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Essos, Xandar
57 AC
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High Council Chamber
Four days after Volantis—now Xandar—was erected, the labors it entailed continued. What did that mean? That Caspian, Valka, Kinvara, and others spent more time in this room than anywhere else. For days, they had held extensive and exhausting meetings where decisions were debated and turned into laws, norms, and edicts. The work was so vast that the book of laws already contained more than one hundred and thirty pages, and that figure grew steadily.
"Regarding the brothels, it is clear we cannot eradicate them. Although it is not spoken of aloud, they generate good taxes, attract foreigners, and provide work for men and women who do not know or do not want to work in any other field." Ismael, a Minecraft Librarian, was the one speaking. At this point, he held the position of Minister of Commerce in name only. He had provided the vast majority of ideas and advice on establishing the regulations for commerce, both within and beyond Xandar.
Now, as before, he touched upon another important matter. Ismael finished speaking and looked at the assembled members. At the head of the table sat Caspian, who, were it not for health potions, would have collapsed from exhaustion days ago.
Valka sat to his right, with Kinvara to his left. Valka held the position of Supreme Leader of the Witches' Order; the order was tasked with providing the crown with potions, medicines, and the breeding of animals and plants necessary for their production, as well as serving as Caspian's escort.
Kinvara, for her part, under Caspian's order, had taken the role of High Priestess of the Red Temple. Caspian knew she was the bridge that allowed the Red Temple to open its doors and the channel to obtain Volantis. Therefore, he rewarded her with the highest title within the religion of R'hllor, which had also changed.
Caspian was not just the herald of a single religion. The Dothraki who followed him worshipped him in a way as the earthly representation of their god, and as for the Red Priests and many in Xandar, they followed him under the premise of being Azor Ahai. To avoid future religious conflicts, Caspian, advised by Kinvara and other council members, concluded that they should unite the best aspects of both religions and create a new one under new doctrines and teachings.
Caspian even created his own commandments for his people, inspired by Christian ones:
1- Xandarian pride comes first; you shall not speak ill of, protest, or curse your nation for anything in the world.
2- Your citizenship is your shield, your mind your weapon, and your body the King's tool.
3- Xandar is your refuge; with it, you shall lack nothing.
4- The King's law is divine law; to reject or mock it will trigger pain on earth and eternal suffering in the Nether.
5- The sword is the bastion of the kingdom; not knowing how to use it for the benefit of the realm is to fail the King.
6- To betray Xandar is the greatest sin of all; doing so means receiving direct punishment from the herald of the gods.
7- You shall not harm, betray, or do evil to your Xandarian brothers and sisters; to do so means returning to the slavery from which the King rescued you.
8- Every citizen of Xandar shall know how to fight, for the sword is your friend and your dominant arm, the King's left hand.
9- Nothing is more important than the prevalence of Xandar; everything else is ephemeral.
With these religious decrees and more doctrines, many things changed. Human sacrifices to fire were forbidden, and slavery was prohibited—unless one violated decree number seven. Rape and the murder of another Xandarian were also strictly banned.
"To begin with, now that the age of adulthood for any man or woman is set at fourteen, that also applies to working in a brothel. Furthermore, no citizen can be forced to work in one if they do not wish to, and they shall be adjusted to the minimum monthly salary for every job, which is three gold coins."
While Caspian spoke, Ismael, as well as Korra—the Minister of Laws, another Librarian—wrote rapidly in their books. Each would later meet with their staff to formally and concisely clarify the new laws and add them to the Universal Law Book.
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Gerald, the Minister of Health—a tall, pale man of somewhat gaunt appearance, dressed in black—was the next to take the floor. "In addition to that, it would be wise to only accept the creation of brothels that meet the stipulated sanitary norms. We do not want outbreaks of disease."
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Caspian agreed. He more than anyone knew what an outbreak created by a virus or bacteria could cause; quarantine was proof enough. Valka looked at her papers and crossed out the word brothel, moving to the next word beneath it: "Education and martial training."
Caspian pulled a health potion from the menu and downed it in one gulp, feeling his vision sharpen once more. Seeing this, Valka placed her hand on his thigh in a gesture of comfort, to which Caspian responded with a sweet smile, taking her hand and interlacing it with his own.
