Chapter 32: The Six-Headed Dragon: Global Restructuring and Internal Strains
King Robar Baratheon's reign, forged in fire, blood, and the cold calculus of corporate ambition, was rapidly reshaping the known world. With six dragons now under his direct, Haki-infused command – a terrifying aerial armada of unimaginable destructive potential – the traditional power dynamics of Planetos had been rendered utterly obsolete. Westeros was now merely the home office, the primary production center, for the burgeoning global enterprise that was Baratheon Consolidated Resources.
"Project Skyfire," under the increasingly frenetic direction of Grand Conservator Maester Vaellyn, was consuming resources at a prodigious rate, yet yielding equally prodigious results. The six dragons, fueled by Robar's potent blood and a BCR-optimized diet rich in Dragonstone's volcanic minerals and vast quantities of charred livestock (a new tax levied on the Reach, termed the "Draconic Sustenance Quota"), were exhibiting exponential growth. Mammon, the black alpha, was now truly colossal, his wingspan capable of casting entire courtyards into shadow, his roars shaking the very foundations of the Dragonpit where he and his brethren were temporarily housed. His scales were like polished obsidian armor, deflecting anything less than a direct hit from a siege engine, and his black-and-red fire could melt fortifications to slag in moments. Robar, in their secret nocturnal flight trials, had begun to master riding him, the two moving as one, a terrifying silhouette against the moon.
Glacies, the sapphire blue, possessed an unnervingly keen intelligence and was developing an affinity for extreme altitudes, his scales shimmering with an icy sheen. Ignis, the burnished gold, had the most potent fire after Mammon, a searing lance of pure heat. Letum, the bone-white, remained the most enigmatic, often silent and watchful, its ghostly silver eyes seeming to pierce through pretense. Even Viridian and Aurum, the first of the second clutch but still slightly smaller than the Dragonstone trio, were now formidable beasts, their aerial agility and coordinated movements making them ideal for reconnaissance and targeted "asset denial."
The Dragonpit on Rhaenys's Hill, while hastily reinforced by BCR engineers, was proving woefully inadequate. Vaellyn presented Robar with urgent reports: the dragons required more space, specialized environments that mimicked their native volcanic habitats, and far greater security. Dragonstone itself was being converted into the primary "BCR Draconic Development & Research Facility," its volcanic caverns expanded, its ancient fortifications refitted with Valyrian steel-reinforced enclosures (a resource Robar was now aggressively pursuing through BCR's Essosi acquisitions).
With Westeros pacified and its economy ruthlessly integrated into the BCR framework, Robar's gaze was fixed firmly on Essos. The "Pentoshi Protocol" had been a resounding success. Stannis, as Governor-General of the BCR Essos Protectorate (a title he bore with his usual grim stoicism), had swiftly and brutally dismantled Pentos's old power structures, replacing them with a BCR administrative council staffed by loyal Baratheon appointees and a few "rehabilitated" Pentoshi Magisters like Illyrio Mopatis. The city's wealth, trade routes, and industries were now flowing directly into BCR's global ledger.
The fall of Pentos had the desired ripple effect. Envoys from Myr, Tyrosh, and Lys, their initial attempts at negotiation brushed aside by Robar's non-negotiable "Standard Integration Packages," had quickly capitulated. These ancient Free Cities, famed for their artisans, poisons, and pleasure houses, were now BCR "Special Economic Zones." Myrish glassmakers and Lysene courtesans found their guilds "restructured" under BCR management, their output "optimized" for export to Westeros and other BCR-controlled territories. Tyroshi dye-makers discovered their vibrant pigments were now exclusively licensed through BCR. Resistance was met with targeted "market corrections" – often a low, ominous flyover by Viridian or Aurum was enough to ensure prompt compliance.
Robar himself, accompanied by Tywin Lannister and a full "Draconic Executive Escort" (Mammon and the other five dragons), conducted a "State Visit and Operational Review" of Pentos. The sight of their King arriving on a colossal black dragon, flanked by five others, seared itself into the terrified consciousness of the Essosi populace. It was a display of power so absolute, so overwhelming, that it crushed any nascent thoughts of rebellion. During this visit, Robar issued his first "Pan-Essosi Trade Directives," outlining BCR's terms for commerce between the Free Cities and the rest of the world. All major trade was to be routed through BCR-controlled ports, subject to BCR tariffs and inspections. The age of free-wheeling Essosi mercantilism was over. The age of BCR's regulated global monopoly had begun.
Braavos, the Titan of the North, remained the most significant holdout, its powerful fleet and the secrecy of the Faceless Men presenting a unique challenge. Robar knew a direct assault on Braavos would be costly. Instead, he initiated a campaign of economic warfare: BCR undercut Braavosi trade deals, established rival port facilities, and began actively "poaching" key Braavosi banking clients with offers of BCR's "dragon-backed financial security." The Iron Bank, Robar mused, would either become a subsidiary of BCR's Global Finance Division or be rendered obsolete.
