Percy POV
Bravoss, Summer: 296 AC (Six Weeks Later)
The clopping of horse hooves on stone was something Percy had gotten extremely familiar with from his time in Braavos, even more so in recent days, as all the supplies and other things they purchased while in Braavos were being loaded onto the ship by horse-drawn wagons.
He and his men had spent a total of six weeks in the city, with today being their last. He had managed to secure a three-year contract with the Barley and Brothers for 20,000 gold dragons. It was 5,000 more than he wanted to spend, but he just took it out of the amount he was taking back with him.
He chuckled as he remembered walking into the meeting late and disheveled. The brothers almost dismissed him initially, but by channeling Hestia’s blessing, he got the two to sit down and hear him out.
“Lanor, Tytan. I know it may seem as though I got distracted by the entertainment Braavos has to offer, but I was actually kidnapped by the Black Pearl of Braavos.”
The two men shared a glance before Tytan spoke up.
“And what would that pirate want with you?”
Percy grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.
“I may have... destroyed one of her ships that chased us from a blockade.”
The brothers were silent for a moment before busting out in laughter. Talking over one another through their amusement.
“Fuck that bitch.”
“Earned it she did, the whore.”
“Probably just upset 'cause her latest plaything was aboard that ship.”
“You’re right brother! That cold bitch only thaws when a dick is up her ass!”
Percy raised his eyebrows at the duo but wisely decided not to speak up. He was on their good side now and didn’t want to waste it by fishing for information. Lest he wind up ruining any goodwill he had just gained.
Another moment of laughter and a few more jokes later found the brothers much more welcoming and Percy with a smile on his face as he gave his pitch.
“I know that Sea Dragon Point is on the opposite side of Westeros, but I plan to change that once I return. Hiring men with some of my leftover funds to open up and expand the river connecting Moat Cailin and White Harbor so that ships can cut across Westeros instead of having to sail all the way around.”
The two men raised their eyebrows at the demigods' claim but didn’t immediately reject the idea. Which had Percy using their silence as permission to continue.
“I am hoping to get a three-year contract with the Barley Brothers to provide Sea Dragon Point with your grain and produce as we work to open this river for trade. Then, once we have expanded the river, we would like to renew the contract for five years with Barley and Brothers being the exclusive grain and produce supplier for the North.”
“In exchange, there would be no charge to use the trading canal for as long as Barley and Brothers stayed in business, as well as protection for your ships from Seahaven’s fleet once it is completed.”
Percy held his breath as the two brothers shared a look, and after a moment, both nodded in agreement. The son of Poseidon sighed in relief, now only having to worry about how much the first contract was going to cost him.
“Thank you for the faith, gentlemen. Now, how much were you thinking for the first contract?”
Tytan spoke up, and Percy was starting to understand that he was the brother who made most of the decisions.
“I think 30,000 gold dragons would be perfectly reasonable considering the leap of faith we are taking here.”
Percy blanched but did his best to hide it. If he learned one thing as a Praetor, it was how to negotiate.
“That is, unfortunately, just out of my budget Tytan. Would you consider half of that?”
Percy watched as Tytan shook his head, feeling his hope get crushed, only for it to be reignited as Lanor spoke up. Something that shocked Tytan if the look on his face was anything to go by.
“I think we could come down to 20,000 gold dragons, but we would want it all up front without involving the Iron Bank.”
Percy quickly nodded before Tytan could get in a word, getting up to shake Lanor’s hand.
“I can do that. Thank you Lanor.”
Lanor had an easygoing smile as he grasped Percy’s hand.
“You’re welcome, Percy. It’s the least we can do since you fucked over that Otherys cunt. She’s cost us plenty in merchandise.”
This time, Percy joined in the brother’s laughter as Lanor led him out of the office. More than happy he had gotten two major suppliers doing business with him.
The sound of a crate crashing brought Percy out of his memories, and with a sigh, he realized it was one of the ones getting loaded onto his ship. Making his way over, he discerned that it was the unique armor and weapons he had purchased for his captains and personal guard.
There were fifteen sets in total, with a style mixed between ancient Greek hoplites and his own Atlantean armor. It was also stained to match his color theme of blue/silver with his house emblem engraved on the chest piece and pauldrons.
Bending down, he picked up the sword that fell out of the armor crate set before handing it to the recruit, who was in the process of collecting the pieces that had fallen out. Percy glanced at the water and was happy to see that none of the armor or weapons had fallen into the murky depths.
Seeing that the two men who dropped the box to begin with had finished cleaning up, he gave them a nod and some teasing words as he left.
“I’ll be sure to include some grip training in both of your exercises.”
Neither man responded, and Percy chuckled as he made his way back to overseeing the loading of the ship. They had managed to recruit sixty men, and of those men, only five had families joining them. He also had managed to get a couple more whores to join the dozen that had already agreed.
Percy snorted as he absentmindedly wondered if it would make more sense to just pay them directly instead of his sailors for the duration of the journey. The demigod had no doubt that was where his men would be spending their money on the return voyage.
He was just glad he had his own cabin, lest he be kept up all night from his men’s extracurricular activities. Speaking of which, the demigod smiled as Claire approached him, shaking her hips with a seductive smile as she rested on the railing beside him.
