Post by The Smith on Aug 4, 2009 12:05:46 GMT -5
Lester stood in front of the finished warehouse. It looked more like a rich prince's mansion than a place for storage of silk, gems and such wares. The warehouse was finished a day before, but Lester still admired it. The Tyroshi were coming in the afternoon and he needed some rest before they come. He remembered the task that Lord Dawnrose put him on. He wasn't really keen on serving a child, but he always convinced himself that he was serving the Mander. Lester didn't know what Edmure wanted to know. The queen is in the Vale, the Hand rules in King's Landing and in the Eyrie three or four great lords were assembled in order to defy the queen in some way.
However, that kind of politics wasn't Lester's expertise yet. He knew a lot about the politics that he was playing, raising higher and higher. However the politics played in the highest league, the politics of the lords paramount, was sometimes complicated for him because it was rather unnecessary to his business. His daughter, however, enjoyed the upper league as much as she enjoyed controversies. She also knew about spy networks and ways to obtain them. That is why he sent her to Gulltown as his representative and therefore, the representative of the Mander.
A boy ran to Lester and spoke quickly in heavy breath "My lord, the Tyroshi will be here in an hour or so. I was told to inform you." Lester nodded and threw a stag in the boy's direction. He gazed at the warehouse once more, hands in pockets, and turned around towards his mansion. Lester liked King's Landing; it was full of commerce of all sorts and the center of all politics. However, the smell was absolutely awful. He climbed Visenya's hill and soon came to the Merryweather mansion. Griselda, usually Margeary's servant, now served in the house.
"Griselda, prepare three glasses of our best Arbor gold in the dining room. Bring out the fruit, honey biscuits and everything else we have that isn't too much." He said and waved his hand in her direction
The Tyroshi were a kind of hedonists and they always liked sweet snacks and some classy wine. Lester looked through the window of his solar. Down the street he saw two men that obviously weren't Westerosi. One wore a long gold robe with jewels on his chest. He had a forked beard and the three spikes were all of different colours; purple, green and red. His hair was dark blue. The other man had a bit simpler, green robe and blond hair and beard. The two Tyroshi strolled towards the Merryweather mansion. Lester knew both, as he did business with them for ages. The one with more colors on him was Naario Darun, a relative of the archon of Tyrosh and a great merchant. The other was his right hand man, Maris. Lester went downstairs and opened the door just when the Tyroshi were ready to knock.
"Naario." Said Lester spreading his arms.
The Tyroshi hugged him "Le-ester." He said with a heavy accent "I 'aven't-a seen you for ages."
"That is indeed a pity. But, that is what war does." He looked at Maris "Maris, it is a pleasure to see you too." Maris nodded and bowed slightly "But I shan't keep you here, I'd rather have you in my dining room." He showed them the way and brought them to the big oak table in the middle of the room. After Griselda showed them to their seats, the other servants brought out the sweets and the pitchers of Arbor gold and Dornish red. They also brought out the strong, green thing that had a funny Tyroshi name Lester forgot. They talked about personal issues for an hour or so, catching up on the years that they have spent apart due to the Long Winter.
"Ah Le-ester, so many things." Said Naario after the conversation "I am sorry about your wife and son."
"I got over it." Said Lester and took a sip of the Arbor gold "Now, let us talk business. Did your men find the accommodation I picked suitable?"
"Ind-ed. Also, I must-a notice, a ware'ouses a have new style and docks seems safer. We 'ave six trading ships docked on your-a dock and they are unloading our wares in the ware'ouses as we speak. Later, we prepare everything for the markets 'ere and for the large trade-a with your lords."
Lester nodded "Now, to talk about the price. If we weren't good friends, I would say two hundred dragons for each month your ships are docked and your wares safe. Considering our long friendship, I will make it 160. One hundred for both warehouses and ten dragons for each ship docked." It was a hell lot of money for only one month. The Tyroshi couldn't think in terms of Westerosi money anyway, so even though Lester couldn't trick them in any other way, he could always trick them with currency.
Naario nodded "Before, you were-a even mo'e expensive-a. It is inde-ed a barga-ain at this a price."
"Do we have a deal then?" Asked Lester
"Ind-ed." Said Naario with his funny accent and offered a hand to Lester. Lester accepted it and then called a steward to write a deal for them. A copy was made, Lester and Naario signed their names and Lester's steward and Maris signed as witnesses. 160 a month was a hell lot of money. Lester only needed to give the guild of builders the twenty dragons, as he paid out the workers himself. That left him with a profit of 140 golden coins only from the Tyroshi business. With the profit from the taxation of the bridge at Longtable he paid out his servants there and as he had more wheat than he needed its export brought him enough gold for his King's Landing servants and a profit of about 20 dragons.This constant rise of his profits made him able to plan the bank opening right away. The deal with the Tyroshi would certainly speed up all the businesses he had in plan for the future.
Lelster showed Naario and Maris the way out and told them to come to him whenever they need some help in the city. They hugged and kissed as is the Tyroshi custom and then left Lester to his political and financial thoughts. That´s when a steward of his came to tell him that a dragon is in the city with a hundred of his men. "Why would he bring a hundred men into the capital unless he planned something truly cunning?" Said Lester "Rally all the knights I have with me here. Tell them to be ready to protect this mansion with their life. I also want some goldcloaks at the warehouses and the dock. Tell them I am willing to pay for it. If the stink of King´s Landing didn´t kill me, neither will the dragons if they have any such plans."