"Every boy or girl will begin their formation in letters, numbers, and finances from the age of five until nine, and from nine to twelve in the morning. Then, their teaching from two to six in the afternoon will focus on learning horsemanship and archery." At Caspian's words, the council members looked at one another.
"My King, but... will the parents be happy with this? Those are many hours a day in which they will not see their children," Kinvara asked doubtfully. As a Red Priestess, she was very close to the common people of old Volantis, both former slaves and nobles. Surely the fact that they wouldn't see their children for almost the entire day would be difficult to handle.
But she did not know what Caspian did: that this was a measure so that parents could work without the worry of where to leave their children.
Caspian addressed her, though the others listened intently. "It will be difficult at first, yes. But when the opportunities from this begin to surface, every parent will desire for their children to reach the age to attend the Red Temple Academy. This will allow parents to work almost all day without hindrance while creating jobs for teaching and childcare positions. Likewise, it will ensure children grow up with a strong foundation so that when they turn eleven, they go to Vaes Yeraan to fulfill their military service until reaching adulthood at fifteen, where they will emerge as soldiers of Xandar."
These words caused the members of the High Council, who still doubted, to accept without further question.
"I think it is best we finish here for today," Valka decided, ending the session. She received a 'thank you' from Caspian, who wasted no time and immediately rose from his chair, an act followed by the others. The Bloodriders, who had been sitting in a corner while Caspian was busy, also stood up, following Caspian and Valka out of the High Council Chamber. Another day of fruitful work had ended.
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King's Landing, Westeros
57 AC
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"It's absurd!" Jaehaerys shouted, throwing the letter the maester had delivered to the floor. Alysanne bent down and picked up the letter, reading it while Jaehaerys continued cursing.
The letter was from Rhaena. In it, she stated she would not return to Westeros if Aerea did not return with her. Since Aerea felt very comfortable and happy in Vaes Yeraan and did not want to leave, Rhaena had decided to stay to regain the lost time her daughter had been missing.
Clearly, Jaehaerys did not like this, hence his current mood.
"Darling, you must understand her. She lost her daughter for almost four years; she believed her dead. Now we know she isn't, but for her, it is a gift from the gods. Naturally, she does not want to walk away from her again." As an understanding woman and, above all, a mother, she understood what Rhaena felt. The idea of losing one of her precious children again haunted her—she had already been through that and understood Rhaena's reason.
"Understand her?" Jaehaerys looked at her, and she did not see her husband there, but a cold and distant king. "Aerea stole Balerion and took him to a Dothraki city, and now Rhaena has also left with another dragon of House Targaryen. You know I cannot allow that. Dragons are what keep us in power; people outside the royal family cannot exist with Targaryen dragons."
Alysanne sighed. She understood that, of course. They had just emerged from a rebellion that concluded in kin-slaying and dragons against dragons. By no means did she want to witness that once more. But with the news that the Dothraki King now ruled over three cities in Essos, including Volantis, and that he also controlled a dragon of his own, there were no good news or ways to devise a risky plan to go there and bring the Targaryen dragons back.
"Apparently, Aerea feels something for this Dothraki king, and Rhaena is willing to accept their union. She is desperate not to lose her daughter, so she is willing to overlook many things, even abandoning Westeros forever to achieve it." Alysanne sat down because she felt her legs failing her; she was pregnant again, and her belly was becoming increasingly heavy.
"And so?" Jaehaerys asked back. "Do we just let two dragons of House Targaryen be lost? And allow the lords to speak of my weakness in controlling the members of my house?"
"Yes," was Alysanne's answer, which earned her a flabbergasted look from Jaehaerys. "From the way things look, Aerea will end up marrying that man, and Rhaena will undoubtedly stay to live there when that happens. At this point, it is clear that Balerion and Dreamfyre no longer belong to the royal family."
"Very well," Jaehaerys accepted, which surprised Alysanne, who thought he would explode with rage again. "But it will be done my way."
Jaehaerys summoned the maester, who was waiting outside the room. When he entered, he received orders to send ravens to all the lords of the realm, as well as one to Vaes Yeraan.
Within hours, dozens of ravens left King's Landing, carrying the news that Queen Rhaena and Princess Aerea were banished from Westeros, that they would no longer bear any title or right in the Seven Kingdoms, and that if they did not return within two moons, then when they did return thereafter, they would be made prisoners for treason.