Chapter 21: The Dragon's Egg Dividend: Securing the Reach & Planning the Ultimate Acquisition
The submission of House Tyrell, formalized in a public ceremony where a visibly humbled Mace Tyrell bent the knee before Robar Baratheon and Tywin Lannister in the rose-strewn courtyard of Highgarden, marked the effective end of organized resistance in the southern kingdoms. The lush fields and rich granaries of the Reach, the very breadbasket of Westeros, were now firmly under the administrative umbrella of Baratheon Consolidated Resources. Lady Olenna Tyrell watched the proceedings from a shaded balcony, her expression a mask of wry resignation. She had salvaged what she could for her House, but she knew, with the chilling certainty of a seasoned player outmaneuvered, that the game had irrevocably changed. The old rules of feudal obligation and chivalric warfare had been supplanted by the cold, hard calculus of Robar's new world order.
BCR auditors and administrators, backed by disciplined contingents of the Stormblade Cohort and Lannister guardsmen, fanned out across the Reach with terrifying efficiency. "Contributions" to the Realm's Reconstruction and Stability Fund were levied with unyielding precision, often taking the form of confiscated grain stores, livestock, or deeds to underutilized lands that BCR's surveyors had already identified as having "untapped development potential." New BCR-appointed officials replaced many of the traditional Tyrell appointees in key administrative and economic posts, their primary mandate being to integrate the Reach's agricultural output into Robar's centralized distribution network. There were protests, of course, particularly from lesser lords who found their traditional revenues and autonomy abruptly curtailed. These were dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly: assets frozen, "re-education" offered in BCR labor camps, or, for those who actively incited rebellion, public examples made to ensure market stability.
Robar, however, did not linger in Highgarden to oversee this "integration." He had delegated that task to a joint committee of his own BCR executives and Tywin Lannister's most pragmatic advisors, with Stannis providing overarching military security for the region via raven-borne directives. Robar's mind was already consumed by a far more alluring, far more strategically vital acquisition: Dragonstone, and its rumored clutch of petrified potential.
Returning to King's Landing with a speed that spoke of his new urgency, Robar convened an immediate war council. This was not a gathering of feudal lords to offer counsel, but a strategic planning session for his inner circle of "senior executives." Present were Tywin Lannister, his new Hand-in-all-but-name; Ser Jaime Lannister, whose "consultancy" was proving surprisingly useful due to his intimate knowledge of Targaryen loyalists and Red Keep secrets; Maester Vaellyn, the renegade pyromancer whose knowledge was now critical for an entirely different kind of fire; and, via coded raven summaries, Lord Stannis, commanding the Dragonstone blockade, and Davos Seaworth, leading the covert intelligence operations.
"Gentlemen," Robar began, his voice resonating with a new, almost predatory intensity as he stood before a detailed map of Dragonstone, its volcanic slopes and formidable defenses meticulously rendered. "Our colleague, Mr. Seaworth, has confirmed intelligence of the highest strategic value. Beyond the continued presence of Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen, Dragonstone houses three artifacts of incalculable potential: dragon eggs."
A stunned silence filled the solar. Tywin Lannister's usually impassive face showed a flicker of genuine surprise, his pale green eyes narrowing in thought. Jaime raised a golden eyebrow, a cynical smile playing on his lips. Maester Vaellyn visibly paled, then leaned forward, his scholarly curiosity warring with an almost primal fear.
"Dragon eggs?" Tywin finally spoke, his voice a low growl. "The legends are true, then. They were not all destroyed in the Doom or lost to time?"
"Apparently not," Robar confirmed. "According to Mr. Seaworth's preliminary reports, sourced from within the castle, these are petrified, considered inert by most. Viserys, in his delusion, believes they will hatch. While his grasp on reality is… tenuous, the existence of the eggs themselves presents an unprecedented opportunity. Dragons, Lord Tywin, are the ultimate monopoly on destructive power. To control them, to potentially revive their lineage under BCR's exclusive global license… the implications for our enterprise are limitless."
"And if they are mere stones, Lord Protector?" Jaime interjected, his tone laced with its usual skepticism. "Relics of a dead magic?"
"Then they are still valuable historical artifacts, Ser Jaime," Robar countered smoothly. "Their propaganda value alone, as symbols of the vanquished Targaryen dynasty now in Baratheon possession, is considerable. However, BCR prefers to explore all avenues of potential return on investment. Maester Vaellyn," he turned to the nervous pyromancer, "your former studies at the Citadel. What do you know of dragon lore? Of incubation? Of the conditions required to bring such… assets… to fruition?"
Vaellyn swallowed hard. "My lord, the lore is fragmented, obscure. Filled with blood magic, fire, sacrifice… things the Citadel has long proscribed. It is said that only Targaryen blood, or great heat, or a combination of both, might stir them. But it is uncertain. Dangerous. Many have tried and failed, often catastrophically."
