The Shadow Queen of Tywin Lannister

XCVI. Iron Banks & Pre-Trial Arguments

Opulent Chamber, Iron Bank – Braavos, Essos

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Stannis and Davos had arrived recently in Braavos but their visit plans were not what one would expect. They knew that they needed funding for their army if they wished to continue with the war and eventually reclaim the Throne from the Lannisters.

With Robb gone, their only big enemy was the Lions; whose resources and army had already been exhausted enough the past two years of the war. Now it was their chance but they had to tread carefully or risk losing it all.

They had been escorted to a chamber where they waited for a while until they met with the man behind the Iron Bank, Tycho Nestoris. He had entered the room with two more bankers and sat down at the three huge Iron Chairs at one side of the table and then motioned for the two Westerosi to take their seats at the two cushioned tools in front of them

Then, there discussion about the funding and support of the powerful Iron Bank of Bravos but Tycho was not a fool to lend money left and right. He asked the right questions and countered each thing Stannis and Davos were saying.

Eventually, to further prove his point as to why Stannis was a lost cause to him; Tycho chose to enlighten him with some questions.

"How many fighting men remain loyal to you?" he asked the Baratheon self-proclaimed King.

"4,000," Stannis replied to him, a part of him suspecting where this was going.

"And how many ships do you have? The ones still afloat, Ser Davos, not at the bottom of Blackwater Bay."

The man by Stannis' side pulled a face at the mockery but answered nonetheless. "32."

"And how much wheat and barley and beef and pork do you produce on Dragonstone to feed your 4,000 men on your 32 ships?"

"None," Stannis replied, realizing where this would lead.

Tycho was amused, glad to see that the two of them were not as stupid as he first expected them to be. Yet, as the professional he was, he chose to finish his case the right way.

"You can see why these numbers seem unlikely to add up to a happy ending from our perspective. I'm afraid we must respectfully decline your request. But we thank you for paying us the honour of your visit."

The two Westerosi men stood up but it was Davos that turned to Tycho one last time. "My lord"

His answer was a scoff of amusement. "I'm not a lord, Ser Davos Seaworth. You would not be either here. In Braavos, thieves are not rewarded with titles" he commented, bringing up the fact that he knew of his past; he knew of all of their pasts as it was expected of him.

"Well, strictly speaking, I didn't do the thieving. That would be the pirates. I just moved what they stole from one place to another." Davos explained and then removed his glove from his right hand to show his missing fingers. "This is the payment that was demanded by King Stannis for my crimes. I consider it an honest accounting. He's an honest man and he's your best chance to get back the money you've sunk into Westeros. Which is a lot, I imagine. Wars are expensive."

"The war is over."

"As long as Stannis lives, the war is not over. Who's the real power in King's Landing?"

"Ser Davos..." Tycho said with a sigh, clearly not in the mood to continue this conversation since his decision had already been made.

Yet, the former thief was not going to let the subject drop; when he still had a point to make. "Humour me."