Game of Thrones: The Ruler

Jon entered the room that had been converted into his temporary solar. The room was located in the unrestricted section of the manor, it served as his base of operations for the time being. Asmund was already there, waiting.

"My Lord," Asmund said, rising and bowing as Jon stepped inside.

Jon gave a nod in response and walked over to the large desk, taking his seat behind it. Asmund sat down across from him.

"My Lord," Asmund began, "we have completed the casualty estimates and other reports from the war. Just a few hours ago, I received the full report from Yunkai as well."

"How heavy were our losses?" Jon asked.

"In Meereen, 337 of our men were killed. Around 150 suffered grievous injuries including loss of one or more limbs and will most likely be unable to return to the battlefield. Between 800 and 900 men sustained minor wounds. They should recover within a week to a month," Asmund reported.

Considering that their army had numbered around 12,500 and the enemy had fielded approximately 7,000 men, the losses were not only acceptable, they were remarkably low. An astounding success, few would say.

"And the enemy?" Jon asked.

"The Great Masters lost 1,100 men," Asmund informed. "Around 300 were severely wounded, and over 1,500 received minor injuries."

Jon was pleasantly surprised. The Great Masters had suffered high casualties.

"Actually, My Lord," Asmund continued, "your arrival stirred the hearts of the smallfolk. During the second phase of the Great Masters' resistance, many of them rose up in large numbers and joined the fight on our side."

"Additionally, several Great Masters turned against their own comrades hoping to earn your favour by assassinating their brethren. This pushed the casualty higher on the enemy side."

Jon raised an eyebrow at that but did not say anything immediately.

"And Yunkai?" he asked. Asmund's emphasis on Jon's presence had made it clear that the outcome there might not have been quite as favourable.

"We suffered slightly heavier losses in Yunkai," Asmund admitted. "589 soldiers were killed. 231 were grievously wounded, and about 1,200 received minor injuries."

It did not sound too high. But the army sent to Yunkai had been only 8,000 strong and the enemy, the wise masters, had managed to field nearly 5,000 men. Compared to losses suffered in Meereen, the number was quite high.

"And the enemy?" Jon asked again.

"The Wise Masters of Yunkai resisted fiercely during the second phase. They lost 1,200 men, 437 were severely wounded, and more than 1,800 received minor injuries."

"The fierce resistance from the Wise Masters prolonged the conflict and inflated the casualties on both sides," Asmund added.

Jon nodded in acknowledgement. Not quite the sweeping success they had seen in Meereen, but still, a solid performance. There was nothing he could complaint about.

"Write to Freydron and congratulate him on my behalf for his victory in this battle," Jon added as an afterthought.

Asmund nodded with a small smile. "Yes, my Lord."

He had been slightly worried about his comrade, wondering if Lord Aeos might be displeased with the high losses in Yunkai. Jon's words brought him relief.

"Asmund," Jon continued, "this may sound difficult, even impossible, but do your best to ensure that the families of the fallen soldiers receive proper compensation. And if possible, try to offer them employment within the administration. Also, make suitable arrangements for those who have been grievously wounded."

"We will do our best, my Lord," Asmund replied sincerely.

Compensation was not an issue. It was easily manageable. Offering the employment was. But for now, since, a lot of fallen soldiers were Unsullied, who did not have any family, this could be managed too. But when the strength of the army increased in future, it would not be easy.

"My Lord," he added after a pause, "I think it is time we start focusing properly on building and strengthening our navy."

Navy.

Jon leaned back in thought. Over the past months, he had devised plans for a naval force, but little actual progress had been made.

The first, and most pressing reason was the lack of warships. The combined naval strength of Astapor amounted to a meagre 33 ships. These were the ships which he taken over from the Good Master of Astapor.

Astapor had never been known for its maritime power. The second reason was financial.

While Jon had been earning substantial profits from his two major ventures, the construction industry and alcohol, his expenditures were equally significant.

Armours and weapons for the rapidly expanding army, horses he had purchased in bulk, funds spent on intelligence and spy networks, and the welfare measures and reforms he had undertaken in his own city. All had taken a heavy toll on his treasury.

As a result, new ships could not have been commissioned. Astapor's navy had remained weak and underdeveloped.

Only a single company, five hundred men, had been designated as the naval force. So far, their role had been limited to training for future combat and patrolling the waters near Astapor.

"How many ships did we capture?" Jon asked.

Meereen, though not known as a naval powerhouse, still possessed far greater maritime strength than Astapor. Yunkai, on the other hand, had a fleet comparable to Astapor's. Modest at best.

"We have seized 50 warships from Meereen," Asmund replied. "And according to Freydron, he now has 38 ships under his control from Yunkai."

"A total of one 121 warships," Jon murmured.

"Yes, my Lord," Asmund confirmed with a nod. "Though the ships vary in size, we can estimate an average capacity of 150 to 200 men per vessel, along with provisions for fifteen days."

Jon nodded thoughtfully, processing the numbers. Asmund waited patiently, ready for the next command.

"For now," Jon murmured, "we would not be needing more ships immediately."

"Begin recruitment for the naval force right away," he continued. "Unless absolutely necessary, do not transfer soldiers already inducted into the infantry or cavalry. They have been trained for ground combat, and I do not want their focus shifted."

"The company already designated for naval duty will serve as the foundation. There is no need to rush, but I want capable men, well suited to man those ships."

Asmund nodded in acknowledgment. He was about to rise when he hesitated.

Jon raised an eyebrow. "You want to say something?"

Asmund took a deep breath before replying, "Yes, my Lord. I know this is not exactly my area of expertise, but I believe we should be cautious about pouring too much wealth too quickly into the welfare programs of Meereen and Yunkai."

"People may have overlooked your takeover of Astapor, but now that you have brought two more cities under your control… they would not ignore you anymore."

By they, Jon understood he meant the ruling elite of the other cities.

"They are bound to take notice now and most likely, they will target your businesses. We cannot predict how that might impact our revenue."

Jon nodded. He had already considered this.

"Do not worry, Asmund," he said reassuringly. "We will keep our finances stable. Every decision we make will be grounded in financial viability."

Asmund gave one final bow before he departed the room leaving a thoughtful Jon behind.

[A/N: If you search about total ships of Meereen, it will show around 200. I believe, that this is the total amount of ships i.e. including merchant ships. What I have talked in this chapter are pure warships. The Royal fleet under Robert was 200 ships strong. So, 200 ships for a single city seemed a bit far fetched. If you have any more doubt about the Navy, you can comment. Naval warfare will not be in much focus in the fanfiction but it will have its moments.]

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