King's Landing,
Captain Erron of the ship, Northern Ice, finally berthed his three-masted carrack at Blackwater Rush close to the River Gate. With him were Winter Flower, Giant's Fist, and Big Iron. All of them were carracks, three-masted.
"Quick! Quick! Bring the damned carriages!" Captain Erron shouted orders, this being their first true test after countless trials at Ramsgate. Carraks were large, hence used to haul ice, stored in the special cargo space, tightly packed in cubes, isolated with a vacuum-sealed metal casing.
A lot of gold had been spent on this plan. A lot was counting on it. They already knew they were successful in transporting the ice; the real question was how popular it would be amongst smallfolk and nobility.
Already beforehand, shops had been placed strategically across King's Landing, with multiple ice storage, called icehouses, built to support the shops. It was all Lord Kaiser's design, especially the icehouses. They were simple, yet effective. Some of the shops that Lord Kaiser had purchased had built large pits underground, almost oval in shape. Then bricks were used to cover the inside to keep the heat away. Finally, the top was sealed, only opened when taking the ice out.
The icehouse pits were huge, some fifty feet deep. Captain Erron had already seen them during his previous journey to King's Landing, where he tried to test how fast he could reach King's Landing.
He was no knight. No noble. He rose to become a captain after years of hard work. His head was full grey now, and he wasn't even from Ramsgate. No, he was from White Harbor. But he was one of the few who took Lord Kaiser's offer. It guaranteed more coin, and something exciting, something new. Besides, he was personally interested in the man who had become a name on every tongue in such a short time.
A kingslayer, the savior of King's Landing. There was a strange pleasure in working for such an audacious man.
"Fast, lads!"
He ordered the men. Gods, he wondered how much coin Lord Kaiser spent.
The ships, the shops, the instruments to make produce using that ice, and all these men to haul ice around the city. It all must have cost a fortune.
"Quick!"
A long line of some horse-drawn and a few man-pulled carts formed near each of his ships. Deliberately, each cart was made to attach a flag of the House Kaiser to it, while the ice blocks were being loaded.
Soon, the first carts vanished into the city through the River Gate.
Erron knew what was going on. This way, the entire city would see ice being moved around. This was the easiest way to spread the word. He reckoned most folks in that city hadn't seen ice in their lifetimes. While it did snow as far as King's Landing during some harsh winters, this was different.
Ingenious, my lord.
He clapped his hands, seeing the men working as trained, moving the ice so quickly. He'd already tasted all the delicacies that would soon be sold in the city. From the icy spirits to that bubbling beverage, and that ice cream. Oh, he knew the Seven had blessed his tongue when he ate that previously.
"Captain, everything's unloaded."
Erron nodded to his first mate. "Send the men to buy everything Lord Kaiser listed. The North requires some goods as well, no reason we can't sell some and grow Ramsgate as a market."
He only repeated Lord Kaiser's words. But while his men got busy, he had a different set of instructions. He looked away from his ship's deck, at the not-so-distant high Red Keep. Not being a noble, it was overwhelming. And now he was supposed to visit it.
Soon, once his first mate returned, he got off his ship and entered the city. He went eastward, towards the place with some of the finest inns and mansions in the city. It was close to the Red Keep.
Each shop owned by Lord Kaiser in the city had specific tasks and instructions to run itself. Each had a few employees and one overseer. Then there was one man who oversaw the whole city's shops' overseers, creating multiple layers of inspections.
But the shop he went to was the largest and the most grand, as it was supposed to cater to the rich and nobles. It was decorated, cool inside, and the tables and seats were comfortable.
Quickly, he made the men running the shop prepare the listed items and pack them in a large ice-box, which they then hauled onto a cart and soon rolled towards the Red Keep. Erron had two more men with him now besides his first mate.
"Hold your tongue unless they bid you speak. Highborn sorts take offense at all and feel shame at naught. Keep your eyes low. Mind this, you serve Lord Kaiser of Ramsgate. Whatever you trade or offer is the Lord's own property."
The three men nodded to him just as they reached the gates surrounding the Red Keep's walls. As they flew House Kaiser's sigil on the cart, they were at least not shoved away.
Erron explained who he was, who he represented, and handed a sealed letter to the guards. The letter was addressed to Jon Arryn, Hand of the King.
From there, at least they were allowed inside and into the outdoor courtyard. It was filled with activity, men training, caretakers tending to their duties. They stood out there with their cart and ice-box.
"You may enter. Lord Hand is holding the court."
Brilliant!
Erron was overjoyed by that. He walked, and behind him the men carried the ice-box. He went up the stairs, passed through the final doors, and entered the Great Hall, which then led into the Throne Room, located in the upper levels.
His old heart pounded in his chest. It was grand, he reckoned a thousand folks could spectate the King in that hall alone. But for now, it was mostly empty, with some noble and lowborn spectators on each side of the path leading to the throne.
Erron gave a deep bow to Lord Hand, who sat on the Iron Throne.
Gods, it's hideous!
That was his first impression of the Iron Throne.
Don't they cut themselves on it?
That was his second thought about it.
"Come, come, closer. You have travelled far. The letter said Lord Kaiser sends me gifts?" Lord Hand, Jon Arryn's old voice, echoed in the throne room.
Erron brushed the sweat from his fair but weathered face and stepped toward the high seat, then bent the knee. "Aye, my lord. The ships bearing the Northern ice made harbor without mishap. As we speak, the people of King's Landing are set to sample the cold delights Lord Kaiser created. Some of them, I have brought for you."
"Ha. If it be as I recall, I think this day shall be a happy one." The Lord Hand stood from the throne and came down to him. "Let me see what you carry."
Erron quickly got up and ordered the men to open the ice-box. Quickly, they fetched him a glass bottle of lemon soda, as it was called, chilled. He removed the cork with a very loud pop, earning everyone's attention.
"Here, my lord."
"Seven, bless me. This is it." Lord Hand exclaimed. "I was sullen back in Ramsgate when I realised I couldn't eat all those things again. Lord Kaiser must have planned all this, kept it from me to surprise me. What else?"
While the Lord Hand drank the soda, Erron made the men scoop some ice cream. He had brought plenty of that to make sure enough people could sample it. They had also brought small plates and spoons with them, wooden, however, but smoothed.
"Along with some spirits, we have this." He handed the plate to Lord Hand. He made his first, then the plates for anyone interested. Anyone with noble attire was given one. They even offered a Kingsguard standing there, but the man refused.
"Now I see why he had the registry drawn. It will surely bring Wylis a fair coin," Lord Hand said, finishing the ice cream. "So it will be a staple within the city, I take it?"
"That is the hope, my lord."
"See that I am told of any hindrances. It has been long since this city welcomed new tastes. You may go now. I must hold the court."
"My lord…" Erron hesitantly voiced. "Lord Kaiser ordered us to offer these to Her Grace, the Queen, as well.
Lord Hand chuckled at that. "How can any here forget the tourney? It was after Queen Cersei's favor that Lord Wylis shattered Rhaegar's teeth. Very well, Ser Jaime, lead them to her."
"Thank you, my lord."
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