"I suddenly understand why Aegon, during the Century of Blood, refused to join us in Volantis! He would rather rule in a backwater like Westeros than share his honor with others, much less let his descendants participate in this boring election game. Yet here I am, forced to put on a yearly fake performance in Volantis just to please and bribe the voters," Marajo said, full of emotion.
In Volantis, there was a Magistrate, Horono, who was re-elected forty times. He grew tired of elections and declared himself Magistrate for Life, but the people immediately withdrew their love for the war hero and overthrew him, eventually having him torn apart by elephants. In Volantis, no one dares challenge the election rules.
"The way we hold power may be different, but power always brings bloodshed and cruelty, Lord Marajo." Rhaegar spoke truthfully; how many times had the Targaryen Family fought among themselves for that Iron Chair.
Rhaegar and Marajo's conversation was pleasant. Marajo was older than Rhaegar, but both were considered political newcomers, full of ambition and energy to pursue power. The young Tiger and the Dragon hit it off immediately.
Afterwards, Rhaegar had Thrimm of the Burned Men tribe escort Marajo out of the camp.
"Prince, the guard you chose to stand watch is certainly unique," Marajo said. The one-eyed, one-armed guard before him, draped in Shadowcat fur, looked like a lean, broken sword—truly strange.
"Thrimm of the Burned Men tribe is utterly devoted to the Prince. Do you want to duel me?" Thrimm glared, preparing to draw his sword, his killing intent surging.
When it comes to pleasing voters or giving speeches, Thrimm is useless. But when it comes to ruthless killing, Marajo cannot compare to Thrimm. The nature of the Mountain Clansmen is defiance and slaughter; if you anger them, they have even ambushed and killed the Duke of Arryn.
Marajo was surprised. The one-armed swordsman looked ordinary, but the moment he moved, he exuded a savage, battle-hardened wildness. Marajo had only seen this kind of killing intent on elite veterans. Prince Rhaegar certainly had many talented subordinates.
Rhaegar calmed Thrimm down, reminding him not to frighten the esteemed guest. Thrimm proceeded to escort Marajo out.
Rhaegar watched Marajo's retreating figure. This man, like his facade, was difficult to see through. Marajo was young, energetic, and dared to protect the base of the Tiger Party. Marajo had strong connections in the military and among the old nobility; he was a talented individual.
Rhaegar considered the strategy of allying with distant states to attack nearby ones. Volantis and Westeros were far apart with little contact, yet the Tiger Party's influence remained. Relying on Volantis itself and several major vassal towns whose populations rivaled those of Westeros cities, they could still organize a powerful standing army and navy, remaining top-tier.
More importantly, compared to the other Free Cities, only Volantis held a relatively ambiguous emotional stance towards the Targaryen Family.
The Volantenes had fewer grievances with the Targaryen Family; in fact, they felt a strong sense of mutual respect, dreaming of the prosperous era of Valyria. Their Magistrates' bloodlines were all required to trace back to Old Valyria. Even though The Conqueror once rejected the Volantenes' goodwill and rode his dragon against them, the Volantenes held few grudges. At the time, nearly the entire world was fighting Volantis's hegemony, and they had too many debts to care.
Conversely, the Kingdom of the Daughters intensely hated dragons and Dragonlords. During The Doom, it is said that some Dragonlords were in Tyrosh and Lys, but the survivors and their dragons were quickly killed by people from the Free Cities during a coup. By the time of the Targaryen Dynasty, the Kingdom of the Daughters had accumulated many blood debts against the Targaryen Family.
In terms of allies and enemies, Rhaegar would naturally favor Marajo. Rhaegar needed Marajo's information, and Marajo needed his support. "We only have a private friendship; I have not yet established friendship with all of Volantis."
The situation of the Tiger Party was not as optimistic as Marajo made it seem. The Elephant Party had always suppressed the Tiger Party, and Marajo was part of the minority. Getting the three heads of Volantis to agree on one opinion was incredibly difficult. Not to mention the risks Volantis faced from having too many slaves and the threat of Khal invasions.