Volantis, with its ancient Valyrian pride and its powerful Triarchs, also presented a complex problem. They sent a high-level delegation to King's Landing, not to offer submission, but to propose an "alliance of Dragonlords," suggesting that Robar, as the new master of dragons, should join Volantis in reconquering the old Valyrian Freehold. Robar received them with outward courtesy, his internal BCR analysts already assessing Volantis's assets, liabilities, and "acquisition potential." He saw their offer not as one of alliance, but as an attempt by a declining power to attach itself to his rising star. He made non-committal noises, keeping them on the hook while his intelligence network gathered more data. Volantis would be integrated, but on his terms, and at a time of his choosing.
Back in Westeros, the "Dragon's Due" tax and BCR's relentless resource extraction were creating simmering discontent beneath the veneer of enforced order. Lord Eddard Stark, from Winterfell, sent increasingly desperate (and heavily monitored) ravens to Jon Arryn in the Eyrie, speaking of the North's growing hardship, the erosion of ancient rights, and the unbearable tyranny of Robar's rule. "This is not the peace we fought for, Jon," one intercepted message read. "This is a gilded cage, guarded by monsters. We have exchanged a Mad King for a Dragon CEO, and I fear the latter is far more dangerous in his sanity."
Robar reviewed these reports with cold detachment. Stark and Arryn were becoming "non-performing regional managers." Their sentimentality was a liability. He had already tasked Tywin Lannister with identifying more… "pragmatic" candidates to oversee the North and the Vale should a "management reshuffle" become necessary. Perhaps Roose Bolton in the North, whose ambition and ruthlessness were well-documented in BCR's personnel files? Or one of the more ambitious Vale lords eager to supplant the aging Arryn?
Within the Red Keep, Queen Cersei's pregnancy reached its culmination. With Maester Vaellyn (whose draconic expertise now bizarrely extended to royal obstetrics, as Robar trusted no one else with the "Valyrian bloodline" implications) and a terrified Grand Maester Pycelle in attendance, she gave birth to a healthy son. He had the Baratheon black hair, but his eyes, when they opened, held the distinctive Lannister green. Robar, upon viewing his heir, felt a flicker of something akin to… satisfaction. The dynastic succession plan was on track. He named the boy Tyros Baratheon – a name that combined elements of his own (Robert) and Tywin's, a subtle nod to the foundational alliance of his empire, but also hinting at the Tyroshi dyes, a symbol of conquered Essos.
Cersei, exhausted but triumphant, held her son, seeing in him the future ruler of a world dominated by her husband's dragons. Her fear of Robar remained, but it was now overlaid with a fierce, protective ambition for her child. She would ensure Tyros inherited not just the Iron Throne, but his father's unshakeable power.
Daenerys Targaryen, now a young woman of fourteen, remained a ghostly presence in the Red Keep. Her "education" under Cersei's sardonic tutelage continued. She heard the roars of the six dragons daily, a constant reminder of her stolen legacy. Robar, busy with global conquest, paid her little direct attention, though his agents monitored her closely. He had considered attempting to bond her with one ofr the smaller dragons, Aurum perhaps, to test her Valyrian connection, but Maester Vaellyn had cautioned against it. The dragons were too fiercely loyal to Robar; they might see her as a rival or a threat. For now, Daenerys remained a captive princess, her future an unwritten entry on Robar's global ledger. Arianne Martell, similarly, was a well-cared-for hostage, her fiery spirit slowly being quenched by the cold realities of Robar's court.
Robar's grand vision was rapidly solidifying. Westeros was a tamed, productive asset. The nearer Free Cities were being absorbed. The dragons were his ultimate tool of enforcement and expansion. He began to contemplate the more distant, "underdeveloped markets" – Slaver's Bay, with its inefficient labor practices ripe for "BCR optimization"; Qarth, with its ancient wealth and strategic trade routes; perhaps even the legendary riches of Asshai-by-the-Shadow. Planetos Inc. was going public, and its IPO would be backed by fire and blood on an unprecedented scale.
The only lingering irritation was the continued, albeit subtle, disquiet from Stark and Arryn. Their honor, their adherence to outdated feudal codes, was an anomaly in his perfectly structured corporate world. He decided it was time for a more… direct intervention. He dispatched ravens to Winterfell and the Eyrie, summoning both lords to King's Landing for an "Urgent Realm Strategy and Performance Review Summit." The summons was polite, but the underlying message, carried on the wind of six dragons' wings, was anything but. Compliance was expected. Resistance would be… restructured. The final cracks in the old realm were about to be sealed, or shattered.
Word Count: Approx. 3150 words