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9: The Merchant Prince, Willem I
🕑 Added 2024-05-07 15:08:52 +0000 UTCWillem Darry leaned against the railing of the ship, his eyes fixed on the calm sea that stretched out before him. The salty air brought back memories of his youth when he regularly journeyed through the Bay of Crabs with his brother. Those were some of the best days of his life. He had even visited Braavos once with his uncle.
His brother Jon, however, had detested the sea, always getting sick and preferring to travel by land. Willem chuckled softly to himself as he recalled the barbed exchanges between them. They had shared a fierce rivalry, each striving to outdo the other to earn a prestigious position in life. In the end, his brother had seemingly won that competition, becoming a Kingsguard, while he became the master of arms at the Red Keep.
But his brother was dead now, having fulfilled his duty until his final breath, dying to some unknown soldier at the Trident. His heart ached at that thought; it was something he tried not to think about, but now all the memories had come flooding back.
'He is with the Seven now,' he thought, looking out into the blue sea, hoping he would not be called to join him soon, as there was still so much left for him to do.
His duty was far from over.
His eyes wandered to where his king was standing in front of the ship, laughing along with Alton, two other squires, and some sailors. A smile crept onto Willem's face, a rare moment of warmth breaking through his usual stern demeanor. It was good to see the boy act his age.
Willem had seen him transform in front of his eyes after they left King's Landing. The boy involved himself in all matters and took his studies seriously; Gerald had only praises for the king.
He was also smart—too smart for his age. Sometimes he felt he was talking to a grown man, not a boy of eight.
The only thing Willem wished was for him to focus on his martial training; the boy was very reluctant when it came to it.
When Viserys asked him to take him along to Braavos, He had tried to delay the journey as much as possible while trying to convince the boy of the dangers. But it seemed the young monarch was one step ahead, as he revealed to him that only he knew of the specifics of the deal Lucerys had struck with the Iron Bank, and he had to be there in person; otherwise, they would not be able to access the treasury the Lord of Tides had given the bank for safekeeping. It seemed the boy had kept secrets from him and was now using them to his advantage.
'He would have fared well in the Red Keep,' Willem thought, turning his gaze toward the king.
He saw the boy walking towards him. He had promised that he would keep no secrets and would reveal everything he and Lucerys had planned; this was the perfect opportunity to talk.
"Ser Willem," the boy greeted, his gaze shifting to his leg. "Why don't you sit down, Ser? Don't strain your leg…"
"I'm fine, like I said before, I am not that old and decrepit yet," he interrupted, smiling at him. He was glad that his king was worried about his health.
"What should we expect at the Iron Bank?" Willem asked.
The boy turned to face him, a slight grin on his face. "Ah, I haven’t told you about that yet, have I?" he responded with a light chuckle.
Willem simply nodded, his expression serious, urging the young king to continue.
"I asked Lord Lucerys to deposit the treasury of Dragonstone in the bank under a new name—a name I plan to use to hide from the prying eyes of the new regime back home," Viserys explained.
Willem furrowed his brow. "Is that necessary?" he questioned, unsure of the need for such extreme measures.
"Yes, Ser, it is. I'm taking no chances. Gerald too agrees with this plan; in fact, he was the one who suggested it.”
‘Ah, that explains it. The old maester was giving him advice. The boy did spend a lot of time with him at Dragonstone and continued to do so at the estate,’ Willem thought.
“The man who will meet with us is a high-ranking official at the bank. He can only identify us by the new name.”
Willem's mind raced as he processed the information. "And what name has Lord Lucerys chosen? What name have you chosen?" he asked, slightly impatient.
He saw the boy's eyes narrow as if he was trying to remember. 'Had he forgotten? Why did you not inform me of these plans, Lucerys?' he thought. He should have talked with Lucerys about all this.
"Sereno," he finally said. "Yes, that was it—Sereno."
Willem repeated it under his breath, "Sereno... a strange name, sounds Essosi."
"We are to be merchants from Tyrosh who have come to Braavos start anew," the boy added, explaining the facade they would adopt.
"Bah, you wish for us to be some lowly merchants, mere copper counters," he said, annoyed at the thought of such a humble disguise.
The boy’s expression remained unfazed by his discomfort. "It’s a necessary guise, Ser Willem. It keeps us safe and under the radar while we rebuild. Trust me, this is the best way to protect us all," he assured him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“And this man from the bank, does he know of our true…” Willem began to say.
“Yes,” the boy interrupted, “we didn’t tell him, but I'm pretty sure the bank knows. They will go along with our story as long as it benefits them and considering the amount of money we just brought into the bank, they will have no problem keeping that secret.”