“Hello, My Lord, I have some things that I would like thrown around the cabin. Would you please help me?”
Percy grinned as he called Barrian over.
“Barrian, my friend. Claire needs my assistance in the cabin to... move some things around. Can you watch over the men as they finish loading the supplies?”
The captain of the Sea Fang let out a barking laugh as he shooed his Lord away. The son of the sea grinning as Claire grabbed him by the hand, sashaying her way back towards the cabin.
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Sea Dragon Point, Summer 296 AC (Five Weeks Later)
Percy had a strange feeling of deja vu when he was woken by the sound of the bell ringing on the ship. That feeling soon vanished as he heard waves crashing against the shore, realizing that they had finally made it back home.
He let out a grin as he stretched, groaning in satisfaction as several pops resounded from his back and shoulders as a result. Sitting up, he gently shook the redheaded beauty awake beside him before running a hand along Thalassa’s scales as she slept in the middle of his cabin.
He had called in his Dragon the night prior since they were almost back home, and he didn’t want to ruin the surprise of their early return. They had been away for nearly four months at this point, and he was excited to see the progress that had been made in his absence without the bravado of a welcome-back celebration.
Stepping outside the captain’s quarters, Percy took in a breath of fresh air. Glancing at the beach, a smile bloomed on his face as he noticed several docks that looked more secure than the impromptu one they had built when he left.
In total, it looked like they had completed five docks, with three having a crane and pulley to help unload cargo vessels quicker. In contrast, the other two docks were more of a permanent space for ships that decided to extend their stay.
He also noticed off to the side of the docks that a small and proper shipyard had been built with a mostly complete hull in the dry dock. Then, tucked away behind the shipyard, he could just barely make out a cozy little cottage.
He was glad that Desmor got a proper house built and could now focus primarily on building ships. Speaking of which, Percy nearly yelled out in excitement upon seeing a smaller Sea Fang patrolling the waters around the docks.
Once the one in the shipyard was completed, the two mini Sea Fangs would act as destroyers for the big Sea Fang, which was equivalent to being a cruiser. That would make up his first naval squadron, and he wouldn’t consider it a fleet until he had four destroyer-level ships, two cruiser-level ships, and one pure support ship.
Then, once he had his first fleet, he would work closer with Desmor to build some of the more advanced ship designs. Ones included more efficient pulleys, more cargo space, and better loading systems.
All with the idea of decreasing the amount of manpower required to properly operate his vessels. While he did manage to recruit an additional sixty men, it was getting harder and harder to convince people to leave their homes and join his new city.
Tearing his gaze away from the new and improved shipyard and docks, the demigod could only stare open-mouthed at the walls that looked to be mostly complete. With the only two things not visible from his original diagram being the two turrets that would act as watchtowers.
Even without the turrets, though, his walls were an imposing sight and seemed as impenetrable as they were massive. Colored a dark gray with several arrow slits built in across its entirety, Percy was impressed with how far everything had progressed while he’d been away.
Unfortunately, it looked as though the same could not be said for his castle proper, as it appeared to not even be halfway complete. With the only thing visible from his angle being the scaffolding that simply outlined the design of the castle.
His excitement was palpable as the ship moved closer to the dock, bouncing on his feet as he impatiently waited to explore everything protected by his castle walls and check in with his council. He couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when he told them how much coin they had to grow and expand.
At that thought, the demigod hurried the ship into port with some liberal use of his powers before being the first to disembark. Grinning as he saw Thalassa soar overhead, no doubt headed to her favorite hunting spot. Unfortunately, Thalassa gave away the fact he had returned, and he was soon received by Pearson and the rest of his council before he had a chance to explore.
“My Lord, I am glad you have arrived safely. We are all eager to hear how negotiations went in Braavos, as I am afraid things have not gone as well as we had hoped with your departure.”
At his raised eyebrow, Pearson continued.
“You see, the Storm Masons have paused construction on the castle proper until they are paid in full.”
Percy let out a tired sigh.
“I was afraid that might happen, but thankfully, Braavos went better than we could have ever hoped for. Ronna, get with Barrian and have him and a handful of his men prepare our payment to the Storm Masons.”
“Gelder, my friend, we managed to recruit another sixty men. I want you to leave with Ronna and help them get the money ready to give to the Storm Masons. Then get with Barrian and have him round up the recruits so you can get started on their training and show them where they’ll be staying.”
“Pearson, you’re with me. I am excited to see what has been accomplished in my absence.”
Ronna and Gelder each gave him a nod before heading off to find Barrian. Percy, meanwhile, threw his arm around Pearson as they made their way up the path from the docks to the castle.
The older man laughed as he did so.
“Sometimes I forget how old you are, My Lord. You speak as though you are a Lord hardened by dozens of battles and have been running a city for years. Yet, you can’t be older than twenty-three name days.”
Percy joined in on the laughter, “Aye, you are closer to the truth than you know, my friend. Get me drunk enough, and I might tell you one day.”
The two laughed a bit more until they crested the hill, and Percy saw how much headway had truly been made. Smiling, he saw several farming houses in the middle of being constructed, with the grazing pastures steadily growing.
