Unsurprisingly, the sailor became speechless.
So, Bolga continued. "I saw you smiling and talking away. I saw others doing the same. There's no cause to chat so much with strangers all day, smiling like that and working so hard, unless you've got something to gain from it as well."
"By the gods, lad. You picked up all of that simply from watching me?"
Bolga nodded. "I did."
"Aye, I earn a silver for every good man, woman, or child I bring to the blessed lands of Ramsgate. You strike me as a clever one, lad. Care to go with us?"
Bolga frowned, a hand brushing over his unkempt, greasy brown hair. "To do what? I have my father here. I live—"
"In Flea Bottom. The stench and those rags gave you away quick enough. I'm Rolan, captain of this ship. And you are?"
"Bolga."
"Bolga, Ramsgate is the land of opportunities. Our lord has invented a medicine that heals any wound, any infection. He taught the midwives himself, and now hardly any mothers die in childbirth. Our lord built this whole ice trade, lad. Tell me, have you ever tasted ice cream?"
Bolga shook his head. "Not yet. I'm saving coin for it."
"Why wait?" Captain Roland glanced back at a sailor. "Tobin! Bring me a scoop of ice cream."
Bolga dumbly stared back and forth. "You have ice cream on the ship?"
"Who else but us? Ours is the Ramsgate ice fleet; we never run short of ice. Wherever we make port, we buy milk and churn our own. We sell some on the docks now and then too, brings us a bit of extra coin. Lord Kaiser doesn't mind these small things."
Before Bolga could fully even digest what was happening, he found a small wooden bowl with creamy, melting scoops of ice cream in his hand. A total of two scoops of all. He stared at it, hungry, wanting it. But then he looked up at the man.
"Is this a bribe?"
"Hah? Do you work for this city?"
"I starve for it," Bolga said.
"Then it's alms."
To that, Bolga couldn't help but chortle a little. The man was truly too friendly, or he was about to get snatched. But his young heart couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the spoon and took the first bite.
It melted in his mouth. All this time, he had only heard of it, thought of it, and now he finally tasted it. He loved it, the sugary coolness on his tongue. It was the most unique and delicious taste he had ever felt in his life.
"What is this… spice?" he asked.
"Ah, nothing too fancy. Just a pinch of cinnamon, that's all. It costs a fair bit, but that's what makes the ice cream sell so well. Now, lad, that you've eaten it, you owe me two silver stags. If you cannot pay right away, you'll have to come to Ramsgate and settle the debt with honest labour."
"..."
Bolga froze; the bowl almost slipped. He felt his scalp tingle, his chest thump. He considered running, but he was young, and he knew his legs were shorter than the men's. He'd be caught easily. He considered paying, but he only had twenty pennies total as his savings.
Pat!
He flinched when the rough hand of the captain slapped on his shoulder.
"Bah! Look at that face. I'm only jesting, lad. Gods, Lord Kaiser would have my head on a pike if I did that. You owe me nothing. Hand me the cup, and I'll give you another scoop or two. But do think on it, you seem a sharp one to me. What is it you do?"
"Serve at my father's tavern and write letters for sailors?"
"You can read and write? That makes you the best sort of man for Ramsgate. Lord Kaiser puts real value on learned men. Make your way there, and a job will be waiting for you at once. They'll even train you proper so you can master any craft you set your hand to."
"I can choose?" Bolga asked.
"You can indeed. I still recall the day I completed my learning. Lord Kaiser said that work ought to feel rewarding, and therefore, it must be a personal choice. I love the sea with all my heart, so I took to the waves and became a captain."
Bolga stared at the man's face for a very long time. Another scoop had also arrived in his cup. But he was still staring, thinking. He knew he was slightly different from other kids. They wasted time chasing girls, swords, or begging. He spent his time reading and working.
But the work wasn't rewarding, and living in Flea Bottom was no different from being a sewer rat. He didn't exist for anyone outside. But if Ramsgate really offered so much.
Maybe it truly is a land of opportunity…
"Can I also be a ship captain?"
"Boy, you could be admiral of the whole damn fleet if you wanted. The only question is… do you have it in you?"
Bolga looked down at the melting scoop of ice cream. Then, for whatever reason, he rammed his face down into the cup and gobbled down the entire scoop.
"How long will you be here?" Bolga asked.
"We leave in four days, at dawn."
"Then I—Uugggh!"
Bolga quickly held his head; a sudden brain freeze jolted through him. He just heard the captain laughing, telling him his mistake of eating the ice cream too fast.
In shame, he turned for the night and headed home.
That night, he knew he had a lot of thinking to do. And decide what to do with his father.
####
Ramsgate,
Bolga wasn't the only one who experienced something similar. The truth was, it was Wylis' directive to offer ice cream to exceptional talents to lure them in, make them feel welcomed, and make them think that Ramsgate was a land of opportunities.
