Chapter 29: Westeros Consolidated, Essos Envisioned: The Global Ledger
With Dorne's grudging submission, the last recalcitrant cog in the machinery of Westeros had been forced into alignment with King Robar Baratheon's grand design. BCR administrators, backed by the unyielding steel of Baratheon and Lannister legions, descended upon the sun-scorched kingdom, their mandate clear: integrate Dorne's unique assets into Westeros Incorporated, extract the hefty "Special Integration Fee," and ensure that the Martell viper remained safely defanged and compliant. Princess Arianne Martell, now an "honored guest" in the Red Keep, found herself in a gilded cage, her fiery Dornish spirit clashing daily with the cold, pragmatic indifference of her captors and the subtle, venomous courtly games orchestrated by Queen Cersei. Oberyn Martell, after a tense, private "consultation" with Robar where the limits of Dornish defiance were made brutally clear (aided by the distant, but strategically timed, roar of Mammon from the Dragonpit), had returned to Sunspear, a simmering volcano of resentment but also a pragmatic enforcer of his brother Doran's capitulation.
Westeros was now, for all intents and purposes, a wholly owned subsidiary of Baratheon Consolidated Resources, with King Robar as its undisputed CEO and Chairman of the Board. His decrees, once backed by armies, were now underscored by the ever-present shadow of dragons. The "Dragon's Due," a hefty realm-wide tax ostensibly for the upkeep and "security" provided by his draconic assets, flowed steadily into BCR's coffers, funding not just the dragons' increasingly prodigious appetites but also Robar's ambitious infrastructure projects and his plans for global market expansion.
"Project Skyfire," as the dragon development program was now codenamed, proceeded with relentless focus. The three young dragons, fueled by Robar's potent, Haki-infused blood and Maester Vaellyn's meticulously researched, BCR-funded diet, were growing at a pace that defied all historical precedent. Mammon, the black terror, was now easily the size of a small warship's longboat, his scales like obsidian armor, his fire capable of melting stone to slag in moments. Robar had taken to conducting "flight trials" with him in the dead of night, soaring high above a sleeping King's Landing, the sensation of wind beneath leathery wings and the raw, primal power thrumming beneath him a cold, exhilarating affirmation of his unique status. These were not mere beasts; they were extensions of his will, his ultimate instruments of corporate enforcement. Viridian and Aurum, though slightly smaller, were equally formidable, their aerial agility and coordinated movements hinting at devastating tactical potential. Maester Vaellyn, now more a draconic engineer than a simple maester, worked tirelessly on designing specialized Valyrian steel-reinforced saddles, communication focusing crystals (an attempt to amplify Robar's Haki commands), and even rudimentary "draconic ordinance delivery systems" – essentially reinforced nets and harnesses for dropping incendiaries or other payloads with precision.
Across the Seven Kingdoms, BCR's initiatives were reshaping the socio-economic landscape. The King's Road was being transformed into a BCR "Logistics Superhighway." New ports, capable of handling BCR's expanding global trade fleet, were dredged and fortified. Standardized currency, weights, and measures, all bearing the BCR stag-and-coin insignia, were being enforced, streamlining commerce and, more importantly, taxation. Stannis Baratheon, as Master of Laws and Chief Security Officer, ensured that compliance was absolute, his mobile courts and BCR "Compliance Enforcement Units" quashing any hint of rebellion or tax evasion with brutal efficiency. The realm was becoming a vast, well-oiled machine, every part geared towards maximizing profit and power for its Royal CEO.
Within the Red Keep, Queen Cersei Lannister's pregnancy progressed, a matter of significant state importance. The prospect of a dragon-blooded Baratheon-Lannister heir further solidified the alliance and promised a dynasty of unprecedented power. Cersei, keenly aware of her strategic value, used her condition to subtly expand her influence within the court, though she never directly challenged Robar's authority. Her relationship with him remained one of cold, contractual obligation, but she was learning to navigate his unnerving pragmatism, focusing on securing the future of her children within this new, terrifying world order. Her "supervision" of Daenerys Targaryen and Arianne Martell continued, a complex dance of rivalry, veiled threats, and occasional, surprising moments of shared understanding between women trapped in different ways by Robar's ambition.