There was still a sea of tents, but he was happy that the number appeared to be dwindling. Pearson let him take it in for a moment before guiding him over to the gate. The guards nodded to them as they approached, and Percy couldn’t hide his grin, watching the wrought Iron Gate start to rise.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much progress made inside the walls themself. The only things completed were the Water Tower and Barracks. While the rest of the buildings were still in their beginning stages.
Several houses only had half a wall built or, in the case of the Barn, only missing the roof. Nonetheless, he was ecstatic by the advancement being made and couldn’t wait until they were finished.
The duo was stopped several times as they made their way through the city, with Percy taking the time to stop and learn more about the people who had taken the leap of faith with him in starting a new settlement in the north.
There was the Blacksmith, John, who had decided to come because of Percy’s ability to control Thalassa. He focused primarily on making tools and goods, but he could make weapons if needed.
He was one of the first people who had joined the demigod from Winterfell, having lived there his whole life, and all the man wanted to do in his fresh start was to make a difference. Percy made a mental note to be sure to let the man know when something he did had a positive impact on the settlement before moving on.
He had also spoken with a woman by the name of Cassandra. She was an older woman in her late fifties, if he had to guess, and had decided to join him when she heard the passion in his voice during one of his speeches back in Winterfell.
She was just passing through at the time, having come to visit her last living sibling, who was on their deathbed. Once her brother died, she had no family left alive and jumped at the chance to have something new and exciting to do.
She had set up a shop selling clothing that was expertly made in his eyes, and when he told her so, she had vowed to make him an outfit fit for a man of his stature. He looked forward to seeing what the woman would create and was interested in how Sansa would react when she saw him wearing it.
The eldest Stark daughter had taken great joy in dressing him up and helping him look the part of nobility. Which was something he quickly learned that the girl didn’t get to do much in the North, as it was more about practicality than looks.
It was a small price to pay in his mind if it allowed her the ability to actually do something she was incredibly passionate about. It took a while with all the stopping, but Percy finally reached the command tent that had been moved inside the walls and set up in the spot that would eventually house his castle.
In actuality, the command tent was where the royal stables would be, while his tent and the rest of his councils were where his personal guards' barracks would be since they didn’t want to be in the way of the construction.
Pearson opened the flap for him, which Percy ducked under as he made his way into the tent, sitting at his seat at the head of the wooden table. Pearson grabbed a bottle of wine and a handful of envelopes before taking his seat to the close right of Percy.
“A couple of letters arrived while you were away, Lord Perseus. I hope you don’t mind, but I opened all the ones that didn’t specify they were for your eyes only.”
Percy nodded his head as he picked up a letter with a wax symbol of the stag, taking a drink of the wine Pearson had poured before replying as he opened the letter.
“I appreciate the caution, my friend, but if you know that I will be gone for over two weeks, please open all the letters and use your own judgment for what you think our response should be. Some things could be time-sensitive, and I don’t want something important to be missed simply because I wasn’t here to read it.”
His right-hand man nodded as they both took a drink from their mugs of wine while Percy went through his mail as they waited for Ronna and Gelder to arrive. So far, nothing in the letters demanded his immediate response.
Most were just marriage proposals from other minor houses with naked sketches of the woman on a separate piece of parchment inside the other. The rest were simply letters of congratulations, but two of them made him raise an eyebrow.
One was from Stannis Baratheon, congratulating him on his unique and sudden rise to nobility, which wasn’t very interesting besides the name. The other letter, however, was from the Lannisters of all people. It wasn’t trying to be subtle and had him wondering about the loyalty of the other minor houses in the North.
In it, the letter congratulated him on his rise to nobility and wished him well, which wasn’t concerning in of itself. The worrying portion of the letter was that they practically offered him ten thousand gold dragons to help him get his settlement started.
There were no payback terms, and it even said they would help him negotiate with the Storm Masons to get a better deal. He was concerned that they offered similar deals to the other minor houses in the North.
He shouldn’t have to worry about money thanks to Hades' gift, but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the North. He was confident that the loyalty to the Starks ran deep, and houses like the Mormonts and the Carstarks would find the offer insulting.
But some of the less well-off houses, or incredibly ambitious Lords, might see an opportunity. If any house took the money, then the lions had their claws in them. Even if they didn’t do anything that the Lannisters asked, he wouldn’t put it past them to let the rest of the North know what houses received loans from them.
Setting that letter to the side, the demigod finished opening the rest of the messages. Nothing else really stuck out to him, and he made a stack of the marriage proposal letters for Pearson to go through.
He didn’t plan on getting married anytime soon, and he wasn't going to spend his time writing responses that respectfully declined their offers. It was one of the few perks of being a Lord that he actually enjoyed, and he would make the most out of it.
After a couple more minutes of catching up with Pearson as they drank their wine, Ronna and Gelder entered the tent, pouring themselves a glass of wine before taking their seats. With his council fully arrived, the demigod started talking.
“As I stated earlier, my fortune in Braavos turned out to be much more valuable than I thought. In total, we sold off a vast majority of it for 150,000 Gold Dragons.”
