After Karl 'Bi' left, Arthur sat alone in the small hall, organizing and summarizing the most important tasks he needed to tackle at this stage. There were three main ones.
First: Now that he was Governor of the Dornish Marches, whether it was to conquer the wildlings of the Red Mountains or to increase his authority among the Marcher lords, expanding the Mountain Corps was imperative.
As the saying goes: Dignity is only found on the edge of a sword, and truth lies within the range of dragonfire.
If disputes and conflicts arose among the Marcher lords, without sufficient military force to back up his arbitration, expecting them to listen simply because he opened his mouth would be a fool's dream.
Arthur planned to expand the Mountain Corps to two thousand men within the next year and a half—one thousand active regulars and one thousand reserves—while simultaneously campaigning against the wildlings.
Second: Restoring production at the Peach Orchard.
The Amber Peach Wine and other spirits produced by the orchard would provide the critical cash flow needed to maintain the Mountain Corps.
Moreover, the breach of contract penalties he owed to the Iron Throne, Stannis, and the Houses of Rowan, Fowler, and Tarth were not small sums.
When he was a guest on Tarth, Lord Selwyn had indicated that the one hundred thousand gold dragons compensation Arthur received could be partly used to settle the outstanding balance for the previous shipment of wine, with the remainder going toward pre-ordering the new batch.
Arthur guessed that the Old Falcon (Jon Arryn) and Mathis Rowan had similar ideas, which was why they hadn't mentioned the huge sums owed to them.
Third: Building his own fleet.
The Fury's overwhelming combat power, armed to the teeth, and the Royal Fleet's one-sided crushing of the Arbor fleet had deeply impressed Arthur. It ignited a desire within him to possess a fleet of his own.
Furthermore, Starfall's coastline was extremely long. While defensive structures like beacon towers and lighthouses were useful, an active fleet capable of interception was undoubtedly a greater deterrent than passive defenses.
Looking at the notes he had jotted down while thinking, Arthur decided that compared to the first two tasks, building the fleet was something he needed to personally oversee in the coming period.
The frameworks for expanding the Mountain Corps and restoring the Peach Orchard were already in place and had precedents to follow; no major mistakes were likely to occur.
Building a fleet, however, was still in the exploratory phase. There were many decisions he needed to make to set the tone and direction.
When a person focuses intently on a task, time flies. As Arthur planned the fleet construction and filled in the details, the hours slipped away unnoticed.
"My Lord, it's time for dinner." Penrose pushed the door open to remind him. "The kitchen roasted a wild boar and a suckling pig today. It's best eaten while hot."
Hearing this, Arthur looked toward the window and saw that the sun had already set, leaving only a few streaks of orange light for illumination.
He gathered the pages of dense notes he had written all afternoon and stood up to stretch his stiff back. "Let's go. Have you informed Lady Nymeria?"
"Jynessa went to tell her."
Jynessa was Penrose's older sister, the heir to House Blackmont, and currently served as Lady Nymeria's handmaiden.
"Good." Arthur thought for a moment. "Go tell Jimmy that I invite him to join me for dinner."
"Ah..." Penrose grumbled but ran out quickly. "As you wish, my Lord."
When Arthur arrived at the small dining hall, Lady Nymeria and Jynessa were already seated.
On the other side, Zac was chewing on soft bread, his eyes fixed hungrily on the two roasted pigs on the table.
The roast pigs had skin cooked to a golden crisp, surrounded by a garnish of onions, mushrooms, and chopped turnips. One pig had an apple in its mouth, the other an orange.
Arthur could smell the aroma of pepper and rendered fat as soon as he approached the table.
After Arthur took his seat, Nymeria raised an eyebrow. "Rumor has it all over Starfall that you intend to spend a million gold dragons."
"Only in Starfall?" Arthur was a little surprised. "I thought it would have spread further."
Wealth shouldn't be flaunted, but his windfall was already common knowledge. He decided to stop hiding it and instead show it off thoroughly. Let everyone know he was going to spend big. While demonstrating his financial power, it would also attract a wave of popularity and people to Starfall.
Seeing Arthur's nonchalant attitude, Nymeria felt a bit exasperated. "That is a million gold dragons, not a million rocks."
Arthur cut a piece of golden, crispy skin from the roast pig for Nymeria, signaling her to calm down and not stress the baby. "Once the million gold dragons are spent, they don't vanish into thin air. They just change form and stay by our side."
"Take these two roast pigs, for example. Even the best cook couldn't make them this delicious using gold coins as an ingredient."
"You always have twisted logic to justify your actions," Nymeria sighed. "And you make it impossible to argue."
Arthur cut a piece of the foreleg for himself. "What do the rumors in the city say about how I'll spend the money?"
Jynessa counted on her fingers, looking expectant.
"Septa Milly says you're going to build a magnificent sept to rival the Starry Sept of Oldtown."
"My brother Penrose says he heard you say personally that you want to build a giant statue spanning the Torrentine, to rival the Titan of Braavos."
"And the knights and squires say you're going to hold a tourney of unprecedented scale..."
Arthur listened to Jynessa while gnawing on the roast pork. The skin was crispy, the meat tender and juicy, rich with fat and the flavor of pepper and spices. It was divine.
Facing the inquiries from Nymeria and Jynessa, Arthur told them exactly what he had told his subordinates.
Upon learning that any reasonable suggestion would receive support, their eyes lit up, and they began chattering excitedly about ideas.
Just then, Penrose and Jimmy entered the hall.
Arthur pointed a greasy finger at Zac, who was gnawing on a pig's head. "If you guys were any later, Zac would have finished everything."
Penrose shrieked and quickly joined the battle to demolish the roast pork.
At Arthur's gesture, Jimmy sat in the seat next to him. "My Lord, why did you summon me?"
"Have you had any thoughts about the million gold dragons?" Arthur asked.
Jimmy shook his head, looking a bit blank. "It's too sudden. I haven't come up with any feasible plans yet."
"Then listen to my arrangement," Arthur said directly. "I plan to build a fleet, and I intend for you to be its commander."
The commander is the soul of a fleet. Jimmy was born into House Sunderland of the Three Sisters and grew up on the islands; his seamanship went without saying.
Now, his archery was deadly accurate, and his swordsmanship and horsemanship had also become excellent under Arthur's training.
Moreover, Jimmy was a knight personally knighted by Arthur. His loyalty was beyond question.
"Fleet Commander?" Jimmy suddenly felt his vision brighten.
Scenes from the recent naval battle flashed through his mind—warships colliding, the Fury shearing a Reach ship in half.
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of adrenaline, his heart pounding in his chest.
"I... I will not fail your trust," Jimmy's voice trembled slightly with excitement.