The side hall wasn't as brightly lit as the main hall, appearing somewhat dim.
When Arthur arrived, he found that besides Vickon, there was a woman he didn't know.
"Who is she?" Arthur asked, puzzled. "Is this the personal matter you mentioned?"
"You've met her before. Her name is Fanny. Her husband was a Braavosi captain, an acquaintance of my father. He was also one of the captains who wrecked on the Sisters and was sent back to Braavos by us." Vickon hurriedly stood up to introduce her.
"With our assistance, they received the compensation from the insurance merchant. Their family came here to thank you once before."
Understanding the context, Arthur examined Fanny.
She looked extremely haggard. Her hair was dry and brittle, her eyes sunken and bloodshot.
A woman drowning in grief, Arthur judged silently.
"Madam, you don't look well," Arthur said, taking a seat. "Is there something you need from me?"
"I... I..." Her voice was hoarse, and she stuttered so nervously that Arthur couldn't make out what she was saying.
Arthur nodded at Vickon, who poured Fanny a cup of sweet wine.
The wine seemed to soothe her slightly.
"They killed my husband. The men who returned told me they locked him in a crow cage and let him die of thirst. Crows pecked at his flesh until only bones remained." Fanny's hoarse voice was filled with sorrow and accusation.
"Just because he didn't have the money to buy insurance before his ship sailed."
"Who?" Arthur frowned, glancing at Vickon before turning back to the woman. "Who returned? And who killed your husband?"
"They said it was the Lord of Pebble. He plundered passing ships like a pirate," Fanny said. "They released the captains who had insurance contracts."
Pebble was also in the Bite, located between the Three Sisters and the Fingers of the Vale. It was a mandatory passing point for ships traveling from White Harbor to the Vale or Braavos.
"What can I do for you?"
"I want the head of the Lord of Pebble. I demand justice." Fanny's eyes burned with anger and grief. "For this, I sought out the Sealord's officials, judges, even the priests of the Faceless Men. They all refused me."
"The officials told me that maritime trade is inherently risky. Meeting with misfortune is simply bad luck."
"The judges told me there was no evidence for an accusation, and their judgments hold no sway across the Narrow Sea."
"The priests of the Faceless Men told me all men must die."
Arthur listened to Fanny's plea and shook his head.
"Why did you go to the Sealord and the Faceless Men first? Why not come to me first?"
"My men saved your husband once and helped you get the insurance payout."
"I have a piece of Valyrian steel. Enough to forge a bastard sword." Fanny stared at Arthur with bloodshot eyes. "I only want the head of the Lord of Pebble. I only want justice."
Arthur's brow furrowed slightly. Valyrian steel was extremely tempting. He had been wanting to buy some recently; forging a Valyrian steel sword was the ultimate honor for any smith.
After thinking for a moment, Arthur resisted the temptation and shook his head.
"I can't do it. Westerosi lords live in stone castles, and we are separated by the Narrow Sea.
"Besides, you show me no respect. Up until now, you haven't even called me 'my Lord'."
"My Lord... my Lord... please." Fanny burst into tears, suddenly grabbing Arthur's hand and kneeling on the floor, begging. "My husband died so miserably."
Arthur looked at her calmly. When her emotions stabilized, he said, "What use is a head? It won't bring your husband back to life."
"How about this? I can arrange for your son to become an apprentice in my smithy, or give you enough money to start a new life."
Fanny's eyes were red, but she remained stubborn. "I only want justice. I only want the head."
Feeling Fanny's intense hatred and obsession, Arthur was silent for a while before finally agreeing. "As you wish. I will give you justice, but not now."
Receiving a positive answer, Fanny breathed a sigh of relief. Arthur arranged for someone to accompany her to retrieve the Valyrian steel.
"Besides Pebble, I just learned that a similar situation exists on the Paps. Three captains who bought insurance from Sabel Kaffi were returned, but only the captains," Vickon continued his report.
"This seems targeted specifically at Sabel Kaffi and captains who didn't buy insurance."
"It seems this is the work of those other insurance merchants," Arthur commented.
"I thought they would use our own methods against us. I didn't expect them to go this far—dropping all pretenses and hiring pirates to plunder directly. I wonder how they convinced the lords of Pebble and the Paps to lose their minds like this."
Vickon: "My Lord, what should we do?"
Arthur: "We aren't the primary target. It depends on what Sabel Kaffi wants to do."
Arthur knew that since Fanny found her way here, Sabel Kaffi would come to him once he made a decision.
---
Sabel Kaffi arrived the next day at noon, earlier than Arthur expected.
Compared to six months ago, Sabel Kaffi was even fatter, looking like a walking sphere. His blind eye had been replaced by a sapphire, making him look slightly less menacing.
"My friend, you must know what happened on Pebble and the Paps. The lords there are cooperating with pirates, plundering passing ships." Sabel Kaffi sat in a chair, gasping for breath, while his beloved dog Claw crouched beneath him, barking incessantly.