Percy let his words sink in momentarily as Pearson, Ronna, and Gelder gasped in shock at how much money he managed to get. Taking a breath, he continued.
“While that was most of my valuables, it was not all. I opened an account with the Iron Bank and left one crate full of precious gems and metals and 30,000 Gold Dragons. Our Account Manager, Arthur, will use that money to invest in other businesses and opportunities that would average us a net five percent annual growth on the fund.”
“I also brought back two crates of valuables, along with 65,000 Gold Dragons. If you are wondering where the rest of the money went, I spent it on two contracts. The first was a five-year, 30,000 gold dragon agreement with the Pearl Trading Company for their premium steel. While the other is a three-year, 20,000 gold dragon agreement with Barley and Brothers for their grain and produce.”
“The remaining difference was all spent in Braavos on several miscellaneous things, like some custom armor, recruiting, improving morale, and the like. We can get more into the details of the agreements later after you two have time to review the signed copies I brought back with me.”
With the last part of his sentence directed towards Pearson and Ronna, the demigod continued after taking another breath.
“But, a major part of the agreements with those two companies and three future agreements with different companies. Was that we expand the River Fever to the Shivering Sea, cutting across Moat Cailin and coming out somewhere near White Harbor.”
His Council stared at him wide-eyed, and their mouth’s slightly agape. Gelder was the first to break out of his stupor, letting out a barking laugh as he took a swig of his wine.
“By the Old Gods, you sure know how to shoot for the stars only to get the moon instead. I’m glad I followed you, Lord Perseus, and am excited to see how far we go under your leadership.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
That broke Pearson and Ronna out of their stupor, who also slowly nodded their heads before all three of them lifted their cups in cheers. Something that Percy himself quickly joined in on as they all cheered for the successful trip. With Ronna being the next one to speak.
“Aye, I agree with Gelder. Although, I would be remiss if I didn’t stress that expanding the River Fever will be expensive. Are you sure you want to deplete our newly acquired funds so soon after getting them?”
Percy grinned as he responded to his Master of Coin.
“I don’t plan on us spending too much of our funds. I aim to meet with Eddard and get his support, along with most of the funding from Winterfell to expand the river. I’m confident he will see the project's value and long-term growth potential for the betterment of the North.”
What the demigod didn’t mention yet was that he planned on traveling with the group that would work on expanding the river to help speed along the process. Not wanting to tell his council he was leaving so soon after just getting back.
But there was a lot of work to be done if he wanted himself and the North as a whole to be ready for the war that Chaos had told him about before he left his old world. The creator never mentioned when the war would occur, but he doubted she would give him decades to prepare.
He’d also be a fool to think that he was the only thing that changed from before she turned back the clock. If there was one thing he knew about all-powerful beings, it was that they liked to make things as interesting as possible.
Pearson's voice broke him out of his internal thoughts, bringing him back into the conversation.
“-eus has a point. There is a real chance that Lord Stark will dedicate some resources to the project, and I think it best to table that until Lord Perseus has a chance to speak with him. In the meantime, how did recruitment in Braavos go?”
Percy soon found himself talking about the tactics he had employed and his men carried out that seemed to get the best results. Gelder was happy enough bolstering their current forces by sixty, with only five having families.
Meanwhile, Pearson was delighted to hear they had fourteen whores from Braavos. At the demigod's raised eyebrow, the man elaborated.
“Some of the wealthiest men will travel all the way to Braavos for exotic whores, if we can get the word out there that we have Braavosian women. We should see a surge in people visiting that might decide to stay after experiencing the rest of our city.”
“At the very least, we could have a couple of wealthy nobles visit and help provide an influx of cash, which is always nice. We need to make sure that those women are happy here, Ronna. Can you make sure we get them what they need?”
Percy had realized long ago that being ‘a lady of the night’ back on his old world was a great job here, and most women enjoyed it. Calling a woman a whore wasn’t as much of an insult from what he could tell, not that he wanted to use the term so freely to begin with anyhow.
His attention was brought back into the meeting as Ronna finished talking about how she would make sure the Braavosi women had what they wanted or needed. Pearson cleared his throat, downing the rest of his wine before continuing.
“Excellent, thank you Ronna. Now, it is getting quite late, but before we all retire for the night, I have some good news!”
At the group's raised eyebrows, Pearson continued.
“The crown officially sent us a raven, acknowledging us as Seahaven, the seat of House Wake!”
Cheers rang out throughout the tent as they celebrated the news, pouring another glass of wine in commemoration. The conversations turning more personal as Percy told them about the celebration everyone had after selling the valuables to the Iron Bank. While his council members caught him up on their own personal lives.
Percy stumbled into his tent hours later, long after the sun had set for the night. A smile on his face as he collapsed on his bed, happy to be back.
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Percy grunted as he pulled the strap through the ring, securing it with a loop around the dee string before pulling it tight. His horse let out a huff as he kicked himself on top of it, ready to ride for Wintertown.
The morning after he had returned, an emissary from Winterfell arrived with grave news. Martyn was dead, and according to the messenger, he died in his sleep. It was a peaceful way to go, but despite only knowing the man briefly, the demigod was sure he would’ve preferred to go out on the battlefield.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Percy kicked his horse into motion towards the gate of Seahaven. He and two of his personal guards, Andros and Saffir, were headed to the memorial feast that Eddard was hosting.
