The Sea Lord pressed his lips together, visibly frustrated, but before he could reply, one of the nobles, a middle-aged man in a purple doublet adorned with pearls, stepped forward, raising a hand impatiently.
—Lord Drakul… please, I beg you, get to the point —he said with a nervous but clear voice—. Why have you come to our city?
Another noble murmured in agreement, and a third one nodded. No one wished to prolong the presence of the "Lord Impaler" in the palace longer than necessary.
Vlad raised an eyebrow, amused by their reaction.
—Very well. Let us speak plainly —he said at last, in a tone that was almost theatrical—. I have come to Braavos to negotiate. I wish to hire part of your merchant fleet.
His words, though clear, left several of them puzzled.
—If Lord Drakul wishes for Braavos to offer its services for transporting something, we shall gladly make the proper arrangements —announced the Sea Lord, visibly more composed.
—Not what, but whom —Vlad corrected—. I want to rent part of Braavos's fleet to transport my army to King's Landing… shall we say… three hundred ships?
Those present paled. Every ruler in Essos knew the size of Vlad's army: more than one hundred thousand men, all ready to fight and die for the pair known as the Breakers of Chains.
—That is… inconceivable —protested a noble, clearly alarmed—. Braavos will not take sides in the wars of foreign kings.
—I'm not asking you to take sides. —Vlad raised a hand calmly—. I have my own war fleet, enough to secure the passage. I only wish to use your merchant ships. I need transport for men, weapons, provisions. Nothing more.
The nobles leaned in slightly. Even the Sea Lord stopped drumming his fingers. The agreement Vlad proposed was more than feasible. Besides, there was precedent—obviously not on such a scale—but Braavos had lent its ships to transport troops more than once to those who could pay their price. The real question was whether Vlad would pay that price.
—Three hundred ships would paralyze maritime trade —objected the Sea Lord—. The city cannot afford such a diversion of resources.
Vlad nodded, as if he had expected that.
—Two hundred then. For four months, no more.
There was a moment of low discussion. The Sea Lord whispered with his advisors and consulted documents. At last, he looked up.
—It might be possible. But every transaction requires payment. What do you offer in return, Lord Drakul?
That was the heart of the matter. The Sea Lord feared Vlad would demand their fleet without offering anything of true value. After all, letting them live was a decent argument in a negotiation. In such case, Braavos would accept, but at least the Sea Lord would know that reasoning with Vlad Drakul was not an option.
But Vlad was no foolish tyrant seeking enemies for trivial reasons. He usually paid in kind, but he also kept his word.
—Two hundred thousand gold dragons, paid by my family within no more than a month. And a non-aggression pact with Braavos for fifteen years. Neither my armies nor my allies will attack your routes, cities, or interests—whether in Westeros or Essos.
The effect was immediate. Even the most skeptical leaned forward. The gold was welcome, but the true treasure was the promise of peace.
—And if Braavos is attacked by others? —asked the Sea Lord in an inquisitive tone.
—You will receive military support, within reason —Vlad replied with a slight shrug—. I don't send dragons for mere raids, but if a nation declares war on you, you may count on my family's aid.
Little by little, it seemed the fear Vlad inspired was beginning to be eclipsed by the benefits of allying with him. After all, despite his infamous reputation, there were no tales of him slaughtering innocents without cause.
The agreement was sealed swiftly, without any inconvenience. Several nobles present displayed an almost excessive interest in Vlad's war plans, but he remained deliberately vague, refusing to reveal important details. He only mentioned aloud that his objective was to attack King's Landing in two months. That "unfortunate" slip of information was, of course, a deception. Vlad knew that the Lannisters, Littlefinger, and the Spider had spies everywhere, and with Braavos being such an important port, it was obvious that news of his military preparations would spread quickly.
He was counting on it. And in truth, it served his plans.
He doubted Tywin Lannister would fall for such an obvious stratagem, but it was often easier to deceive an intelligent man than a complete fool, so it remained to be seen.
As for the situation in King's Landing… truthfully, he cared little about the changes to the history he knew; at this point, he had most of the bases covered for when the Long Night finally began. However, Joffrey's death was still something he needed to ensure. He wasn't entirely convinced that, given the current situation, Olenna Tyrell would go ahead with her plan to poison the bastard… but it didn't matter. He intended to be present at that feast, and if the little plague didn't die, he would handle it himself.
Some might wonder why not simply kill him directly, with brutality and without pretense. Vlad, of course, had considered the idea. But the fact was he didn't plan to rule the entirety of Westeros by himself. He would need loyal and trustworthy lords, not ones controlled by magic, but by oaths. And, unfortunately, the Lannister bastards, Tommen and Myrcella, though illegitimate, were still Baratheon's on paper.
With Renly dead and Stannis as prone to surrender as Ned Stark, he would need Storm's End to be occupied by a more docile Baratheon. Tommen was the best candidate. As for Casterly Rock, Vlad could name Tyrion or Jaime as heir, if they survived, or even have them legally adopt Myrcella, evidently after the "tragic" death of his mother, making her the de facto heir. It didn't truly matter which option he chose, but it would be foolish not to take advantage of such convenient levers of control, especially if they prevented unnecessary deaths.
And he doubted the two children, easily influenced and still innocent, would ever ally with someone who, hypothetically, had brutally murdered their brother. No matter how much of a psychopath he had been.