New Castle, White Harbor
Childbirth was never easy. Especially birthing children for large men, the likes of whom ruled House Manderly. She knew because she had already given birth to two daughters. However, this one was particularly painful because the father of this babe was among the largest in Westeros. Large in multiple ways, Leona knew that by now.
She did not regret it, but she did feel anxious and fearful at first. What had occurred during her and her husband's visit to Ramsgate was… a sin. A sin that was the most pleasurable in ways she never knew her body could feel.
But she didn't dream of Lord Kaiser or being underneath him ever again, no matter how delightful it was. Not now, since what she hoped for had been accomplished. A babe, a boy so beautiful, big, and dark brown-haired, with blue eyes. The features matched hers and her husband's, and there was no doubt about fatherhood.
She knew this was wrong. But she had only birthed daughters until now, and with Wylis Manderly having grown immensely fat, not even able to ride a horse, the possibility of another child was dim. The man carried barely any sexual appetite, more keen on food than fucking, no matter what she did.
This was her only chance.
The father is 'Wylis,' at least. If only a different Wylis.
"Ooooh! Mother! He's strong!"
Leona chuckled, watching her eldest daughter, five years old, play with the babe. The boy was indeed strong; his grip on her fingers left marks.
"Of course, sweetling. Your brother'll grow to be a strong, mighty warrior," Leona said, smoothing a hand over her daughter's head. "Morgan Manderly shall rule this city one day."
"I want to play with him every day," Wynafryd muttered.
"And you will. But let him rest now." Leona gathered the babe into her arms to nurse him. "Go on, see to your sister."
However, as she began feeding, she looked down and noticed something. All of a sudden, she felt his toothless bite on her teat grow stronger, his face seemed to grow more beautiful, and his complexion turned warmer and healthier.
I… Perhaps I need to sleep.
####
Donal Noye was a blacksmith.
Once upon a time, he was the smith and armorer for House Baratheon of Storm's End. With his own hands, he had made the warhammer that King Robert Baratheon now used. He also made Lord Stannis Baratheon's first sword.
But during Robert's Rebellion, in the siege of Storm's End, his left arm had been injured by an axe, and it festered, leading him to lose that arm. Yet, he still worked, if only with one arm. But all he'd done was train the replacement of himself at Storm's End.
Now, with nothing holding him back, he had decided to join the Night's Watch, where his skills might be needed more. Still, he first wanted to do some traveling, see a few towns and cities.
With all his coin and belongings, he joined a group of merchants headed North on the Kingsroad. His first stay was in King's Landing, where he wanted to see the Street of Steel and all the forges on it. Especially the famed Tobho Mott.
But more than that, he got to taste something more. Storm's End wasn't a heavily populated castle, nor was the town around it that big. Hence, the trade of ice had never reached there. However, King's Landing felt like a new world to him.
Every inn that hoped to stay in trade offered ice-cold drinks; then there was that fuzzy-flavored water, and the ice cream as well. However, he noted the real heavy use of ice was elsewhere. Ice helped keep fruits, vegetables, and meat fresh for a longer time, and apart from large ice houses that belonged to House Kaiser in the city, most large establishments had their own small ice storage, where ice was replenished every day.
Ingenious.
He already knew Lord Kaiser was making money hand over fist. However, what intrigued him more was the boxes that ice arrived in. They were made of thin sheets of metal, but they seemed hollow, like the metal was molded to make an inch-thick container. What was inside the thick walls, he didn't know.
Inventive.
Roaming, tasting ice cream, chilled drinks, and some new cuisines that a few eateries run by House Kaiser in the city sold, he finally reached the top of the Street of Steel, which ended on a hill. Tobho Mott's shop was at the top of that hill.
Despite his modest attire, the blacksmith invited him in after he revealed himself as a blacksmith. He never boasted about building the King's warhammer, nor did he do it now. He was simply interested in studying the art of a master blacksmith from Essos.
"...I could not. King's Landing is where I want to be. But I know Lord Kaiser is in need of a master blacksmith."
"What use is a man with one arm?"
"You never know. A few from King's Landing have left, none masters, but ambitious ones. Lord Kaiser spread the word across that he seeks men, women, and even children to populate his new city."
"City?" Donal asked.
"So they say."
Donal didn't know a lot about the North, nor House Kaiser. Lord Kaiser was a renowned figure, as famed as the King or the Lannisters for their gold. A Northern giant who never lost a battle, who killed the Mad King and saved King's Landing. He could feel it in King's Landing itself; the Northern Lord was respected by smallfolk.
And then, he arrived at the harbor on the shore of the Blackwater Rush. There was a lot of chatter, smells, and ships. But he noticed many that flew the sigil of House Kaiser. The ships were noticeable because of their sailors, however. Each sailor was dressed in similar clothing. A sleeveless dirt-grey tunic, dark brown trousers, and a dark brown belt with utility pouches and a sheathed dagger.
They looked relatively cleaner than all the others. And eventually, he got to see one of the ship captains, who was dressed differently. Clean, dirt-grey, full-sleeved tunic, light brown trousers, belt, and a light brown surcoat. The man carried a sword and a strange hat on his head with a stiff visor and a rounded crown, with House Kaiser's sigil in the center above the visor.
It certainly caught my eye.
As he walked closer, he noticed the man's light brown surcoat's sleeves had bright yellow rings around the bottom edge, two on each arm. More, on the man's right shoulder, a bright yellow patch sat.
Clean face as well.
Donal ended up stopping in front of that same Captain. He feared no one at that point in his life. "Good day. Are you the captain of this ship?"
"Aye, I am. Captain Roland, at your service. Pretty thing, ain't she? Gentle Tide she be called. If you mean to sail for Ramsgate too, I'll have to ask you a few questions. We set sail in two nights."
Donal retreated his steps, taken aback by the man's warm smile and overly excited personality. "I have no such plan. But curious, why are your men dressed this way?"
"Ah, curiosity's welcome aboard. Our lord sees no difference between a soldier and a sailor, so he had us clad in the same sort of uniform, ranks plain for all to see. Heard these're only the first lot. The final uniforms'll come later."
"And the thing on your shoulder?" Donal asked.
"Called an epaulette. Hard bloody word, that. Took me long enough to say it right. Shows my rank. I'm a captain, and soon I'll be wearing two of these. Served my lord since his first ship took to sea. Jory! Come here!"
At the Captain's shout, a man looked down from the ship.
"See him? That's my lieutenant; he's got the thing on his left shoulder. Sharp mind our lord's got, made it easy t'know who we can call shite and who we've got t'bow our arses to."
"..."
Captain Roland sure had a personality, Donal thought. And he saw the use of such a system in the navy. However, he reckoned it'd serve well in the Redwyne fleet, or the royal fleet, but how many ships did Ramsgate even have?
"What do you do, my friend? Fancy a scoop of ice?"
Donal frowned. "You have it on the ship?"
"Always."
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Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
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