
Vhagar had lived the longest of the three legendary dragons that founded the Targaryen dynasty, so the existing wall would be named after her.
Its circumference was slightly shorter than that of King's Landing. Viserys hoped this wall would endure as long as Vhagar herself once had.
The outermost wall would be called Meraxes's Wall.
Its perimeter would be far larger, increasing the enclosed area by three to five times, though its height would only be about a third of Vhagar's Wall. Its primary functions would be troop movement and communication.
It was designed mainly to guard against Dothraki invasions — more like a miniature version of the Wall in the far North.
Once Meraxes's Wall was complete, Viserys planned to build additional arrow towers and bastions outside Vhagar's Wall, naming them after the other dragons of House Targaryen: Silverwing, Bronze Fury, Sunfyre, Glutton, and Caraxes.
Of course, no matter how tall the towers or how strong the walls, they would never be as valuable as real dragons.
Viserys thought to himself that if Valyria had ever built city walls, they must have been the most useless structures in the world. The Valyrians attacked others — no one ever attacked them.
Currently, there were about fifty to sixty thousand people living in and around Vhagar's Wall, including both civilians and soldiers.
Once all three walls were built, the city would be able to hold three to five hundred thousand people, and the entire Gohor region could sustain up to seven hundred thousand.
Viserys sketched enthusiastically on his parchment, planning the future.
Many had once believed he was as grandiose and impractical as his father, Aerys, who had proposed building a wall far north of the existing Wall, breaking through the Red Mountains, or constructing a fleet that could stretch its bowstrings across Braavos — none of which had succeeded.
Viserys, however, was far more pragmatic.
Meraxes's Wall might be long, but it was low, making it cost-effective and highly practical for defense against cavalry.
At that moment, a royal guard entered to report.
"Your Grace, the Rhoynar envoy has arrived."
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