Except for Braavos, everyone seems to be competing to be the worst, Rhaegar thought.
After seeing Marajo off, a new guest arrived: Lysandro Rogare, the Quickfinger from Lys.
Rhaegar looked at Lysandro, who seemed a bit more mature, his face marked by weathering. Seeing the golden curls and blue eyes reminded him of House Rogare of old. Fighting Gantos's gang must have taken considerable effort.
"How is your enterprise progressing?" Rhaegar asked Lysandro. Although he called it an enterprise, it was actually the underground gang Lysandro had formed in Lys, surviving by theft and trading information.
"Thanks to the Prince's guidance, I have taken over the entire Quickfinger Gang. I personally led men to kill several of Gantos's confidantes," Lysandro replied respectfully. He had gotten rid of Gantos and was now the king of the Quickfinger Gang.
Lysandro did not tell Rhaegar about the hardships involved, but turf wars between underground gangs were always brutal and difficult.
"You need to think bigger and look further ahead. Once you have initial capital, you should consider entering higher-tier industries.
For instance, investing in sea vessels, brothels, and dock warehouses, or perhaps investing in banking. What people in Lys love most are bankers and navigators. Think of your ancestor, the great Lysandro, who owned the Lysandro Bank, dock warehouses, and the Perfume Garden—that is where true profit lies." Rhaegar told Lysandro. Humble origins were no shame.
Rhaegar admired the young man. He was skilled, loyal, and relatively kind to his subordinates, relying on selling information rather than selling his men to the Perfume Garden.
"What happened to your hands?" Rhaegar saw Lysandro's hands, which had several deep cuts. Although the blood had dried, the wounds had not yet healed, clearly inflicted by someone else.
"It was done by Meereenese. We recently encountered a ruthless opponent in Lys. Their gang leader is a gladiator from Meereen, very brutal in combat. I'm faster than him, but I can't match his strength," Lysandro said, his eyes filled with hatred. Meereenese gladiators were famous, and the people of Lys did not reject slaves, so some Meereenese came here to make a living.
Azure flames rose in the tent, flying from Rhaegar's hand, and the sparks landed on Lysandro's palm.
Lysandro hesitated for a moment but did not refuse. The sparks lacked the searing heat of fire; instead, they offered a warmth, gentle like water.
"Your wounds will heal quickly. If you run into trouble and need weapons or money, pass the information to Cesar immediately," Rhaegar said.
Competition in Lys is fierce; they love poison and schemes, but occasionally they also rely on violence.
"Understood, Prince. But I apologize, I still have no information about that sword," Lysandro said helplessly.
blackfyre, the lost sword.
In the hearts of the Targaryen Family, the importance of this sword was unmatched. Even among the subjects, this sword represented kingship.
Rhaegar wanted to search for this sword, to possess it. As a relic of the ancient Valyrian Dragonlords, this sword was worthy of him.
However, the last known holder of Blackfyre was Blackfyre, and its last appearance was during the First Blackfyre Rebellion, after which it vanished.
The greatest possibility is that it was lost, and there have been no reports of anyone in the Golden Company possessing it.
"Prince, the Blackfyre family and blackfyre seem to have both sunk beneath the sea. I've contacted people in Myr and Tyrosh, and there's no trace of them," Lysandro said.
Then Lysandro paused, "But I have a theory: the last holder was Blackfyre. During the Second Blackfyre Rebellion, Blackfyre did not support Daemon II the Fiddler—he was too weak and too intimate with men. Blackfyre would never have allowed the Fiddler to wield the sword. However, the sword didn't appear in the Third or Fourth Rebellions, which Blackfyre *did* support. It's possible that one of the Fiddler's associates stole the sword beforehand. Daemon Blackfyre had many children, perhaps someone still cared for their weak older brother, or perhaps someone wanted to declare themselves king."
Blackfyre. For this sword, Rhaegar might need to go to Essos himself.