"We could approach the Sealord, or perhaps even make contact with Dorne," he suggested, trying to change the boy's mind. To sink as low as a merchant was unthinkable for him.
However, the boy shook his head dismissively. "And make it easier for Baratheon to find us?" he countered sharply. "What stops him from sending an army to our estate? No, Ser, I plan to stay hidden as long as possible. If I have to take another name, then so be it."
“This plan, crafted by Lord Lucerys, is good, and it's what I've decided," the young monarch reiterated.
"We don't need to stoop so low," Willem protested weakly, still put off by the very thought.
"We are doing this whether you like it or not," he stated bluntly.
"But your—" Willem began to argue further, but the boy cut him off.
"Willem, right now we are powerless. Yes, we have loyalists back in Westeros, but they cannot do anything; Baratheon is strong, he has six kingdoms firmly behind him now, even Dorne will submit soon enough. We need to build our power here in Braavos, so we need to play by their rules," the boy explained.
"If I have to lower myself for my family's safety, for all these people's safety, I will gladly do it."
Willem was taken aback by the king's words and, ashamed, he realized that while he had been concerned with pride and appearances, the king was looking at the larger picture—survival, stability. If he was willing to stoop so low, then why couldn't he?
"You are right, my king," Willem conceded, his voice softening.
“We will grow our power here. I don’t care by what means, and when the Stag’s regime weakens, and it will…..We will strike,” he said before walking away, leaving Willem alone again.
He stared out again at the vast, serene sea. He still had reservations about masquerading as merchants, but the wisdom in the king's plan was undeniable—if they could build their power here without alerting the Usurper, then he would do as his king commanded.
'The boy was cunning,' he thought as he turned his gaze on the king once more. He could become the king many in the Red Keep thought Rhaegar would have been; he even seemed poised to surpass those expectations. The thought comforted him; he had very little time left in this world, and he hoped to be here until the boy grew to be a man.
.
.
.
They arrived in Braavos after a few hours. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the blue waters surrounding the city. The Titan of Braavos loomed ahead, a colossal stone figure marking the entrance to the city's grand harbor. Standing with its legs astride the channel, the Titan was an imposing sight. Its head was crowned with a helm, under which fiery green eyes glared down at all who dared to pass beneath. He waited for the expected horn to sound, remembering how scared he had been when he first heard it.
The ship passed under the Titan's vast stone legs. He watched as the king and Alton stared at the colossal structure with their mouths agape. Then suddenly, the Titan let out a mighty roar, causing them to jump in surprise.
As the echoes of the horn faded, the city of Braavos unfolded before them in the evening light.The city was built on small islands, all scattered throughout the hidden lagoon.
He could see the Sealord's Palace in the distance. To the left of the palace on the adjacent island, the imposing structure of the Iron Bank of Braavos stood, its stern, unadorned façade a stark contrast to the ornate buildings surrounding it. Further inland, the Silver Domes of the Temple of the Moonsingers were visible as the evening light bounced off it.
As the ship moved closer, the bustling activity of the harbors came into full view. Sailors shouted to one another as they unloaded their cargo, and merchants haggled over prices with buyers from distant lands. He wondered if the inn his uncle had taken his brother and him to was still there. He walked over to the king, who was staring at the city with a shocked expression. Braavos was much different from King's Landing—far more beautiful.
As he stood beside his king, his gaze drifted to the distant House of Black and White, the home of the infamous Faceless Men.
'Would the usurper ply their services? If he did, how would I even stop such a threat?' he thought, his panic increasing as he considered the scenario.
“Ser… Ser Willem,” he heard Alton call, breaking him from his dark thoughts.
“Yes, Alton?” he answered.
“Shall we go ahead and look for an inn?” Alton asked, as two other squires nodded along behind him.
“No, there is no need. I have one in mind,” he said, looking at the docks. He then turned to address the knights and guards that had gathered around him.
“We should avoid drawing too much attention. Do not engage with the locals more than necessary."
"Meakar, Elmar, you'll scout ahead as we advance. Watch for anyone showing undue interest in our group. Alyn, Justin, cover the flanks. Mathos, you're with me at the rear. Keep your eyes open for anyone following us."
"Once we reach the inn, I want a perimeter check. Ensure there are no easy access points for unwanted visitors, and see that our rooms are secure. We'll establish a watch rotation tonight; I don't want us caught off guard."
The knights and guards nodded and prepared to disembark. He saw the king talking with one of the servants assigned to buy supplies for the estate. He looked around again and sent a prayer to the Seven that nothing would go awry during their stay here.
