The Pearl of Driftmark

I Corlys' P.O.V

So, when my daughter came to me and told me she did not want to marry the Sealord of Braavos I was thinking of betrothed her to, this time I listened. Maybe I finally learned my lesson... or maybe I just felt guilty about throwing my two and ten namedays old daughter to a man who had just butchered the woman he swore to love after two decades of marriage for a son that did not even live. Not one of my finest moments.

I was not as oblivious as my wife believed me to be, I had eyes, even when I was hardheaded and believed that my way was the best and tried to force it on my children. I could see the flirting and ardent looks Laena kept throwing at Daemon. I knew that there were worse matches for my daughter than a prince of the realm. Daemon was an accomplished knight and dragonrider, he had aided my house at the Stepstones and has a good fortune at the Iron Bank, one that will see my daughter and grandchildren well taken care of. He had even mellowed down a bit after the war and without the resentment of being chained to a non-Valyrian wife.

However, I would not be the Sea Snake if I just accepted things as they are. I would aim high or go home, that is my style. So, with determination I went to have a chat with our King, who was still struggling to find a position for his brother in court. Especially, after the scandal between him and Rhaenyra. I suggested to the King to keep Daemon away from King's Landing and his daughter, but also allowed that bloodlust of his to good use. They had captured the Stepstones, but their hold on them was still weak. There was a reason as to why the claim over them has been disputed for so long. At one point they were Dorne's, at another point they were the Triarchy's, now they were theirs and I was planning on keeping it that way.

I requested as the Master of Ships to adjourn the archipelago as part of Westeros, putting a warden there, just like they kept a Lord Reaper in the Iron Islands. And who better act a deterrent to the Triarchy than The Rogue Prince himself. Viserys had been wary at first, but without Otto whispering poison in his ear, I had been able to convince him. I had also managed to get second and third sons of Lord around the Eastern coast of Westeros to gain their own seats and becoming lord of their own branch houses. It allowed me to maintain my position as a leader figure in the Narrow Seas, which had not been as secure as it had once been after the War for the Stepstones and Jacaerys' birth.

The first thing I did was ship Vaemond and his sons to Grey Gallows, an isle that was now home for the House Velaryon branch of the Grey Gallows. Finally, Vaemond had his seat, something for his sons to inherit and could finally stop bothering me about marrying one of his spoiler brats to my precious granddaughter. As if I would ever allow them to get their greedy hands on Driftmark Throne and my Lucerys.

I even gave Torturer's Deep to Arthor Celtigar, Lord Bartimos Celtigar's nephew, so he could rise the seat for House Celtigar branch of Torturer's Deep. Why Torturer's Deep? Because giving anything to a relative to Bartimos, of all people, was a torture worse than death! But at least now that fool owes me one. And I will make sure they pay it back.

After selecting the second sons, third sons, and nephews to the most prominent Lords of the Easter cost of Westeros, and getting the ok from Viserys, I got to work. The Stepstones were only a little better than the Iron Islands, they could plant some fruit and grain but not enough to sustain them yearly. Luckily, they had plentiful bounty from the sea, fish and seafood of all kinds were easily found in their waters. There was a reason they did not starve during the war. But the main income will come from taxes, the Stepstones were after all the gate to Essos.

There was a reason why I wanted to deal with the Triarchy so swiftly and fully. Letting them control those waters would only bring more harm than good. Without Otto around, Viserys finally started to listen to me about it and was more than ready to maintain their control over the newest archipelago of Westeros. Thanks to my work during the war and setting up all of this, House Velaryon will get free nautical passages for trade in perpetuity. It took all of myself not to start cackling like a madman when Viserys signed that decree and gave it the royal seal. No wonder Otto kept such a tight leash on the crown, Viserys was a fool.