Sabel Kaffi gestured with a hand adorned with gem-encrusted rings, showing seven fingers.
"In the last few days, fully seven captains have come to me to claim insurance payouts. You people from the Sunset Lands always like to ship in batches of seven."
"I am sorry to hear that." Arthur shrugged, frowning at the bulldog barking at him.
Normally, bulldogs were gentle, but Kaffi's dog was extremely aggressive, barking whenever they met. And if Arthur wasn't mistaken, the dog had just taken a shit on his Myrish carpet.
Forcing himself to ignore the dog named Claw, Arthur focused on its owner. "I think you should know, we didn't do this."
"You must take responsibility for this," the one-eyed Kaffi demanded. "If I hadn't partnered with you, they wouldn't be targeting me."
"We respect the contract, but this isn't in the agreement." Arthur shook his head. "If you wish, we can terminate the contract and end our partnership now."
Arthur spread his hands. "As you know, in my dealings with you, I act mostly as a middleman. I barely make any profit."
"No profit? Then I will take back the mansion. You will have to leave, and your 'Snow & Peach' smithy will close." Kaffi threatened forcefully.
"Leave today!"
"As you wish." Arthur shrugged. "The core of the smithy is its reputation and the smiths' skills. I can reopen anywhere in Braavos."
Seeing that Arthur wasn't intimidated, Kaffi's voice softened. "Can you really make those two annoying island lords obey?"
"You know Zaren well. You must have heard him speak of my deeds in the Three Sisters. If I wanted to... but why should I?" Arthur asked, puzzled.
"We are separated by the Narrow Sea and stone castles. It's hard to get a word into their ears, especially when their ears are stuffed with gold coins."
Sabel Kaffi: "We are friends, aren't we?"
Arthur rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. "Friends don't make unreasonable demands."
"Say it. What do you want? Name a price." Sabel Kaffi sat up straight, looking solemn.
"If the price is too high, I might as well quit and stop selling insurance for the Braavos-White Harbor route."
Arthur didn't answer directly. "In Westeros, lords and kings often hold tourneys. Knights come from all over to joust, winning honor and prize money with their martial prowess."
"That game where they ride horses and poke each other off with sticks? The entertainment of the Sunset Kingdoms is always so strange." Kaffi blinked his single eye, lips curling in disdain.
"Far inferior to our elegant and deadly water dance. And the fighting pits of Meereen in Slaver's Bay are much more interesting; gladiators usually fight to the death."
Ignoring Kaffi's commentary, Arthur continued, "I am not a knight, and perhaps I will never gain that honor. But I want the winner's prize. I heard the champion of the joust can win 40,000 Gold Dragons."
Hearing this, Sabel Kaffi's round body shot up from the chair. His dog Claw, sensing his master's emotion, barked even more ferociously.
"Damn the joust champion! The money I paid those seven captains doesn't even amount to 40,000 Gold Dragons!"
Arthur, irritated by the barking, suppressed his annoyance and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think a letter would make those two lords submit, did you? This means war, my good friend."
"You should know that hiring a mercenary company costs far more than 40,000 Gold Dragons. And even then, the commander wouldn't guarantee success."
Kaffi sat back down, hesitating. "But... the cost is still too high."
"Think about it. Once it's done, there will be no other islands along the route through the Bite, or even the Fingers." Seeing Kaffi waver, Arthur stepped around the pile of dog shit, filled the fat man's cup with peach wine, and said:
"By then, you can set the insurance prices as you please."
Sabel Kaffi looked at the pink liquid in his cup, weighed his options for a long time, and finally spoke.
"I don't have that much Westerosi currency. I can provide goods of equal value. In two installments, 20,000 Gold Dragons each."
"Shortly after the goods are verified and the contract is signed," Arthur patted Sabel Kaffi's shoulder, "you will get the news you desire."
Sabel Kaffi: "I hope so."
Escorting Sabel Kaffi to the mansion gate, Arthur looked at the bulldog still baring its teeth at him and said:
"Kaffi, my friend, your dog doesn't seem very friendly towards me. It's been like this since we first met."
Arthur asked with interest, "Can you grant me a wish? Let me pet its head."
"You'd better not, unless you want to be bitten." Sabel Kaffi picked up Claw and stroked its head. In Kaffi's arms, the bulldog whimpered comfortably, looking deceptively cute.
"Claw hates strange smells. If you were Braavosi, maybe it would be different."
Arthur looked disappointed. "That... that is truly a pity."
Watching Sabel Kaffi board a barge with his beloved Claw, Arthur began his preparations. Besides mobilizing his men...
He had much to prepare. For instance, obtaining the claim to the two islands. That was the key to everything.
Normally, this might be impossible. But now, those two lords, confused by who knows what, were practically engaging in or condoning piracy openly. That changed everything.