Chapter 12: The Crown's Potions and Purses (126-130 AC)
The golden web of trade and the tightening administrative grip had solidified King Viserys I's control over Westeros. By 126 AC, the realm was arguably more prosperous and orderly than it had been in centuries. The Royal Army stood as an unyielding testament to the Crown's military might, and the whispers of defiance from the Great Houses had faded into a cautious, grudging compliance. Viserys, now forty-nine, ruled with an efficiency that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Yet, his ambition was boundless, always seeking new avenues to strengthen the Crown and weave his unassailable dynasty ever tighter.
Having mastered the flow of goods and the collection of information through traditional means, Viserys turned his attention to sectors ripe for innovation and control: the production of luxury commodities and the establishment of a formal, centralized financial institution. His past life as Marco De Luca provided him with an understanding of consumer markets, the power of brand loyalty, and the subtle art of leveraging common vices for immense profit and, crucially, for intelligence gathering.
His first major foray into this new economic frontier was the establishment of royal distilleries and breweries. For too long, the production of ale, wine, and spirits had been a localized, often unregulated affair, controlled by countless small producers and local lords. Viserys saw an opportunity to centralize this industry, standardize quality, and generate immense revenue directly for the Crown. He envisioned a system that could produce a range of alcoholic beverages, from everyday beer to refined spirits, catering to every stratum of society.
He identified key regions known for their grain and grapes, or access to clean water sources. He then dispatched trusted agents – often skilled maesters with an understanding of chemistry, or loyal, ambitious commoners he had elevated – to oversee the construction of large-scale royal distilleries and breweries. Drawing upon his distant memories of industrial production, Marco introduced basic concepts of distillation, fermentation control, and sanitation to his bewildered, but eager, experts. He had them experiment with different grain types, aging processes, and even rudimentary filtration, pushing for consistent quality and varied products.
> "Quality, consistency, and volume," Viserys instructed his newly appointed Royal Master Brewer, a grizzled Northman named Borin who possessed an uncanny nose for ale. "The ale of the Crown must be the finest in all of Westeros, known from Dorne to the Wall. And the spirits…" Viserys's eyes glinted. "The spirits, Master Borin, must warm the soul, loosen tongues, and fill our coffers."
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They began with royal ales and ciders, establishing efficient brewing operations that quickly outcompeted many local producers due to superior consistency and lower prices (subsidized initially by the Crown's vast wealth). Then came the more ambitious projects: royal whiskies, aged in specially crafted wooden barrels, and clear, potent vodkas distilled multiple times, a concept virtually unknown in Westeros. These high-quality, branded royal beverages quickly became sought-after commodities, generating immense profits that flowed directly into the royal treasury, further bolstering the Crown's independence from the lords' wealth.
The second, and perhaps more insidious, aspect of this initiative was the creation of a vast, kingdom-wide network of royal hotels, restaurants, and bars. Viserys understood the power of social hubs – places where people gathered, celebrated, and, crucially, talked. He didn't just want to sell his beverages; he wanted to control the venues where they were consumed, transforming them into strategic information-gathering outposts.
He invested heavily in acquiring existing inns and taverns in major cities and along crucial trade routes, and commissioning the construction of new, purpose-built establishments. These "Royal Lion and Dragon" inns, or "Crown's Hearth" taverns, were designed for comfort and quality, offering fine food, the King's own branded beverages, and surprisingly clean, well-appointed rooms. They were run by carefully vetted managers and staff, loyal to the Crown and often discreetly trained by Viserys's Master of Whisperers.
> "Every whisper, every drunken boast, every quiet complaint about a lord's tax or a neighbor's ambition," Viserys privately instructed his Master of Whisperers, Lord Varys, during one of their clandestine meetings in the Red Keep's catacombs, "is a thread in the tapestry of this realm. These establishments are our needles, Varys, constantly weaving that thread into intelligence. They are listening posts, more valuable than any spy in a lord's castle."
