Swan Harbor lay like a resting swan, its future prosperity tied to the sea.
A harbor at the mouth of a great river, like King's Landing or Oldtown, would have been ideal. But Andalos lacked such geography, so Viserys had chosen a cove almost directly aligned with his capital, Viserys Fort. Unless he dug a canal, the Upper Rhoyne's slow currents would remain the primary inland waterway.
The kingdom required massive infrastructure development, building almost everything from scratch.
Fortunately, the terrain of Andalos was relatively flat, lowering construction costs. Dirt and stone roads would suffice for now.
The sea breeze carried the scent of salt.
"You are loyal to me, Morosh, but your loyalty must remain a secret," Viserys said.
This kind of recruitment was standard; it took a century to build a navy, and fledgling powers often poached talent.
An army is easy to raise, but a general is hard to find. Even if the Myrman was merely a mercenary admiral, he was the most competent naval commander Viserys could currently access.
Ascending the ladder of power, Viserys realized more keenly that every move affected the whole board. Only the strongest and most strategic could win in the end.
"I understand, Your Grace," Morosh wasn't foolish. He knew Viserys had grand ambitions and needed him to lie low.
If Viserys openly poached talent across the world, Pentos, Myr, and other cities would become wary.
When the Andal Navy was formally established, or when Viserys seized a major port, that would be the time for Morosh to reveal his true allegiance.
"What is the situation on the Narrow Sea?" Viserys asked.
"The islands are quieter than usual, Your Grace. It is summer; the pirate trade is slower than in autumn," Morosh explained.
"Makes sense. Autumn storms make crossing the open sea difficult, forcing trade ships to hug the Stepstones, where the pirates wait," Viserys noted. "Who controls the Stepstones now?"
"The Ironborn were crushed in Balon Greyjoy's rebellion. Now, the Three Daughters have their hands in the pie," the Myrman said. "Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys don't intervene directly due to the political climate, but each supports its own pirate fleet."
Viserys understood. Starting a war required caution, especially for competitive city-states like the Three Daughters.
Even the Archons and Magisters couldn't afford a failed war; their political rivals would destroy them.
Rash wars often led to the extinction of noble houses.
Thus, they preferred trade wars or proxy wars—raising tariffs or banning smuggling rather than direct conflict.
"The Magisters of Myr didn't support me; they backed another captain. But since I'm a Myrish smuggler, and Tyrosh and Lys give Myr some face, my ships remain relatively safe," Morosh explained.
Myr's situation was unique. An artisan city, it had a large fleet but lacked the aggressive expansionism of Tyrosh and Lys.
Their overall combat effectiveness was lower, lacking a certain bloodthirstiness.
Myr had suffered in the past. In 134 AC, when the Daughters' War ended, the Disputed Lands were partitioned. Dorne took most of the Stepstones. Princess Aliandra Martell and the Archon of Tyrosh gained the most, while Myr suffered the greatest losses.
Lys fell into civil war as families and Magisters fought each other.
The shadow of defeat loomed large over Myr, making them hesitant to engage in hot wars. They were long-time patrons of the Golden Company for a reason.
Currently, the Tyroshi and Lyseni were the main belligerents in the Stepstones, both courting Myrish neutrality or support.
"I see," Viserys nodded.
The island chain was a chaotic battle royale, with Ironborn and the Three Daughters all involved.
With the Ironborn licking their wounds, the Pirate Kings were the dominant power.
"Who is the strongest now?" Viserys asked.
"Salladhor Saan. He calls himself the Prince of the Narrow Sea, though he operates mostly out of Lys. Commerce, smuggling, trade, banking—he does it all," Morosh said. "The Saan family has been pirating for centuries; they are masters of the trade with immense influence. Their household slaves are fierce sailors. With diverse businesses and deep pockets, they are a prominent family in Lys."
Viserys had heard Salladhor Saan claim his fleet of two dozen war galleys cost 30,000 gold dragons a month to maintain.
And those were just the warships. The Saan family likely had a corresponding fleet of smugglers and merchant vessels.
Like the Redwynes of the Arbor, who built their fortune on wine, Lord Paxter Redwyne owned two hundred warships and five times as many merchant carracks, wine cogs, trading galleys, and whalers.
"What is your relationship with him?"
"Top smugglers respect each other. Me, the Onion Knight, and Saan. But our status is too different; we are merely acquaintances. Old Saan has friends in every Free City.
"He once tried to recruit me, but I prefer my freedom. Besides, joining the Lysene camp would mean losing my tax privileges in Myr. We didn't reach an agreement, so the relationship cooled."
Viserys understood. It was the nature of slippery men: everyone is a friend, yet no one is a true friend.
Though they knew each other, Saan was a businessman first.
While the Onion Knight and the Myrman were still mastering the trade, Saan was already a capitalist.
Saan was in a different league entirely.
For him, one more smuggler was neither here nor there.
Viserys weighed his options. Saan was powerful, but more likely a rival than a friend.
His massive influence made him a pole of power in his own right. Slippery, cunning, and well-connected, he would be hard to command.
"You have a dozen warships and a dozen smuggling vessels," Viserys said to Morosh.
"Yes, Your Grace."
"No need to expand for now. Focus on supporting Swan Harbor's growth. Later, I will bring you new revenue streams," Viserys promised.
Viserys had already ordered copper stills. Once his new grape brandy was successful, it would be a river of gold.
Besides that, Viserys was considering a potential expedition. The timing was perfect.
Summer meant fewer storms. His Tyroshi enemies were quiet, the Iron Throne was bogged down in endless meetings, and Khal Drogo was in the far east.
Opportunity knocks but once.
Viserys could launch a river expedition down the Rhoyne to Volantis, or a sea voyage into the unknown.
Both routes had their pros and cons.