Chapter 27: The Dragon's Shadow Looms: Decrees, Development, and Dornish Defiance
The coronation of King Robar Baratheon, First of His Name, Master of Dragons, CEO of Westeros Incorporated, had been less a celebration and more a stark, fiery punctuation mark at the end of a brutal sentence. The sight of three living dragons, subservient to the iron will of the man on the Iron Throne, had seared itself into the collective consciousness of the assembled nobility. Fear, a far more reliable motivator than love or loyalty in Robar's estimation, now permeated the Red Keep's ancient stones, oiling the gears of his new administration with an efficiency that even he found satisfactory.
The Small Council meetings were brief, decisive affairs. Tywin Lannister, as Hand of the King, brought his formidable intellect and ruthless pragmatism to bear, translating Robar's strategic directives into actionable policies. Stannis Baratheon, Master of Laws and Chief Security Officer, delivered his reports on domestic compliance and resource allocation with grim precision, his disapproval of his brother's methods carefully masked by an unwavering commitment to order. Grand Maester Pycelle, now effectively BCR's Chief Public Relations Officer, nervously presented drafts of official histories and proclamations that framed Robar's reign as a divinely ordained restoration of strength and prosperity. The other council members, a mix of BCR executives and co-opted nobles, largely listened and executed, their survival dependent on their utility.
Deep beneath Maegor's Holdfast, in the volcanically warmed and heavily guarded Incubation Chamber, "Project Incubate" proceeded apace. The dragons – Mammon, Viridian, and Aurum – were growing with astonishing speed, their hunger seemingly limitless. Maester Vaellyn, now bearing the official BCR title of 'Grand Conservator of Draconic Assets,' directed a small army of servants, hunters, and alchemists. Vast quantities of livestock, specially charred and laced with minerals painstakingly extracted from Dragonstone, were consumed daily. The cost was astronomical, a significant line item in BCR's operational budget, but Robar considered it a prime investment in unparalleled strategic leverage.
He continued his clandestine ritual of feeding the dragons his own Haki-infused, supercharged blood. Each session left him momentarily drained, yet also strangely invigorated, the symbiotic exchange of power forging an unbreakable bond. Mammon, the black, was now easily the size of a small warhorse, his scales like polished obsidian, his breath already capable of melting steel. Viridian and Aurum, though slightly smaller, displayed increasing intelligence and coordination, their movements hinting at the aerial predators they would become. Robar began rudimentary training, using simple vocal commands reinforced by his powerful Conqueror's Haki. They responded with an instinctual obedience that was both gratifying and a testament to the unique nature of their creation.
With the undeniable threat of dragonfire ensuring compliance, Baratheon Consolidated Resources unleashed its full transformative power upon the subjugated kingdoms. New, unified tax codes, designed for maximum revenue extraction with minimal loopholes, were ruthlessly enforced by BCR auditors backed by Stannis's enforcers. Key industries – the Reach's agriculture, the Westerlands' gold mines (now subject to a BCR "optimization and revenue sharing" agreement with Lord Tywin), the Stormlands' timber and quarries, and the burgeoning shipping lanes – were brought under tight BCR regulation. Resistance was met with overwhelming economic pressure, asset seizure, or, if necessary, swift military "restructuring."
Robar initiated several ambitious infrastructure projects, all bearing the BCR insignia. The King's Road was to be widened and paved from King's Landing to Winterfell, a monumental undertaking that would facilitate troop movement and BCR commercial transport. New deep-water ports were commissioned in key coastal cities, designed to handle BCR's expanding global trade fleet. Work even began on a grand aqueduct system for King's Landing, a project that would improve sanitation, public health (and thus labor productivity), and provide a constant water supply for the city's industries and, discreetly, the dragons' growing needs. These projects provided employment, though often under harsh BCR labor contracts, but they also visibly demonstrated the new regime's capacity for large-scale development.
The first major test of King Robar's dragon-backed diplomacy came from Dorne. Prince Doran Martell's refusal to attend the coronation personally, sending only a minor delegation with a non-committal message, was an act of defiance Robar could not ignore. Dorne, with its history of independence and its strategic position, needed to be brought fully into the BCR fold.
"Dorne's reluctance to embrace the new market realities is… problematic," Robar stated in a Small Council meeting, his gaze sweeping over his advisors. "Their continued autonomy presents a potential instability in our southern operations and sets a poor precedent for other… less enlightened regional managers."
Tywin Lannister, his expression unreadable, spoke first. "Dorne is a viper's nest, Your Grace. They do not break easily. A direct military confrontation in their deserts would be costly, even with dragons."
"BCR does not shy from necessary expenditures if the long-term ROI is favorable, Lord Hand," Robar countered. "However, a more… cost-effective solution is preferable. We will begin with a formal diplomatic overture, backed by an undeniable demonstration of our new… negotiation leverage."
