The mont the third blast furnace was completed, orders for iron ore went out to the Westerlands, the Vale, and the Reach. The sheer size of the purchases caught every neighboring lord's attention. So single orders were larger than what many small houses consud in an entire year.
Casterly Rock.
Tywin Lannister summoned his brother and right-hand man, Kevan Lannister, and handed him the stack of reports.
"What is this, brother?"
"Harrenhal's iron-ore orders."
Kevan was puzzled at first. The Westerlands had always been rich in minerals. Even with the gold mines running dry, other ores were still plentiful. Then he read the numbers and nearly dropped the parchnt.
He rubbed his eyes, hands shaking. After double-checking, he had to accept the truth—Harrenhal really was buying absurd quantities of iron ore.
"Seven hells… Brother, when did Harrenhal beco this strong? What in the world is happening there?"
Both n were sharp enough to understand what massive ore purchases ant: a massive increase in iron production. Iron output directly determined a lord's military strength and staying power.
Kevan checked the previous months' orders and saw the quantities had been climbing steadily. Harrenhal was truly slting iron on an industrial scale.
"Brother, should I issue a ban?"
Kevan felt an irrational fear of this sudden giant. He couldn't imagine what would happen if all that ore beca weapons pointed at the Westerlands.
Tywin shook his head. "We can't stop our own vassals from selling ore, and Harrenhal hasn't broken any laws. Doing this would only make us look petty and tyrannical."
"Still, we need eyes on them. That's why I called you. I want a small team of spies slipped into Harrenhal to find out exactly what's going on."
Kevan never questioned Tywin's decisions. He simply nodded and began planning with his brother.
In the Vale, Brynden Tully—the Blackfish—also received word. Vale knights had started talking about the strange changes at Harrenhal.
"What the hell is going on with Harrenhal lately? House Whent seems to have gone mad—buying up people, ore, even dirt by the wagonload."
"Who knows? Maybe they're trying to slt iron?"
"Slt iron with that much ore? Unless every man in Harrenhal is eating rocks for lunch, I can't see how they'd use it all."
Brynden knew exactly whose hand was behind it. The news of Roman rebuilding Harrenhal had already spread through the Riverlands, though most people had dismissed it at the ti.
"The boy's grown wings. He's turned Harrenhal around faster than anyone expected."
Stuck at the Bloody Gate, Brynden couldn't ride back to Riverrun, so he wrote a letter warning Hoster to keep a close watch on Harrenhal.
The Reach barely reacted. If Roman wanted ore, let him buy it. The numbers were huge, but the Reach lords were wealthy enough that they simply shrugged it off as another Whent eccentricity.
For Roman himself, life had suddenly beco difficult. For the first ti he was feeling the triple squeeze of shortages—raw materials, manpower, and coin.
Fili walked in carrying a plate of biscuits and a cup of herbal tea. Seeing Roman's furrowed brow, she stepped behind him and began massaging his shoulders.
"Fili? Thank you. I didn't expect you to rember."
"Hmph. If you refuse every other servant, then of course I'm the only one left to look after you."
Roman couldn't help smiling at her puffed-up expression.
Fili was genuinely beautiful. Still thin, but her bone structure was lovely. Once she filled out and grew stronger she would turn heads everywhere.
The thought of beauty made him recall the usual Westerosi rankings people liked to debate. Cersei? The books called her the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, but she was also stupid and vicious. He'd be happy if she never ca looking for trouble again.
Margaery Tyrell? In the books she was mostly sweet and innocent with a touch of cunning. In the show she was far more calculating—he'd have to see for himself when the ti ca.
The Baratheons and Dornish didn't concern him much.
As for the North… Sansa had been too dreamy and naïve early on, then suffered terribly before growing into a sharp political player under Littlefinger's tutelage. Arya, though—he could see the two of them becoming good friends one day.
"Wait—why am I thinking about won? I should be solving the iron-ore problem."
The sudden outburst startled Fili. "My lord, what are you saying? Are you planning a marriage alliance?"
Roman blinked. He hadn't been thinking about alliances at all—he'd just wandered down a familiar ntal path. Then he rembered the North.
Ned Stark's wife, Catelyn Tully, had a mother nad Minisa Whent. That made Lady Shella a distant relation. Trade with the North made perfect sense. Goods could go by sea from White Harbor to King's Landing, then up the Blackwater to God's Eye—cheap and reliable. The vast North could also supply almost anything Harrenhal needed.
He grabbed Fili's hand and pulled her toward Lady Shella's chambers.
"Child, you want to trade with the North?"
Roman nodded firmly. "Lord Eddard Stark is an honorable man. Dealing with him will be far easier than trading with the wolves circling us here."
Lady Shella thought for a mont, then agreed.
"Very well. We'll be sending supplies to the Night's Watch after the next harvest anyway. You haven't t Lord Stark yet—why not deliver the goods yourself and pay a visit to Winterfell at the sa ti?"
"As you wish. That was my thought exactly."
According to Lady Shella, the next supply run to the Wall would happen after the wheat harvest, when Harrenhal finally had surplus to spare. Roman planned to use the ti to keep growing stronger.
The North was huge and rich in resources, but brutally cold. Only the long sumr made it truly livable, and even then it was short on people. He just hoped White Harbor's Eel Lord would be helpful and send plenty of ore his way.
"North… right now the Stark pups are probably still crawling around on all fours. I wonder what I'll see when I get there."
Fili didn't understand the complicated web of noble alliances, but she saw the smile on Roman's face and bead right back at him.
In a good mood, Roman reached over and playfully pinched her cheek.
"Stop grinning like an idiot and finish cleaning up that tray."
"Ugh—whose fault is it that you dragged away before I was done?"
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