"BCR is not afraid of calculated risks, Maester, especially when the potential dividend is so high," Robar stated. "You will immediately establish a research initiative – Project Incubate, we shall call it – under the strictest secrecy. You will have access to all relevant texts within the Red Keep's library and the Citadel's archives, which our new associates in Oldtown will be… encouraged to provide. Your budget will be… generous. Your objective: to determine the optimal conditions for hatching and, subsequently, controlling these assets."
He then outlined his operational plan for Dragonstone. "Lord Stannis will maintain and tighten the blockade. No supplies, no escape. Psychological pressure will be increased. Mr. Seaworth will continue to cultivate his internal sources, seeking to subvert key members of the garrison. We will offer generous terms – BCR pensions, relocation packages, pardons – to any who facilitate a… smooth transfer of assets."
"And if they resist?" Tywin asked, his gaze fixed on the map of the island fortress.
"Dragonstone is a formidable redoubt," Robar acknowledged. "A conventional siege would be costly and time-consuming. However, its defenses were designed to repel naval assaults and land armies, not… specialized infiltration teams backed by unconventional capabilities." His hand unconsciously clenched, the air around it seeming to shimmer faintly with contained power. "If a covert extraction of the eggs and Daenerys proves unfeasible, then a swift, surgical assault will be necessary. I will lead it myself. The value of these assets warrants direct executive oversight." He was already envisioning how his Gura Gura no Mi powers could be used to crack Dragonstone's formidable walls, to create breaches, to neutralize its volcanic defenses.
While plans for "Project Incubate" and the Dragonstone acquisition were set in motion, the consolidation of Robar's existing holdings continued. In King's Landing, Lady Cersei Lannister, now officially his betrothed, presided over a Red Keep that was being run with the cold efficiency of a corporate headquarters. She found her attempts to assert traditional queenly authority consistently stymied by Robar's unyielding pragmatism and BCR's omnipresent bureaucracy. She was granted a lavish household budget (after her father's pointed intervention), but every expenditure was tracked, every appointment subject to BCR approval based on "merit and operational necessity." Her frustration grew, but so did her wary respect for the sheer scale of Robar's ambition and his unnerving ability to achieve his goals. She was beginning to understand that her role was not to be a queen in the traditional sense, but the consort of a new kind of emperor, one whose crown was forged not just of gold, but of contracts, ledgers, and raw, terrifying power.
The economic partnership with the Vale was finalized. Lord Jon Arryn, swayed by the undeniable profits BCR offered for the modernization of Gulltown's port and the exploitation of the Vale's quarries, formally pledged his full military support. Vale knights began to move south in greater numbers, reinforcing Ned Stark's forces in the Riverlands and providing a northern bulwark for Robar's regime. Ned himself, busy securing the fractious Riverlords, sent messages of congratulation on the victory in the Reach, though his private correspondence with Jon Arryn, intercepted and decrypted by Robar's BCR cryptographers, revealed a growing unease with Robar's methods and Tywin Lannister's influence. Ned was an honorable asset, Robar mused, but one whose utility might have a shelf life if he couldn't adapt to the new market realities.
The question of Robar's coronation began to be raised more openly, primarily by Tywin Lannister, who understood the symbolic power of such an event in legitimizing the new dynasty. "The realm needs a King, Lord Protector," Tywin had stated in their last meeting. "A formal assertion of your authority will quell remaining dissent and provide a clear focal point for loyalty. And a Lannister Queen on the throne beside you will underscore the strength of our alliance."
Robar agreed in principle. A coronation was a necessary piece of public relations, a ceremonial unveiling of the new CEO of Westeros Inc. But he had his own timetable. "The coronation will take place, Lord Tywin," Robar had replied. "After Dragonstone is secured. And after I have acquired certain… regalia… that will make the event truly unforgettable. A Baratheon King who brings dragons back to Westeros… that is a narrative with immense market appeal."
Tywin's eyes had widened almost imperceptibly at the sheer audacity of the statement. This Baratheon was not just a conqueror; he was a visionary of terrifying ambition.
The final pieces were falling into place. The Reach was being absorbed. The Vale was a confirmed partner. The Riverlands and the North were allied. The Ironborn were a useful, if temporary, disruptive force. Dragonstone, with its priceless anachronistic treasures, was being isolated, primed for acquisition.
Robar stood before his map of Westeros, now almost entirely shaded in Baratheon black and Lannister gold, with pockets of BCR blue indicating areas of direct economic exploitation. His internal monologue was not one of triumph, but of calculating anticipation. The conquest phase was nearing completion. The development phase, the true building of his continental corporation, was about to begin. And with dragon eggs as a potential new product line, the future profits of Westeros Inc. were looking… explosive.
A coded message from Davos Seaworth arrived as he pondered this. "Internal contact reports Viserys grows increasingly erratic. Fearful of betrayal. Keeps eggs and sister under constant, heavy guard in the Stone Drum. Garrison morale low. ripe for… 'restructuring.' A window of opportunity may present itself soon."
Robar's lips curved into that rare, predatory smile. The market was indeed signaling a buy opportunity. It was time to prepare for a personal visit to Dragonstone.
Word Count: Approx. 3150 words