A high-level BCR delegation was dispatched to Sunspear, led by Lord Jon Connington (restored to his lands and a minor title after swearing absolute fealty and demonstrating surprising administrative acumen within BCR – Robar valued talent, regardless of past allegiances) and Ser Addam Marbrand, a capable Lannister commander. Their instructions were clear: secure Dorne's unconditional submission to the Iron Throne, their full integration into BCR's economic framework, and the payment of a substantial "Special Integration Fee." They were also to negotiate a political marriage – perhaps Arianne Martell to a BCR loyalist, or even to Robar himself as a secondary wife if Cersei failed to produce heirs quickly, though Robar considered that a less optimal outcome due to potential succession conflicts.
As the delegation journeyed south, Robar orchestrated his demonstration. He, mounted on Mammon, with Viridian and Aurum flanking them, took to the skies. It was their first extended flight beyond the immediate vicinity of King's Landing. The dragons, exulting in their freedom, soared through the clouds, their roars echoing across the landscape. Robar guided them south, along the edge of the Dornish Marches, making a wide, highly visible pass along the northern borders of Dorne itself. They did not attack; they did not even cross into Dornish airspace. But their passage, three immense, fire-breathing shadows against the sun, was an unmistakable message to Sunspear. The Dragon King's power was not a mere rumor; it was a terrifying, airborne reality. The psychological impact on the Dornish border lords, Robar calculated, would be considerable.
Back in King's Landing, Queen Cersei Lannister adjusted to her new role with a mixture of cold ambition and simmering resentment. Her husband, the Dragon King, remained an enigma – powerful, terrifyingly intelligent, yet utterly devoid of the warmth or passion she craved (or believed she could manipulate). She focused on her primary BCR-mandated objective: producing a Baratheon-Lannister heir who would inherit this unprecedented power. Her interactions with Daenerys Targaryen became a strange pastime. She saw the girl's fear, her fragility, but also a flicker of the Targaryen spirit. Cersei, in her own way, began to "educate" Daenerys, not just in courtly graces, but in the brutal realities of power, subtly trying to mold her into a less threatening, perhaps even useful, piece on the great chessboard.
Daenerys, for her part, lived in a state of suspended terror. The man who had orchestrated her brother's horrific death and now controlled dragons, the symbols of her lost House, was her captor, her guardian, her king. She felt the dragons' presence in the Red Keep, a deep, primal thrum in her blood, a constant reminder of everything she had lost and everything he now possessed. Robar occasionally visited her, his assessments brief and unnervingly impersonal. He would observe her, ask pointed questions about her health, her Valyrian lineage, her memories of Dragonstone, all data points for his ongoing analysis of her asset value. He noted her strange, intuitive connection to the dragons – they grew agitated when she was distressed, calm when she was composed, even from a distance. This, he filed away for future consideration. She might be more than just a broodmare or a political pawn.
News from the other kingdoms continued to affirm Robar's growing dominance. Lord Eddard Stark, from Winterfell, reported full compliance with BCR's new resource quotas from the North, though his messages were increasingly terse, his discomfort palpable even through Pycelle's carefully edited summaries. Jon Arryn, in the Vale, had fully embraced the economic partnership with BCR, Gulltown's shipyards already expanding under BCR investment, the quarries of the Mountains of the Moon yielding unprecedented quantities of stone for Robar's infrastructure projects. The Ironborn, under Balon Greyjoy, continued their BCR-sanctioned raids on "unaffiliated" Essosi shipping, a useful, if unruly, extension of Robar's burgeoning global economic warfare.
The whispers from Essos grew louder. Merchant princes in Pentos and Myr spoke fearfully of the Dragon King of Westeros and his new, terrifying power. The Magisters of Volantis, who still clung to the faded glory of Old Valyria, sent tentative envoys, seeking to understand the nature of this new dragonlord and explore potential "mutually beneficial trade agreements" (which Robar knew meant they wanted to assess his threat level and potential for exploitation). Khalasars on the Dothraki Sea, creatures of strength and plunder, heard tales of a new, iron-fisted khal of khals in the West, one who commanded flying fire-beasts.
Robar, the CEO of this rapidly expanding global enterprise, surveyed his domain from the Red Keep. Westeros was being systematically restructured, its resources harnessed, its population managed, its future profits maximized. The dragons were his ultimate guarantors of compliance, his disruptive technology that rendered all previous power dynamics obsolete. His vision was unfolding with ruthless precision.
The only remaining domestic uncertainty was Dorne. The response from Prince Doran Martell was overdue. Robar knew the Dornish were proud, patient, and masters of subtlety. Their answer, when it came, would be a critical indicator of whether his dragon diplomacy had been sufficient, or if a more… direct application of BCR's fiery assets would be required to complete the hostile takeover of the Seven Kingdoms. The Dragon King waited, his patience as cold and vast as the shadow his wings were beginning to cast across the world.
Word Count: Approx. 3050 words