Lord Lester Merryweather moves from Expert* to Master Finances
Lord Lester Merryweather moves from Noteworthy to Expert Politics
The Warehouse construction is finished, the Tyroshi arrive and pay for the first month of docking and trade-goods keeping in the warehouse, Lester pays the Guild of Builders and makes a profit
However, that kind of politics wasn't Lester's expertise yet. He knew a lot about the politics that he was playing, raising higher and higher. However the politics played in the highest league, the politics of the lords paramount, was sometimes complicated for him because it was rather unnecessary to his business. His daughter, however, enjoyed the upper league as much as she enjoyed controversies. She also knew about spy networks and ways to obtain them. That is why he sent her to Gulltown as his representative and therefore, the representative of the Mander.
A boy ran to Lester and spoke quickly in heavy breath "My lord, the Tyroshi will be here in an hour or so. I was told to inform you." Lester nodded and threw a stag in the boy's direction. He gazed at the warehouse once more, hands in pockets, and turned around towards his mansion. Lester liked King's Landing; it was full of commerce of all sorts and the center of all politics. However, the smell was absolutely awful. He climbed Visenya's hill and soon came to the Merryweather mansion. Griselda, usually Margeary's servant, now served in the house.
"Griselda, prepare three glasses of our best Arbor gold in the dining room. Bring out the fruit, honey biscuits and everything else we have that isn't too much." He said and waved his hand in her direction
The Tyroshi were a kind of hedonists and they always liked sweet snacks and some classy wine. Lester looked through the window of his solar. Down the street he saw two men that obviously weren't Westerosi. One wore a long gold robe with jewels on his chest. He had a forked beard and the three spikes were all of different colours; purple, green and red. His hair was dark blue. The other man had a bit simpler, green robe and blond hair and beard. The two Tyroshi strolled towards the Merryweather mansion. Lester knew both, as he did business with them for ages. The one with more colors on him was Naario Darun, a relative of the archon of Tyrosh and a great merchant. The other was his right hand man, Maris. Lester went downstairs and opened the door just when the Tyroshi were ready to knock.
"Naario." Said Lester spreading his arms.
The Tyroshi hugged him "Le-ester." He said with a heavy accent "I 'aven't-a seen you for ages."
"That is indeed a pity. But, that is what war does." He looked at Maris "Maris, it is a pleasure to see you too." Maris nodded and bowed slightly "But I shan't keep you here, I'd rather have you in my dining room." He showed them the way and brought them to the big oak table in the middle of the room. After Griselda showed them to their seats, the other servants brought out the sweets and the pitchers of Arbor gold and Dornish red. They also brought out the strong, green thing that had a funny Tyroshi name Lester forgot. They talked about personal issues for an hour or so, catching up on the years that they have spent apart due to the Long Winter.
"Ah Le-ester, so many things." Said Naario after the conversation "I am sorry about your wife and son."
"I got over it." Said Lester and took a sip of the Arbor gold "Now, let us talk business. Did your men find the accommodation I picked suitable?"
"Ind-ed. Also, I must-a notice, a ware'ouses a have new style and docks seems safer. We 'ave six trading ships docked on your-a dock and they are unloading our wares in the ware'ouses as we speak. Later, we prepare everything for the markets 'ere and for the large trade-a with your lords."
Lester nodded "Now, to talk about the price. If we weren't good friends, I would say two hundred dragons for each month your ships are docked and your wares safe. Considering our long friendship, I will make it 160. One hundred for both warehouses and ten dragons for each ship docked." It was a hell lot of money for only one month. The Tyroshi couldn't think in terms of Westerosi money anyway, so even though Lester couldn't trick them in any other way, he could always trick them with currency.
Naario nodded "Before, you were-a even mo'e expensive-a. It is inde-ed a barga-ain at this a price."
"Do we have a deal then?" Asked Lester
"Ind-ed." Said Naario with his funny accent and offered a hand to Lester. Lester accepted it and then called a steward to write a deal for them. A copy was made, Lester and Naario signed their names and Lester's steward and Maris signed as witnesses. 160 a month was a hell lot of money. Lester only needed to give the guild of builders the twenty dragons, as he paid out the workers himself. That left him with a profit of 140 golden coins only from the Tyroshi business. With the profit from the taxation of the bridge at Longtable he paid out his servants there and as he had more wheat than he needed its export brought him enough gold for his King's Landing servants and a profit of about 20 dragons.This constant rise of his profits made him able to plan the bank opening right away. The deal with the Tyroshi would certainly speed up all the businesses he had in plan for the future.
Lelster showed Naario and Maris the way out and told them to come to him whenever they need some help in the city. They hugged and kissed as is the Tyroshi custom and then left Lester to his political and financial thoughts. That´s when a steward of his came to tell him that a dragon is in the city with a hundred of his men. "Why would he bring a hundred men into the capital unless he planned something truly cunning?" Said Lester "Rally all the knights I have with me here. Tell them to be ready to protect this mansion with their life. I also want some goldcloaks at the warehouses and the dock. Tell them I am willing to pay for it. If the stink of King´s Landing didn´t kill me, neither will the dragons if they have any such plans."
Lord Lester Merryweather moves from Expert* to Master Finances
Lord Lester Merryweather moves from Noteworthy to Expert Politics
The Warehouse construction is finished, the Tyroshi arrive and pay for the first month of docking and trade-goods keeping in the warehouse, Lester pays the Guild of Builders and makes a profit