It would take them roughly a week of hard riding, but he was determined to make it in time to celebrate Martyn Cassel’s life. The man had shown him kindness when he first arrived in this world, and that was something he wouldn’t soon forget.
Glancing up to the sky, he smiled as Thalassa soared overhead. Her scales shimmered as the sun’s light reflected off her body, creating a beautiful sea-green glow. She roared as she spotted some prey from the sky, swooping down beneath the trees for her prize. Reminding Percy that his dragon was a dangerous beauty indeed.
It wasn’t long until he found Andros and Saffir waiting at the gates in their new armor. Their helmet was that of a Greek, with a small plume of blue hair that stood out. Meanwhile, the pauldrons and chest piece looked identical to his, with matching greaves and bracers.
He greeted his two closest guards with a nod, that they promptly returned.
“Andros, Saffir. Sorry for dragging you two with me on another long journey after returning from Braavos only a few days ago.”
Andros let out a booming laugh while Saffir chuckled, shaking his head.
“We are happy to be of service, my Lord. The new armor and weapons more than make up for it.”
Saffir’s voice was as smooth as ever. While the armor covered up his white hair, it didn’t cover his sharp, angular features and tan skin. He was lithe, but thanks to the training regime Percy developed and the workhorse Gelder was, Saffir was a much more muscular lithe than when he first joined him.
The man was originally from Dorne and had decided to travel the world on his twentieth-name day. He just so happened to be passing through Winterfell on his way to see The Wall when he saw Percy’s dragon. After that, Saffir decided to follow him.
It didn’t take long for him to catch the eye of Gelder’s only daughter, who just turned eighteen. The two quickly fell in love and got married two days before they left for Sea Dragon. Gelder then started to train Saffir personally to make sure he could protect his daughter.
The Dornish man quickly showed a natural skill with the blade. He was then promptly promoted to Percy’s personal guard due to the small number of soldiers. Meanwhile, Andros couldn’t be any different from Saffir.
The man was the definition of a Viking back home, being slightly taller than Percy at 6-foot-5-inches with dark red hair and a beard that went down to his chest. The man was as loud and boisterous as they came, but he had the skill along with the strength to back it up.
While Saffir was lean and lithe, weighing no more than 160 lbs. Andros was a lean mass of muscle at no less than 240 lbs. After watching him spar with Jory Cassel one day, he followed Percy to Sea Dragon Point, respecting the demigod's strength and prowess in combat.
Unlike Saffir, Andros didn’t bind himself to one woman. Despite being in his late twenties, the man still partied and slept around as though he was eighteen and invincible. Although, Percy supposed a man with his power and strength was as close as a human could get to being infallible.
“Don’t let lover boy lie to you, Lord Perseus. You should’ve seen his tears as he said goodbye to Yarlen this morning. He was a blubbery mess.”
Percy laughed as Andros made fun of his counterpart while Saffir grumbled under his breath. Trying and failing to shove the giant of a man off his horse. The two fought in a way that only brothers brought together by more than blood could.
It made him smile as he kicked his horse onward, clapping back at Andros's comment with a jest of his own.
“Let’s get a move on, men. This trip will already take a month with how many times we will have to break so the red giant can eat a snack and not get horse-sick.”
Now, it was Saffir’s turn to let out a booming laugh as the duo kicked their horses forward. While Andros let out a grumbled sigh that Percy could just barely hear.
“You throw up once on top of your horse after a bad lunch, and suddenly everybody thinks you get horse-sick all the time, hmph.”
The complaint caused Percy to smile and Saffir to laugh even harder as the trio made their way to Winterfell on horseback while Thalassa flew overhead. Catching glimpses of her through breaks in the foliage as they traveled the same path that brought them to Sea Dragon Point nearly a year ago.
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The trio arrived in Winterfell in a week’s time, as he expected. The trip hadn’t been very eventful since the Storm Masons had hired guards to station and patrol certain sections of the road. Something that he had asked Riverall about when he noticed them a couple of weeks into construction.
That was when the leading owner of the construction company let him in on their secret and how they managed to get projects completed so quickly. On top of owning the mines that provided the stone and other materials, they also partnered with a mercenary group called ‘Blue Company.’
Blue Company receives a portion of the profits for each project, and in exchange, they not only guard the material and cargo itself. But they also station guards and checkpoints on the quickest path to the construction site.
This keeps the road clear of most bandits and significantly speeds along whatever project they are working on. It also allows them to pick a couple of locations to make storage yards, where one wagon will drop off material, and another will pick it up.
Speeding up any construction project since it allows for not only a surplus of material to build up closer to the site but also shortens the distance a transport wagon has to go. Meaning they can make more trips and fewer breaks as they aren’t on the road as much.
Because of all of that, bandits can’t set up a camp within dozens of miles of the road that connects Sea Dragon Point to Winterfell. Grinning slightly, he saw what the added benefit of Blue Company’s protection on the King’s Road to the North had.
