Game of Thrones: The Ruler

It had been a restless day for Jon. His thoughts constantly kept circling back to the sudden appearance of Rhaenys Targaryen. An appearance she had made because of a dream and with the aid of the Red Priestess Melisandre.

As far as he knew, the GOT canon had confirmed the deaths of both Rhaenys and Aegon, though, plenty of fanfiction spun tales and stories of their survival, especially Aegon's. And Aegon had been portrayed as a villain, almost every time.

To be honest, he had never expected to see either alive. And yet, here she was. Alone.

The whole situation felt strange. How had she survived the Mountain's butchery? That was no small miracle. He would ask her, eventually, but only after giving her space.

For now, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the task ahead. His boots echoed against the stone streets of Meereen as he made his way toward a particular mansion. The one where all the great masters who had surrendered to him had been kept in a custody.

There had been around 50 Great Masters or rich merchants who could be called the ruling elite of the Meereen. Of them almost half had chosen to resist and had been killed during the conflict. The remaining two dozens had chosen to surrender and were thus still alive.

Originally, he had planned to hold them for only a week. But he gotten busy with his dragons and practicing his bloodline powers. Their custody had, thus, been extended for another week. Not that he regretted his decision. They had done evil and a week or two of custody was nothing compared to what they had done.

Alongside the masters, the surrendered soldiers had also been held. As per his orders, they had been given a choice. Join the army of Lord Aeos, or walk away free.

Most of the freed slaves and Unsullied had chosen to serve. Nearly half of the free men had as well chosen this option. The rest departed. The tally stood at 2,500 new recruits from Meereen and another 1,800 from Yunkai who had joined his army.

On paper, they had been inducted as soldiers. In truth, they were still in the midst of training and mental conditioning.

Until Asmund was certain of their loyalty, they would remain just that, names on a list, not yet brothers in arms.

The Great Masters had remained in the mansion for the past two weeks. They had not been treated like prisoners. Their accommodations were far from the luxury they had once known, but still better than what most common men could dream of.

Their bellies were kept full with food, and they were even allowed the occasional drink for pleasure. They were permitted to exchange messages with their families, though, of course, every letter passed through the hands of Jon's guards, who were free to read them in full.

"Lord," a soldier bowed as the tall gates to the mansion's hall swung open.

Jon stepped inside with Asmund and Grey Worm flanking him on both his sides.

Inside, the Great Masters were sitting on wooden benches. At the front, a single chair stood upon a raised podium. Jon's seat.

"Lord," the Great Masters greeted as they rose from their seats in unison. Jon gave them a brief nod and gestured for them to sit.

Even so, they remained standing until he had taken his place upon the chair, Asmund and Grey Worm settling silently behind him.

"I do not know if you are already aware of this, but I will announce it nonetheless," Jon began, his voice carrying through the hall. "Perhaps it will settle some of the anxiety and panic you might have been having in the last few days."

The Great Masters straightened in their seats, ears pricking at his words.

"For all those Masters and merchants who were killed in the conflict and left no immediate family, all their properties and assets have been seized."

No surprise there, they had expected as much. What they truly feared was their own fate, and they clung to the hope that it would mirror the terms granted to Astapor's surrender.

"For those who were killed but have immediate family," Jon continued, his tone even, "half their properties and assets will be seized."

He let the words sink in before delivering the one verdict that truly mattered to them.

"And for those Masters and merchants who surrendered," he said as their hearts beat faster, "one quarter of your properties and assets will be seized."

A visible wave of relief swept through the hall. It was exactly what had been imposed in Astapor and for many of them, far better than they had dared hope.

While the terms might still seem harsh considering that these were people who had surrendered, the Great Masters knew they would have golden opportunities in future to rebuild their fortunes.

Trade and business were their lifeblood, and they understood that Lord Aeos would want to make use of those talents. Lord Aeos had a great emphasis on trade and this was something that they needed. Astapor stood as a living example of this.

"I would not waste words," Jon continued. "If you have paid even a little attention to what happened in Astapor, you will know you will have chances to prove your worth."

"You will be freed and allowed to conduct business as usual. In fact, you might even have the chance to expand into new ventures."

His voice hardened, the air in the hall tightening as the Great Masters felt pressure weighing on their back.

"But understand this, I will not tolerate treachery. My eyes will be on you. Always. Every time. And if I so much as suspect you of turning a blade toward my back, heads will roll."

The Great Masters nodded, a cold shiver running down their spines.

"Good," Jon said with a faint smile. "Relax. I am not going to eat all of you."

Few nervous chuckles erupted from the crowd.

"Now, let us speak of something more productive. How to expand the business of this city."

At that, a flicker of relief passed through their faces. This was a topic they understood, a topic that offered familiar ground and the promise of profit. And so began the discussion to enrich the city of Meereen.

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