Daenerys, no longer a terrified child but a young woman growing into her Targaryen heritage, remained Robar's most enigmatic asset. She was kept in luxurious confinement, educated by BCR-approved tutors in history, economics, and "Loyalty to the Crown." Robar, intrigued by her intuitive, almost empathic connection to the dragons (they grew agitated in her presence if she was distressed, a phenomenon Vaellyn was studying intently), occasionally allowed her supervised access to the Dragonpit. He observed her interactions with Viridian and Aurum from a distance. While they were utterly loyal to him, they showed a strange, almost gentle curiosity towards her, a connection he intended to explore and potentially exploit. Daenerys, for her part, felt a maelstrom of conflicting emotions: fear of Robar, grief for her lost family, but also an undeniable, terrifying pull towards the magnificent beasts that were her birthright, now commanded by her captor.
With Westeros effectively "optimized," Robar's gaze turned decisively towards Essos. His BCR trade delegations, which had initially been cautious probes, were now establishing more permanent, fortified "BCR Commercial Embassies" in Pentos, Myr, and Tyrosh. These were less diplomatic missions and more forward operating bases for economic intelligence gathering and market infiltration. Reports flowed back to King's Landing, detailing Essos's fractured political landscape, its vast, untapped resources, its inefficient slave-based economies (which Robar saw as ripe for "labor force restructuring"), and its myriad merchant princes and magisters, many of whom were already growing wealthy, or nervous, from BCR's aggressive trade practices.
Robar analyzed this data with the cold precision of a global strategist. Essos was a patchwork of competing interests, vulnerable to a unified, dragon-backed economic and military power. He identified his first major target for "enhanced economic integration": the Free City of Pentos. Wealthy, strategically located, and ruled by a council of magisters known more for their decadence than their military acumen, Pentos was ripe for a BCR takeover. Magister Illyrio Mopatis, a man of immense wealth and shadowy influence, was identified as a key player – either a potential collaborator or a primary obstacle.
The "invitation" sent to the Magisters of Pentos was a masterpiece of BCR diplomacy, drafted by Lord Tywin and imbued with Robar's unyielding will. It spoke of "unprecedented opportunities for mutual prosperity," of "harmonizing trade regulations for the common good," and of Pentos becoming a "favored partner" in BCR's expanding global network. It also, not so subtly, mentioned the "King's Draconic Legions" as guarantors of these new trade agreements and the "swift resolution" that had been brought to Westeros's internal affairs. The terms were clear: Pentos would open its markets fully to BCR, adopt BCR's standardized trade practices (including tariffs payable to King's Landing), provide preferential treatment to BCR merchants and shipping, and contribute a "substantial annual fee" for the "privilege of BCR's economic and security umbrella." Refusal was not explicitly mentioned, but the shadow of Dragonstone's fate and the flyby near Dorne loomed large.
While awaiting Pentos's response, Robar received disquieting reports from the North. Lord Eddard Stark, while outwardly compliant, was reportedly troubled by the increasing brutality of BCR's enforcement measures and the erosion of traditional Northern autonomy. Whispers of secret correspondence between Winterfell and the Eyrie, where Jon Arryn shared similar concerns, reached Robar through his internal security network. These honorable men, relics of a bygone era, were becoming a potential drag on BCR's efficiency. Robar made a note: "Project Northern Compliance – assess loyalty of Stark and Arryn. Contingency plans for management replacement if necessary. Potential for draconic 'mediation' to ensure continued alignment with corporate objectives."
His internal monologue was no longer just about Westeros; it was about Planetos Inc. The Seven Kingdoms were now a highly profitable, if still developing, home market. Essos was the vast, untapped international frontier. The dragons were his WMDs, his ultimate leverage, his "Angels of Asset Acquisition," as he sometimes privately termed them. With them, no market was inaccessible, no rival power truly a threat. The world was a ledger, and he, Robar Baratheon, the Dragon King, was about to balance its books in his favor, one continent, one city, one soul at a time. The age of feudalism was dead. The age of ruthless, dragon-backed corporatocracy had dawned.
The chapter ended not with a bang, but with the quiet scratch of Robar's quill as he reviewed BCR's quarterly earnings projections for Westeros and began drafting the initial five-year strategic plan for the "Essos Market Penetration Initiative." The figures were promising. The potential for growth, limitless. The Dragon King smiled. Business was good.
Word Count: Approx. 3100 words