Spotting several new shops and stalls, along with hundreds of more people as He, Andros, and Saffir made their way through Wintertown and towards the gates of Winterfell. The place was thriving, and he was hopeful that with all the extra people and money Winterfell was making, Eddard would help foot most of the bill and labor to get the River Fever expanded.
Of course, it couldn’t have been a perfect journey, and as soon as Percy and his guards made it to the Winterfell gate. They were stopped by one of Winterfell’s household guards.
“Lord Stark is not hosting court today, so go fuck a pig.”
Percy raised his eyebrow at the guard before showing him the letter the emissary had left him. The guard’s eyes widened slightly at seeing the Direwolf sigil on the note before quickly motioning for someone to open the gates.
Guiding his party forward, Percy ‘accidentally’ hit the guard with his horse, causing the man to fall to the ground. The demigod could hear his two guards chuckle as they made their way to the stables inside the Castle proper.
Handing their horses off to a stable hand, Percy made his way through the familiar halls of Winterfell. The place hadn’t changed at all in the year he’d been away, which was to be expected, he supposed. After all, according to the history books, the place had been around for over 8,000 years at this point.
Taking the familiar path to the Great Hall, Percy soon found himself in the spot where he met Lord Stark for the first time all those months ago. Catching sight of Maester Luwin, the demigod waved him down.
“Maester Luwin, good to see you. Do you, by chance, know where Eddard is?”
The old man nodded his head.
“I do. I believe he and Robb are currently in his study, going over the North’s finances. Would you like me to let him know you’ve arrived?”
Percy shook his head.
“No, but thank you for offering, Maester. I still remember the way and wanted to speak with him about financing a project that could make the North wealthy again.”
“Very well then. I wish you luck, Lord Perseus.”
With that, Luwin returned to the book he was reading while Percy and his two guards made their way toward Eddard’s study. Arriving a few minutes later, the son of Poseidon knocked on the door.
“Yes?” Eddard’s gruff voice was distinguishable even through the solid walnut door.
“It’s Percy. I wanted to talk to you about a possible project.”
Percy could almost hear the Warden of the North sigh.
“Alright, come in.”
Motioning for Andros and Saffir to stay outside, Percy opened the heavy door with a slight grunt before entering. Greeting Robb and Eddard with a nod as he noticed dozens of stacks and stacks of parchment scattered haphazardly around the study.
Robb and Eddard stood over a map of the North, with several pieces of parchment and several numerical figures based on what Percy could see. Making his way over to the two men, Percy greeted Eddard first with a warrior’s handshake before doing the same with Robb.
“How are you two?”
“Regretting the day you walked into my life, you bastard.” Eddard’s voice was full of mirth and soon broke into laughter that Percy quickly joined in on, followed shortly by Robb.
“Aye, the feeling’s mutual Ned. Do you know how many baths I had to take to get your stench out of my clothes?”
The three men laughed a bit more, throwing insults at each other that held no actual malice before Percy finally broke down and pushed the conversation to the reason why he was there.
“How are Winterfell’s finances? Maester Luwin said it was what the two of you were going over.”
“They are the greatest they’ve been in decades my friend. I was initially hesitant to allow you to hire these ‘Storm Masons,’ but with most of their workers traveling to Winterfell for a small break and all the coin spent here by the men transporting the supplies, we have more money than we’ve had in years.”
Robb nodded along with Eddard's words, adding his own thoughts as well.
“Honestly, I don’t know how you did it, Percy, but somehow, building Seahaven has made the North money rather than cost it any.”
The demigod laughed, happy to hear that his friends were also experiencing his good fortune. It made his next ask much easier with the proven track record of helping the region.
“I’m glad to hear it, Robb, Ned. In that case, I hope you will consider backing and providing most of the financing for a project I want to start as soon as possible.”
The two motioned for him to continue, and Percy took a deep breath, bracing himself for their initial reactions.
“I want to expand the River Fever so it can allow merchant and cargo ships from the Narrow Sea to go across Westeros without having to sail all the way around.”
The two men let out a bark of laughter, which slowly died down as they realized Percy wasn’t joining them.
“That... That is quite the project my friend, and it would take years at least. That’s not even including the cost or even the benefit it would give the North. Why would companies take that route over sailing to King’s Landing?”
Percy nodded his head along with Eddard's words, following along with everything he said. Having been prepared to address and answer his immediate concerns.
“I hear you Ned, but I already have two North-exclusive contacts with a steel supplier and a grain/produce supplier already in effect. I also have three companies that have committed to a North-exclusive agreement once the river is expanded, and a dozen more have shown interest in talking about one once the river is expanded.”
As the demigod spoke, Eddard found himself hooked. Understanding immediately how the man managed to convince so many companies so quickly. The Lord of Sea Dragon Point exuded confidence, charisma, and trustworthiness.
It was why he made such a rash and quick decision to make him a Lord after all. His gut told him he could trust the man, and his gut hadn’t led him wrong once. He held up a hand to stop the demigod as he went into revenue projections and estimated population growth after the project's completion.
“I hear you, Perseus, and I think this project will be well worth the investment. You haven’t failed the North yet, and I doubt you’ll start now. I trust you, so tell me what you need so we can continue to grow and thrive.”
