Blood And Iron (ASOIAF/GoT)

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-Pov of Wilhelm von Hohenzollern twelfth moon 288 AC

"We have won. Though the cost was high, so was the risk. With the threat of the ironborn pirates eliminated, trade will flourish, and our routes in the North should expand exponentially across the channel."

I paused, letting my gaze sweep across the council table, ensuring that each of my advisors understood the magnitude of our victory.

"But more importantly," I continued, "we have made it clear to all of the Seven Kingdoms that no one can trample the Prussian giant without paying a heavy price."

My council members nodded in silence, fully aware that every word I spoke was the culmination of months of arduous campaigns and strategic planning. The atmosphere in the room was one of satisfaction, but also of caution—despite our victory, there were still crucial matters to address.

After a moment of stillness, the Minister of Finance spoke.

"My king, blessed be your wisdom, but I must ask about the royal treasury." His gaze shifted from me to the rest of the assembly. "Are you certain you wish to allocate your entire share of the spoils to increase war bond payments to the people? We are speaking of a vast sum in gold and silver, enough to sustain the Crown's expenses for years without needing to draw from the public treasury."

I crossed my arms, taking a moment to reflect. I already knew my answer, but I wanted Willas to speak. I turned to him, expecting him to demonstrate the training we had instilled in him. He caught the signal and spoke with conviction.

"Your Majesty, lords of the council," he began, straightening in his chair, "the decision to share the spoils with those who purchased war bonds is not merely an act of generosity—it is a matter of justice. The people placed their trust in us when they invested in this campaign, and that trust must be rewarded. If we show them that their sacrifice was not in vain, loyalty to the Crown will grow exponentially."

The faces around the table showed interest and consideration. I could see the Minister of Finance narrowing his eyes, mentally calculating the implications of what he was hearing.

"Furthermore," Willas continued, "by injecting this gold into the hands of the people, we will stimulate consumption and commercial activity. The entire kingdom will benefit—transactions will increase, artisans and merchants will thrive, and in the end, that very gold will return to the royal coffers through taxes and levies. Strengthening our subjects' economy is the best way to strengthen our own crown."

Satisfied with his response, I nodded and spoke to reinforce his argument.

"I agree with Willas. Our strength lies in our bond with the people, not in hoarding riches while they see only scraps. We have proven our military might, yes, but Prussia's true greatness will come when we all feel that we have triumphed together. My share of the spoils will go toward additional war bond payments. From this day forward, we will make it clear that in this kingdom, the Crown's word is worth as much as its sword."

"One more thing to add to that report, Willas. At this moment, we are facing a labor shortage, and bringing in workers from our neighbors has proven difficult, especially due to religious differences. If we wanted to use all this wealth to fund new projects, we would have to wait until workers are freed up from the many projects already underway—expanding irrigation canals, improving the mines, repairing housing, maintaining roads… Therefore, restoring normalcy as soon as possible is the best course of action." I said this with a smile, pleased with the strategy we had laid out.

With the economic issue settled, I turned my attention to other administrative matters. Among them was the fate of the thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of pirates captured during the war. Up to that point, most had been sent to the mines as forced laborers, but our council had proposed a new, more humane penitentiary system, which I had recently approved and was beginning to implement. Now, we had to decide which of these prisoners would be eligible for the pilot program and under what conditions it would be carried out.

After concluding the meeting with my advisors, I made my way to my private office. I needed to have a private discussion with Aleksanteri about an urgent matter that demanded my attention.

When I entered, I found him waiting by the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"It's good to see you again," I said, closing the door behind me. "Excellent work with the Greyjoys. Stark was furious, but sooner or later, he'll understand that the ends justify the means—even if he finds out what we did."

A faint smile crossed my lips at the thought. Aleksanteri let out a mocking grunt.

"That fool is lucky to still be breathing… Have you seen Bolton? He's a fox among the northern henhouses. Everyone trusts blindly in his honor—except for a few who are beginning to suspect."

I nodded slowly, recalling the recent intrigues. "Yes. And that's precisely why we're here. Do you remember when I asked you to take care of… a certain problem? Circumstances at the time prevented you from acting, but now I want you to proceed. I want that man dead, and I want no witnesses. I don't care about the method. If you prefer to slip in alone and slit his throat in his chambers, or storm his castle with your Finns—do it. But no one must survive to point a finger at me."

The icy tone of my own words surprised me, but I did not waver.

Aleksanteri turned, and with a smooth motion, removed the mask he was wearing, revealing unnervingly white teeth in a smile that was both polite and menacing.

"It will be my pleasure, my king," he said with a hint of satisfaction. "Would you mind if I… have a little fun first? I could torture him. Imagine the spectacle—bringing him to The Reach alive, locking him in my personal dungeons, breaking him mentally until he abandons all hope… an exquisite irony for a man so full of himself."

