Dragonstone – Industrial District
Leaving the cold, mysterious mines behind, Pierce headed straight for the glassworks near the harbor. The contrast was immediate. Where the mines had been silent and eerie, the factory district roared with life and heat.
The massive complex of black-stone buildings dominated the shoreline. Tall chimneys rose like giant arms, belching sulfur-scented smoke into the sky.
Inside, enormous furnaces roared like flame-beasts. Molten dragonglass mixed with other minerals bubbled in crucibles, glowing orange-red. The air was thick with heat, molten glass, and the sharp tang of sweat.
Craftsmen from all over Westeros and Essos—mostly Myr and Lys—moved with practiced speed. Their skin had been baked bronze by sea wind and furnace glare.
But none of them looked tired. Most were freedmen now, earning double the wages of ordinary workers. They could actually build real lives here.
These former slaves Pierce had recruited from Essos were skilled artisans. A few had tried leaving after gaining freedom, only to discover that no one else paid as well or treated them as fairly. So they stayed—and worked harder than anyone.
Right now they wore special protective goggles, shouting instructions to local apprentices on how to control the flame, blow the glass, cut, and polish.
Pierce's strict division of labor kept the core secrets in trusted hands while letting everyone feel secure in their jobs.
The unique formulas he'd introduced—mixing dragonglass with specific minerals—produced glass that was easier to shape, tougher, clearer, and more colorful than anything Myr could offer. That was why Dragonstone glass had exploded onto the market and was even shipping back to traditional glassmaking cities.
The factory manager, Emmon Waters, was a wiry, energetic man with messy brown hair and eyes permanently reddened from years of watching furnace flames. He spotted Pierce and broke into a near-sprint, almost tripping over his own feet in excitement.
Emmon had every reason to be grateful. Pierce had literally saved his life. Once a bastard glassmaker's son from King's Landing, Emmon had gone to Myr seeking work, only to be enslaved. He'd nearly died in the workshops until Pierce bought him, freed him, and put him in charge.
If Pierce asked him to jump into a furnace right now, Emmon would do it with a smile.
"My lord! Lord Pierce!" Emmon wiped sweat from his brow with a sooty sleeve. "Sales are insane! Unbelievable! Dornish merchants want stained-glass windows, Reach lords are fighting over our carved goblets, even the Arbor wants our bottles for their wine! And those mirrors you designed—gods, we can't keep up! We need more workers, more furnaces!"
Pierce looked around at the humming factory and felt deep satisfaction.
"More hands are already on the way, Emmon. New apprentices from Crackclaw Point and the Stormlands will arrive soon. Keep the quality high and scale up production. I want Dragonstone glass to replace Myr as the name people trust."
"Yes, my lord! We won't let you down!"
"Oh—and keep the telescope lines running. Open two more. We're going to squeeze Myr's spyglass business right out of the market!"
Emmon grinned like a man who'd just been handed the keys to the kingdom.
While Pierce was watching a craftsman blow a huge glass bottle, a familiar, silky female voice rang out with delighted surprise.
"By the Lord of Light! Look who it is—our great pioneer, Lord Pierce Celtigar!"
Pierce turned. A woman in a bold, brightly colored Myrish silk gown was striding toward him with a wide smile.
It was Rhaeya Stone, a powerful Myrish merchantess with real influence across the Narrow Sea. She had the classic Lysene look—deep olive skin, black hair woven into intricate braids, and striking amber eyes. Beautiful, curvaceous, and radiating the sharp confidence of a woman who'd built her own empire.
Rhaeya was an old acquaintance. Back when Pierce was still a sellsword roaming the world, they'd done business together. She'd even hired him once. Their long-standing trade relationship had only grown after he founded Golden Port.
She didn't hesitate—she stepped right up and gave him a warm, full-bodied hug. A wave of rich, exotic perfume wrapped around him.
"Lady Rhaeya," Pierce returned the embrace briefly, then stepped back with a polite smile. "What a pleasant surprise. What brings you all the way to Dragonstone?"
"Business, of course, my dear Pierce." She laughed, eyes sweeping over the factory with a merchant's sharp assessment. "Dragonstone glass is the hottest commodity on the Narrow Sea right now. I had to see the source for myself to make sure my ships get filled first." She tilted her head, amber eyes sparkling. "But what about you? Shouldn't the lord of Golden Port be ruling from his shiny new city? What are you doing inspecting factories on Dragonstone?"
"Just passing through," Pierce said lightly. "I'm on my way to Dorne."
"Dorne?" Rhaeya's perfectly shaped brows rose. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh… how boring. I was hoping to see you in King's Landing! I heard you won the rights to renovate the Dragonpit. By the Lord of Light, that's a massive project!"
"You know the entire Essosi merchant community is buzzing about it? Everyone wants to know what you're turning that old ruin into. I was planning to come see it myself—maybe we could… find some new ways to work together?" Her voice dropped, carrying an unmistakable invitation as her gaze lingered on him.
Pierce knew exactly what kind of "cooperation" Rhaeya had in mind. She was brilliant at business, but her private life was legendary for its chaos. She kept a whole stable of male and female bed-slaves from every corner of the world. Pierce admired her mind, but he had zero interest in getting tangled in that.
His body was strong and magically enhanced, but he wasn't about to test it against unknown diseases. Who knew if this world had equivalents of syphilis or worse? He only slept with women he'd thoroughly vetted. So far, they'd all been clean.
"Cooperation is always welcome, Lady Rhaeya," he answered smoothly. "My steward in King's Landing will handle any serious proposals for the Dragonpit. As for Dorne, Prince Oberyn's invitation isn't something I can easily refuse."
Rhaeya licked her lips, eyes turning dreamy at the mention of Oberyn. "Ah, that red viper… he's quite the lover, you know. You'd better watch yourself with him." She gave Pierce a playful look. "The games we played—three of us together… I still remember them fondly. Maybe one day the three of us could… get together again?"
Pierce coughed awkwardly. The woman really was something else. He made a mental note to keep a very safe distance in the future.
"Anyway," he changed the subject quickly, "do you have any recent news from Dorne? Or have you been away for a while?"
Rhaeya shrugged, a little disappointed the flirtation hadn't landed. "Not much. I did hear their spies have been very active in Braavos lately—looking for something. Or someone."
"Braavos?" Pierce frowned. His mind immediately went to the Targaryen siblings. "Do you think they're trying to pull me into something?"
Rhaeya gave him a curious look. "They might be eyeing Golden Port. But they don't really know how strong you are over in Essos, do they?"
She was one of the few who understood just how much real power and wealth Pierce actually controlled. Most Westerosi lords still thought he'd spent his fortune buying land.
"Maybe it's just a normal invitation," Pierce said, deciding he wouldn't get more useful information here. "If you don't know anything specific, that's fine."
"Fine, fine—just a normal invitation." Rhaeya pouted playfully. "But do be careful. Dorne's 'Sand Snakes' aren't easy to handle—especially not for a handsome, ridiculously rich lord like you." She gave him one last lingering, seductive smile. "Let's hope our next meeting is somewhere more… enjoyable. Your Golden Port, perhaps? Or my ship?"
Pierce returned a polite, noncommittal smile. "Perhaps. Safe travels and good purchasing, Lady Rhaeya."
He finished his tour of the factory, praised the quality and output, and felt even more optimistic about the coming journey to Dorne. Between the secrets hidden in the mines and the fires of industry burning here on Dragonstone, this stop had given him fresh strength and new ideas.
Now he was genuinely looking forward to what waited for him in the south.