The son of Poseidon’s smile grew more extensive and more sincere as he thanked the Warden of the North.
“Thank you, my friend, your trust means a lot to me. My funding and men are all currently tied up at Sea Dragon Point, so I was hoping Winterfell could financially back the project as well as provide a majority of the labor.”
“I would join them for the entirety of the project, and my own men would join once construction was done at Seahaven, of course. Winterfell would then get its money back through a tax or fee for ships to travel through the river.”
“The figure I gave to most companies when I talked with them was an eight percent tax or a fee of ten gold dragons per ship, and a majority of them believed the time savings were worth the cost since it would save most ships a minimum of six months per voyage.”
Eddard nodded as Robb finished making some notes on a piece of parchment. The Warden of the North gripped Percy’s hand and let loose a chuckle.
“I already said I trust you my friend, that means I’ll support whatever you say you need. Let’s iron out the details before the feast tomorrow and have a drink. I would like to know how your trip back home went.”
Percy laughed and followed Eddard towards the door of his study with Robb behind him. Realizing he had stuck with his speech even after getting the Lord of Winterfell’s approval of the project. He hadn’t expected such an easy yes from his experience as a Praetor.
“Boy, do I have some stories for you two, and they involve my two guards, Andros and Saffir.”
Hearing their names as the door to the study opened, the duo turned, expecting to find Percy standing between them, but were instead greeted by Lord Stark himself. Percy smirked at the two before introducing them to Eddard.
“Lord Stark, the red giant is Andros, and the twig is Saffir. He’s the one who married Gelder’s daughter.”
Hearing that, Eddard gave Saffir another once over before grinning and grabbing him by the shoulder.
“I can’t believe Gelder let you marry his daughter. You must’ve been quite skilled with a blade to win him over.”
The man gave a so-so gesture, but Andros wouldn’t let him get away with that.
“HA, skilled? Why Lord Stark, he’s a prodigy in the making!”
Saffir kicked Andros in the shin, which did nothing, thanks to the custom armor Percy had gotten for his guards. Eddard looked up at Andros with a raised eyebrow, and the usually boisterous man was now a bit meek as he chuckled.
Allowing Percy to step in and save both of his guards from embarrassing themselves further. If anyone was going to embarrass the two, it was going to be him.
“He is definitely getting their Ned, but I was shocked Gelder blessed the wedding as quickly as he did. But, you know how persuasive Yarlen can be.”
Ned laughed as he finished analyzing Percy’s guards, leading the way as the group made their way to the Great Hall.
“Aye, Yarlen was like an older sister to Sansa, and I’m almost certain Arya picked up her stubbornness from the girl when she hung around the two.”
Percy chuckled a bit, picturing Arya hanging out with Sansa and Yarlen growing up. As Robb spoke.
“That’s right, I think that’s the only time I’ve ever seen Arya interested in talking about lady-like things.”
Percy laughed at that one, wondering what a proper lady Arya would’ve looked like, before disregarding the thought. It was inconceivable that the girl he knew now would act like a proper lady out of her own free will.
Reaching the Great Hall. Some servants quickly brought some ale at Eddard's request, and after taking a drink from his mug, Percy dove into his journey to Braavos, starting with a story to help get some payback for poor Saffir.
“So, we're in Braavos, right, and Andros decides to...”
----------------------------------------
Percy gave himself a once over in the mirror. His hair was its usual untamable mess of black, which went well with the midnight wolf pelt he had over his shoulders. His breeches were a dark gray, along with his shirt that tied in with his teal-colored tunic.
According to Sansa, it matched his eyes, and seeing himself, he couldn’t help but agree. He hadn’t gotten a chance to really catch up with the girl since he had been back, having spent most of his time with Eddard and Robb putting together the final plans to start the River Fever expansion.
Vowing to talk to them while at the feast, he exited the guest room and headed towards the Great Hall. Nodding to several guards as he walked by, he made his way to the Hall and sat down at a table with Andros and Saffir.
It took no time at all for the food to be served and alcohol to start flowing. Grabbing some of the boar and a helping of the stew with his ale. He made conversation with Lord Cerwyn about how his castle was doing, along with some initial probing to see if he received a letter from the Lannisters as well.
Thankfully, when he brought up the Lannisters to Medger Cerwyn, the man spoke with so much disgust and hatred Percy knew the pull of money wouldn’t sway the Lord’s loyalty. However, he mentioned receiving a letter from the Lannisters offering a loan for any improvements he would want to make to Castle Cerwyn.
The man told them to kiss a pig's anus before pissing on the letter and sending it to them by raven. Something which Percy found comical and slightly disturbing at the same time. Before he could learn more about the Lord, though, Eddard stood up, grabbing everyone in the hall’s attention.
“My friends, tonight we honor Martyn’s life. One that was filled with honor, love, and sacrifice. A man who embodied the North and everything we stand for. So, let us give three cheers to Martyn!”
The Great Hall broke out into a cacophony of rambunctious cheers that had Percy flinching slightly from the sound. The feast quickly ramped up after that, and the demigod soon found himself dancing with the princess of Winterfell.