I watched him in silence for a few seconds.

Finally, I nodded. "Do whatever you deem necessary, as long as you leave nothing that ties it back to me. I don't need a martyr sparking uprisings, nor rumors fueling future suspicions."

The silence in the room allowed me to regain my composure before moving on to the next matter. I exhaled softly and spoke in a more neutral tone.

"Well… about the other issue."

"Ah, yes—Lothar," Aleksanteri replied, his expression as impassive as ever.

"Exactly. I'm sending him back to Essos. He is no longer of use to me here."

Aleksanteri nodded and left the room.

A short while later, he returned with Lothar, the Prussian knight. The man knelt reverently, not daring to lift his gaze.

"Lothar… at last, we have a moment for a small but necessary conversation," I began, resting both hands on the desk. "Your assistance—though untimely and through unorthodox means—has not gone unnoticed. You have made it abundantly clear to the Westerosi who the strongest truly is."

"Thank you, my king…" Lothar attempted to say, bowing even lower.

I raised a hand to silence him. "But you also defied my orders. I gave you an exact amount of Valyrian steel that was to be delivered in exchange for my forgiveness. And once again, you have failed me in the same way. You disobeyed my command, Lothar."

My voice turned as cold as the marble floor beneath his knees.

I kept my eyes locked on Lothar, the same knight whose brutal strength had been demonstrated time and again on the battlefield—yet now, he barely dared to speak.

"You have failed me again, Lothar. From what I understood, the Free Cities you conquered had been pacified, but according to the latest reports, poor Antti—the man you left in charge—is now struggling to keep the opposition at bay."

"You mean keeping them frozen under three meters of earth?" Aleksanteri remarked with a smirk. "Antti isn't one to hesitate when it comes to daggers or poison."

"My king, I regret it, but you were in—" Lothar began, only for me to cut him off with a simple gesture. For all his reputation as a butcher, he seemed more defenseless now than ever.

Lothar swallowed hard, still kneeling, waiting for my verdict. Aleksanteri leaned slightly forward, enjoying the scene, but remained silent. The air in the room grew heavier, as if time itself had slowed.

At last, I exhaled and took a step forward.

"Everything is under control, Lothar, or I would have asked you for your services outright. Even so, I will consider what you have provided as a gesture of goodwill—befitting an envoy seeking recognition. But from this moment on, you start from zero. Do not fail me again."

My tone was ice-cold as Lothar nodded in silence. It was ironic—this same man, who had slaughtered hundreds, if not thousands, of ironborn, was now listening to my words with the discipline of a soldier in training.

However, I did not wish to end our meeting on a mere warning. It was necessary to make clear what the future of our relationship would be. Leaning slightly on the desk, I regarded him with a calmer expression.

"I am not one to ignore a significant gift from another state. And given that we both follow the Protestant faith, and that I hold the title of Head of the Church of Prussia, I grant you something that will be of great value in your future campaigns. If you ever find yourself in conflict with another Free City or the Dothraki, I will declare it a crusade. Then, the faithful of The Reach will rally to your call, swelling your ranks and filling your coffers."

Lothar lifted his gaze, receiving my words with the solemnity of a man who understood their weight. Aleksanteri, standing to the side, maintained his calculating expression, analyzing every nuance of the conversation without intervening.

With this exchange, everything was now in Lothar's hands—either he would fulfill his obligations from this moment forward, or he would face far graver consequences.

For my part, I simply gave him a firm nod, signaling the end of the meeting. I knew that if Lothar valued his future, he would act with the same fervor he had always shown—not out of fear of losing my favor, but because his loyalty made it impossible for him to conceive of any other path.

The door closed behind him with a faint echo. Aleksanteri let out a mocking sigh.

"Do you think he will succeed?" he asked, a trace of amusement in his voice.

I turned toward the window, gazing at the city illuminated under the night sky. Wilhelmshaven thrived, and with it, Prussia. But power was not upheld through illusions or prolonged truces. A kingdom's stability was built on firm decisions, precise movements, and, when necessary, sacrifices.

"That depends entirely on him." I did not take my eyes off the horizon. "But if he fails, I won't have the patience to give him another chance."

Aleksanteri nodded, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"In that case, we'd best prepare for our next move," the Finn said.

"When you are done with Bolton, you will need to hunt down the last surviving Greyjoy male. The Iron Islands are pacified thanks to our military presence in the region, but I do not wish to risk that Greyjoy returning to ignite a rebellion. All the investments we have made could be lost if the population—whom we worked so hard to subjugate—rises against us."

I finished speaking in a firm tone.

"It will be done, my friend," Aleksanteri replied with a smile, placing his mask back on before slipping out of the room in near silence—leaving behind the certainty that the order would be carried out without question.

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Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

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I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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