After drinking too much, Xisa did indeed become a bit talkative.
Perhaps he felt that with Viserys Targaryen's help, he might be able to win over the courtesan he admired.
Or perhaps it was because the laws in Westeros and Braavos were different; Braavos had relatively fewer cruel medieval laws like those in Westeros, such as cutting off hands, tearing out tongues, or slandering the royal family.
This is also why some Braavosi would call Westerosi barbaric, and their customs were indeed more open.
"This place is not like the Sunset Lands," Xisa said proudly. "Our courtesans in Braavos are renowned throughout the world."
Almost all Free Cities had courtesans, but the largest and most famous were always those of Braavos.
"I have indeed heard of the courtesans' fame, especially the Seven Great Courtesans: the Black Pearl, the Mermaid Queen, the Veiled Lady, the Daughter of the Dusk, the Poetess, the Nightingale, and the Moon Shadow," Viserys said.
These courtesans were not only beautiful but also had deep connections.
The Black Pearl was a stage name used by four generations, and Viserys also knew that the Black Pearl and the Daughter of the Dusk even had connections to the House of Black and White.
Viserys felt that courtesans were similar to high-class geishas, expensive to train, proficient in music, poetry, dance, history, literature, and so on.
"Yes, those are them. Even though Braavos has thousands of courtesans, these seven are the highest-ranking, like your white-cloaked knights."
"The current white-cloaked knights are not all first-rate," Viserys replied.
After the Golden Generation, the current white knights included quite a few rotten apples; several of them were quite abstract.
"That's just a metaphor, Great King Viserys," Xisa laughed heartily. "Just like in our Braavos, with so many families, only those families stand at the forefront, such as the Antaryon, Freygar, Zain, and Prestayn families, who have produced multiple Sealords. After them come the Otharys, Tolonys, and Plannys families, and so on."
Viserys knew that the families Xisa mentioned were all prominent families, and these families also had corresponding grand buildings in Braavos, such as tall square towers.
"You might be able to approach them, but the cost they demand is astonishingly high; a captain might have to sell his ship just to earn a smile. With my family's fortune, I cannot afford it at all," Xisa Zardos said wisely. "So I'm settling for second-best; I'm pursuing a second-tier courtesan."
"However, given your appearance, these courtesans might be very happy to capture a descendant of a Dragon King. It's just that these women often tire of things quickly unless you can bring them different kinds of fun," Xisa observed Viserys.
After all, although he was down on his luck, Viserys's good looks were still undeniable.
"I have no intention of provoking them," Viserys said.
"Perhaps they will provoke you," Xisa said. "Braavosi never joke about dragons, but getting to know a descendant of a Dragon King is not impossible. Among these courtesans, there are even distant relatives of yours."
"The Black Pearl?"
"Exactly, her," Xisa nodded. "She is the most famous courtesan. She also has true dragon blood. The first 'Black Pearl' was a pirate queen who was later taken as a mistress by a Westerosi prince, giving birth to a daughter who grew up to become a courtesan. And that daughter's daughter then inherited her mother's profession, passed down through generations, until the current fourth 'Black Pearl.'"
"Aegon the Unworthy," Viserys knew who that prince was; the Unworthy King had many children.
At that time, the Unworthy King was sent as an ambassador to Braavos and met the Black Pearl.
"No matter who that prince was, you are still somewhat related."
"But that relationship isn't so useful in these times."
"Who knows? But knowing them would be very beneficial to you," Xisa said after some thought. "Do you think men seek them out just for status, Viserys?"
"The answer isn't entirely that. It's because every prominent courtesan has a network of connections behind her. With their mediation, things get done with half the effort. Moreover, they are known to all Braavosi and can elevate ordinary people to celebrity status."
Viserys nodded; this was the celebrity effect, also a social network.
Every courtesan held great power.
Viserys thought of the Black Swan of Lys from before; it was said that her influence was so immense that, apart from her reputation, she was the de facto ruler of Lys.
"I feel you will need them, Viserys," Xisa said somewhat seriously.
"Me, why?"
"Braavos is nicknamed the 'Secret City,' full of mist, masks, and whispers. The very existence of this city was a secret for a century, and its exact location was hidden for three hundred years. You need someone to guide you."
This made it clear to Viserys: navigating Braavos or engaging in negotiations would be impossible without courtesans.
"So, living in Braavos, I can't do without courtesans."
"It's your crazy idea. Braavos has bankers, officials, merchants, and assassins, and it's the courtesans who connect them."
"Including the Faceless Men?" Viserys suddenly asked.
These words startled the city guard. "There are two words in Braavos that cannot be joked about: the first is dragons, and the second is the Faceless Men. Perhaps the Faceless Men also know courtesans, but very few people publicly mention them. The devotion of the Faceless Men is not to be underestimated."
"Let's talk about women instead," Xisa returned to the original topic.
Even Braavosi had reservations about the House of Black and White.
"Even if I wanted to win their favor, I don't have that much money," Viserys said.
"It's not necessarily about money; courtesans are already wealthy. I heard the Black Pearl even buys scallops, and when she's in a good mood, she gives others ten times the silver coins," Xisa looked into Viserys's eyes, not just with temptation, but also with incitement. "As long as you can provide them with some value, Your Majesty."
"Then I want them to give me money, and I don't want to sacrifice anything. I am a king," Viserys replied.
"An exiled king. If you can get them to give you money for free, and you don't even have to compensate them, I'll be impressed for life," Xisa laughed even louder.
Two wine glasses clinked together, the crimson wine like ambition and desire.
"Perhaps that's still possible," Viserys thought, Viserys the freeloader.
He certainly had a good strategy, to see if he could hook a big fish.
In Braavos, the status of courtesans was indeed too important.
Singers praised courtesans, goldsmiths and jewelers vied to create items for them, artisans begged for their patronage, merchant magnates paid exorbitant fees equivalent to a royal ransom to escort them to balls, banquets, and theatrical performances, and assassins fought each other in their names.
Rather than providing emotional value, the network of connections courtesans held was probably what officials and nobles valued most.
This social status and network could bring fame to singers, goldsmiths, and assassins, and could open doors for merchants, so everyone flocked to courtesans.
Viserys suddenly realized that the functions of these courtesans were quite similar to Varys's.
The difference was that courtesans used their beauty to make men part of their network.
While Varys and the cheesemonger used trained little birds to steal information.
Viserys indeed wanted to establish a relationship with a top courtesan like the Black Pearl, not for lust..
But simply to inquire if there were any Westerosi royalists exiled to Braavos, or if there were any good swordmasters.
However, haste often leads to failure, so Viserys decided to first entertain the minor courtesan Xisa was pursuing.
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