The current Sealord, Ferrego Antaryon, waited in the ship's reception hall. The Sealord himself was dressed simply in a traditional Braavosi grey-brown linen robe, with three copper keys hanging from a silver chain at his waist.
In Braavos, only assassins wore gaudy, colorful clothes; true rich men, skilled swordsmen, and Faceless Men usually wore black and dark colors.
Behind him, besides two silent attendants, stood a man. He was lean, dressed in tight grey trousers and shirt, with a dark blue short jacket trimmed with silver.
He appeared to be around thirty, with brown hair and a face so calm it was almost indifferent, save for a pair of unusually bright grey-green eyes that seemed to see through the currents beneath the water. In his hand, he held a slender, narrow sword, gleaming with silver.
Viserys recognized this type of sword; it was a Braavosi rapier, used only by Braavos's unique "water dancers."
"Welcome, Prince Viserys."
"This is Syrio Forel," the Sealord introduced, seeing Viserys look at the man, "He is the First Sword of Braavos, and my personal guard."
Syrio Forel gave Viserys a ceremonial bow.
Viserys remembered that name. He was the teacher in the original story who taught Arya Stark the Water Dance sword fighting style in King's Landing. It was this man who later used his life to cover Arya's escape from capture.
It was also because of the sword fighting he taught that Arya was noticed by Jaqen H'ghar of the Faceless Men. He was a crucial link in Arya's future transformation into a Faceless Man.
"Braavos has heard many stories about you, some quite astonishing." The Sealord's voice pulled his thoughts back. His gaze shifted to Arthur Dayne, lingered for a moment on the hilt of 'Dawn,' then returned to Viserys's face, carrying a hint of imperceptible scrutiny.
He was assessing whether this boy was truly a leader or merely a mascot pushed to the forefront by his knights.
Afterward, Viserys greeted him politely, his words appropriate, neither humble nor arrogant. He requested the Sealord to allow the Targaryen Family to reside temporarily in Braavos for legitimate trade, promising to abide by Braavosi laws.
The Sealord listened patiently, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of his chair. "Braavos opens its doors to all law-abiding free people," he said slowly, "Free trade, free faith, free residence. As long as our laws are not violated, and no external conflicts are brought into our waterways. You may stay, and your people may stay."
He paused, his tone still gentle but conveying an unmistakable meaning: "But you must understand one thing, Prince Viserys. Braavos is neutral. We will not intervene in the War of the Five Kings. It has always been so, it is so now, and it will be so in the future. As long as Braavos remains Braavos."
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze sharpening: "This means you can live, trade, and accumulate wealth here. But you cannot establish a base in Braavos, recruit armies, or plan a counterattack on Westeros. Once we discover any such actions, our protection will cease immediately. Braavos will also become your enemy."
Viserys looked calmly into the Sealord's eyes, no extra emotion visible on his face.
"I understand, Your Excellency, Sealord." His voice was steady, with a tone that was age-appropriate yet unusually composed, "What we seek is a breathing space and fair trade. Thank you for your hospitality and frankness."
However, he was thinking inwardly that once the dragons grew up, Braavos would be the first to suffer. This city, known as the "Bastard Daughter of Valyria," was built by a group of slaves who escaped the Valyrian Freehold. They sailed desperately to the furthest corner from the Freehold, establishing this refuge between saltwater lagoons and reefs.
It was only because the ruling Dragonlords at the time were more benevolent and pardoned their sins. However, these descendants of the miraculously surviving slaves built their city entirely of stone and even mounted giant crossbows on the walls—every design was aimed at dragons.
Now they presented a tolerant and neutral stance, but only because dragons had become a legend. Once dragons returned to the world, these descendants of the "Bastard Daughter of Valyria" would likely be more eager than anyone to exterminate them.
Viserys noticed the Sealord opposite him observing him. Therefore, he directly suppressed his emotions, making his facial expression appear even more indifferent. However, this only made the Sealord secretly more surprised.
Moreover, he noticed that the Westerosi knights behind Viserys, especially the legendary "Sword of the Morning," seemed to approve of all the young king's actions. This discovery made the Sealord shed his last trace of disdain for Viserys.
"Very good." The Sealord leaned back in his chair. "However, I hear you have about two thousand people, which is no small number. For the stability of Braavos, I can find a place for you to settle. North of the Purple Harbor, near the Ragpickers Quay, there is an abandoned warehouse district.
The place is large enough, and it's by the sea, with high walls. It has been vacant since a large fire many years ago. You can temporarily settle there. Of course, it will need repairs, and the rent will be calculated at market price, collected by the Iron Bank. What do you think?"
The Sealord's suggestion sounded like help but was actually a veiled calculation. How could he let a two-thousand-strong army enter his city unsupervised? The abandoned old warehouse, isolated and easy to monitor, being by the sea meant it was convenient for his fleet to surround, as Braavos possessed the largest fleet in the world.
However, Viserys did not refuse, as his original intention was merely to find a foothold, and without dragons, he couldn't make any major moves. Moreover, this was clearly more efficient than them blindly searching on their own, and the location was quite good, meeting their living needs. Viserys thanked him again.
Over the next month, Braavos welcomed these newcomers with lively joy. The abandoned warehouses at Ragpickers Quay were indeed as dilapidated as the Sealord had said, but their framework remained.
And to their surprise, tall brick walls enclosed a large courtyard, and the warehouses even had their own small dock, though it was filled with rotten wood and mud. However, cleaning it up would make it convenient for his fleet to be stationed there.
Settling two thousand people was a complex undertaking. Fortunately, Ser Willem Darry displayed astonishing organizational talent, dividing the personnel into several teams: one team responsible for clearing debris and reinforcing walls; one team for purchasing supplies and negotiating with local artisans; and one team for guard patrol and familiarizing themselves with the surrounding environment.
There was also a team, composed of the most loyal and reliable confidants and Dragonstone veterans, with its size kept within the limits allowed by Braavos. These were personal guards, permitted to wear full armor and weapons. Others had to temporarily store their arms on the ships; even patrol soldiers could only be equipped with minimal longswords.
Viserys did not remain aloof. Every day, he inspected the site and inquired about progress. Although many specific tasks were handled by the knights, the final decisions and resource allocation still required his approval.
He was also learning about the knowledge of this world, things unseen in the original novels, as this was a real world.
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