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These royal establishments became popular gathering places, frequented by merchants, traveling knights, and even minor lords. Their staff, appearing as simple innkeepers and serving wenches, were in fact trained informants, skilled at eliciting information through casual conversation, unnoticed observation, and discreet eavesdropping. Reports, coded and cryptic, flowed daily to King's Landing, providing Viserys with an unparalleled, real-time understanding of the realm's pulse, its grievances, its alliances, and its potential threats. This personal spy network, woven into the very fabric of daily life, became exponentially more powerful than any traditional network of informants.
The Royal Dragon Bank: A New Financial Order
Perhaps Viserys's most transformative economic reform was the formal establishment of the Royal Dragon Bank in King's Landing in 128 AC. He had already introduced rudimentary bills of exchange and royal lending houses, but this was a systematic, ambitious leap towards a modern financial system. Viserys envisioned a central bank, backed by the immense gold reserves of the Crown and the raw power of its dragons, that would control the flow of currency, manage royal finances, and offer financial services that would bind the realm's economy irrevocably to the Iron Throne.
The main branch of the Royal Dragon Bank, a formidable and heavily guarded structure, was built within the walls of the Red Keep, projecting an image of absolute security and unshakeable solvency. It was explicitly backed by the Crown's gold, its vast trading profits, and, crucially, by the implied threat of Balerion.
> "The wealth of the realm," Viserys proclaimed in his decree establishing the bank, "shall be safeguarded and nurtured by the Crown, for the benefit of all. The Royal Dragon Bank shall be the heart from which prosperity flows to every corner of our kingdom."
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The bank offered several key services:
* Secure Deposits: Lords, merchants, and even wealthy commoners could deposit their gold and valuables, receiving deposit certificates or "Dragon Notes" – essentially early banknotes, redeemable at any branch. This removed the risk of storing large sums of gold in vulnerable castles or transporting it across bandit-infested roads, providing a powerful incentive for compliance.
* Loans and Credit: The bank offered loans for various ventures – agricultural improvements, new businesses, even large-scale construction projects – always with a careful assessment of risk and a profitable interest rate for the Crown. This allowed Viserys to direct capital flow, supporting ventures beneficial to his vision and subtly controlling economic development.
* Currency Exchange: With the Crown's expanding trade network, the bank facilitated the exchange of foreign currencies, further streamlining international commerce.
Viserys quickly began establishing branches of the Royal Dragon Bank across the kingdoms. These branches, smaller but equally secure, were set up in major cities like Oldtown, Lannisport, Gulltown, and White Harbor. Each branch was headed by a trusted Crown official, often a man with a financial background but whose loyalty was absolute, backed by a detachment of the Royal Army.
The establishment of the Royal Dragon Bank and its branches gradually marginalized traditional moneylenders, including the Iron Bank of Braavos, whose influence Viserys actively sought to reduce within Westeros. Lords, once reliant on their own meager treasuries or the whims of foreign bankers, now found it safer and more convenient to deal directly with the King's bank. This created an unprecedented level of financial centralization, giving Viserys detailed insight into the wealth and financial activities of every major player in the realm. It allowed him to identify economic vulnerabilities, apply financial pressure when needed, and direct investment towards his strategic goals.
The Great Houses, initially wary, slowly succumbed to the convenience and security offered by the bank, especially after a few instances of bandit raids on traditional gold convoys were met with swift and brutal "Dragon's Justice" from Balerion, demonstrating the bank's superior security. The subtle resentment of losing financial autonomy was outweighed by the pragmatic benefits and the undeniable power behind the institution.
By 130 AC, Viserys I, now in his early fifties, stood at the apex of an economic empire. His royal distilleries generated immense revenue, his network of hotels and taverns provided unparalleled intelligence, and the Royal Dragon Bank had woven a golden web of financial control across the entire kingdom. He was not just a king by right of conquest or blood, but a king by right of economic supremacy, his genius reshaping Westeros from the very ground up, ensuring a golden age for House Targaryen unlike any seen before. The gambit continued, each piece falling perfectly into place, building an unassailable dynasty through cunning, ruthlessness, and the unparalleled application of modern knowledge.