Now that he actually got a proper look at her, he could tell she’d grown a couple of inches and looked much more like a teenager than the pre-teen she had a year ago. She was also a lot more independent from what he could tell and a bit more confident.
“You’ve grown princess.”
Sansa smirked as the demigod spun her around.
“I know. I had a good friend that opened my eyes to all the good I could do on my way to becoming queen.”
Percy raised his eyebrow as he continued to dance with the eldest Stark daughter.
“Sounds like a smart friend.” His lips twitched upwards, failing to contain his laugh at the poor joke.
“Give yourself more credit, Perseus. Father supported my idea of a charity tournament to fund a homeless shelter. He said that if I planned the entire thing and got a couple of sponsors, Winterfell would match the amount raised and that he would even participate in the tournament!”
Percy smiled, taking a moment to spin the girl around a second time before replying.
“That is amazing, Sansa, I’m proud of you. Tell ya what, once everything is planned out and if I am in Seahaven or close to Winterfell, I’ll also join in the tournament. Sound good?”
The Stark princess quickly nodded her head, and Percy enjoyed the smile on her face. It reminded him of when the younger campers would ask for his help or advice and be surprised that he’d actually give it to them.
“That would be amazing, Perseus. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, M’lady.”
The girl swatted his arm at the formality in his voice, and the two broke out into laughter. Dancing a bit longer before Percy excused himself and made his way to the youngest Stark daughter sitting in her seat at the family’s table.
“Arya, how are you?”
“I’m good, Perseus. Can you finally teach me the disarming trick you taught Jon and Robb before you leave? Pretty please.”
The demigod smiled at the girl's excitement and the fact she immediately skipped over all the pleasantries to ask for what she really wanted; it was refreshing.
“Sure Arya, but only if you’ve been keeping up with your studies?”
The girl nodded her head vehemently, and Percy chuckled.
“Good, we can figure out a good time tomorrow. Until then, how about you tell me some of the favorite pranks you’ve pulled while I’ve been gone.”
The girl’s face lit up in excitement as she told the demigod all about her escapades. Ranging from dousing Sansa with water after she had just finished getting ready to pretending to be a ghost to scare Bran.
Arya was clever and resourceful. He’d give her that, talking with her a bit longer to see how she was enjoying her Lady classes, only for the youngest Stark daughter to stick her tongue out at him. Something the mature Lord promptly returned, causing them to break out into laughter.
Which was only broken up by Lady Catelyn making her way to the duo and whisking Arya off to bed. Percy laughed at the girl's vain attempts to stay up later, something the Stark matriarch didn’t find nearly as amusing before he stood up, wishing both ladies goodnight.
Making his way from the Stark table, he quickly found himself sitting next to Jon and Robb as the two chatted with some very interested women.
“Evening, fellas. Surely you two lovely ladies can do better than these air brains, no?”
The women giggled, and both Robb and Jon gave him looks that promised pain later. The demigod gave them both a cheeky smile before sitting between the two men, clapping them both on the shoulder as he did so.
“Jon, Robb, how are you two, and where’s Theon?”
Jon snorted in disgust, which immediately gave Percy an inkling as to the Greyjoy heir’s whereabouts, only to be confirmed by Robb’s following words.
“With Ros over at the whorehouse.”
“Still obsessed over her, huh? I swear, he’d marry the girl if he could.”
The two boys nodded at his statement, and Percy decided to change topics to help keep the girls around while simultaneously getting Jon out of his funk. He understood where the Stark bastard's anger came from after all.
He’d be upset, too, having one of his best friends whoring around and possibly creating a bastard after seeing firsthand how the world treated them. Theon was his own man, however, and there wasn’t much to be done about it.
“Jon, Myself, and these fine young ladies are just dying to know what you’ve been up to this past year.”
The man grumbled as he went into everything he had done since Percy left, and the demigod was getting concerned for his friend because Jon didn’t really do much. All he said was he trained and explored, but most of the exploring he did by himself.
Reading between the lines, Percy was quickly realizing that Theon’s whoring around was driving a wedge between the three men, and he didn’t know how to fix it. Especially since Robb was becoming increasingly more involved with the running of Winterfell.
Vowing to look more into the issue and figure out how to make sure Jon became less of an outcast, Percy focused back on the conversation at hand.
“-ats when Percy comes from above the tree with at least forty pounds of armor on and lands on the bear, killing it instantly, not a scratch on him.”
Percy smiled sheepishly as the girls stared at him in awe.
“He’s leaving out the part where Jon had led the beast to the spot and kept it occupied so I could get into position. Jon’s the reason it went so smoothly.”
One of the girls turned their attention to the man, and Percy knew the look in her eye as she complimented his efforts. Hopefully, they would hit it off, and she could keep him from doing anything rash.
Seeing that the Great Hall was mostly empty at this point, Percy excused himself for bed, but not before one of the women quickly got up and offered to accompany him.
“I’m sorry, Myranda, was it? But I’m currently involved with someone else.”
The woman seemed saddened by his rejection, something he imagined she rarely experienced, but thankfully left him alone. Making it into his guest room, he fell onto the bed, hoping that he could sleep in for at least a bit before Arya came running for him to teach her the disarming trick.