It was the little things that mattered. Just as he now stood in his private garden beside a weirwood tree, the only one in his forest that he'd allowed to stay for Lyanna. A small crowd had gathered there, including Caliburn, but Lyanna, Elia, and Rhaella weren't there.
Barbrey Dustin had arrived at the castle, and just as he had promised Brandon, he allowed them to get secretly married. Besides, the woman was already pregnant with Brandon's child. But it had to be kept a secret for now, as she wasn't prepared to face the extended Dustin family.
Heavy robes had hidden her pregnancy until now, but with the final months approaching, it was growing too big to hide. Naturally, Ramsgate was to be where she was going to give birth. However, Wylis didn't trust her yet to reveal his secrets.
Silently, he watched Brandon and Barbrey in their chosen attire, followed by a ceremonial conversation where the identity of the bride, the groom, and of the person giving the bride away was established. Since Barbrey had no one, Wylis filled that ceremonial role, after taking a small oath to be Barbrey's sworn brother.
Wylis, standing between them, asked Barbrey as her brother. "Do you accept this man as your husband?"
"I take this man," she replied.
Wylis stepped away after that and watched Brandon and Barbrey join hands and kneel before the heart tree, and bow their heads. Once they rose, a short moment of silent prayer was held before finally, Brandon removed Barbrey's cloak and placed another one on her shoulders.
"No, we do—"
"We do," Brandon snapped, hauling Barbrey up in his arms anyway. "Might be your second go, but it's my first, damn it. And by the Gods, I'm taking all I can from it."
Wylis whistled from behind to tease the couple and then led them into one of the private halls in the castle that had been turned into a small feast hall. Barbrey was alone there; none of her guards or aides were allowed inside.
Chett and Small Paul were the only two men allowed to guard the inside of the castle, so the two men stood at the small hall's entrance.
Wylis, at the lead, walked inside. The place was decorated with lanterns hanging from the ceiling, candles everywhere, and the scent of food heavy on the nose. There were no maids inside as the food had already been served.
However, a few figures were already seated in chairs. Three women and four children.
Wylis winked at Lyanna and watched his wife get up with chunky Magnus in her arms. He deliberately slowed down to keep Barbrey and Brandon behind him. When Lyanna was finally close, he stepped aside.
"Barbrey, welcome to the family," Lyanna greeted.
Immediately, Barbrey froze in place, her one arm wrapped around her husband's. "L… Lya… No, that's impossible."
At that point, Wylis stood right behind Lyanna, slung an arm over her shoulder, and took Mangus in his arms since the boy was too damn heavy. "Barbrey, meet the lady of Ramsgate, and my first love. Welcome to the family."
Barbrey looked at Brandon's face beside her, then back at Lyanna's face. She frowned hard; she could recognise her. Of course, she could; she had seen Lyanna before. "But… how?"
"I'll explain." Brandon caught his wife's arm. "Come, sit with me. There are two more faces yet, and they may shake you worse than this."
As they approached the table, Barbrey froze again. But this time she couldn't recognise the two women. What she did recognise were hints. The violet eyes, silver hair, and the dusky, Dornish complexion. Then there were the children, the two boys were both bald, and the girl had a silver lock of hair in her brown hair.
Wylis didn't intervene. He allowed Barbrey to sit between Brandon and Lyanna as they both explained everything to her. He, meanwhile, sat with Benjen as he had better things to discuss with the youngest of the Stark siblings.
"We ride for Winterfell come morning. Have you sent word to Lady Lyarra?"
"Aye. I told her little and no more. Best she knows nothing till she stands here herself. I'll say Brandon is to wed, and that a child is soon to come. Mother would wish to see his firstborn."
Wylis glanced at Barbrey. As far as he knew, she was still two months from giving birth.
At least she's taking this well.
He failed to notice anger or hate on her face. It was there initially when she was told that it was Rhaella and Elia. But when Brandon and Lyanna revealed Rhaella's cruel life until the rescue, and that Elia was nearly murdered and raped, pity took over.
Personally, he didn't like this. The more people learned of his secrets, the harder it would be to hide. But it was Brandon's wife, and he couldn't refuse her a place to secretly go through childbirth. For now, he hoped that Barbrey's desire to keep her own affair a secret would hold her tongue.
"Let's do that," he said and focused on the food.
How would Eddard react to all this? He originally kept Jon's existence a secret till his dying breath. But… I'm not Jon.
Wylis felt conflicted. Eddard that he had influenced to be had no regrets, no shame, no secrets. There was no affair, no bastard of Winterfell. Catelyn didn't feel dishonored by her husband's debauchery.
All that meant was Eddard considered himself far more proud and upright than the one he knew. Furthermore, he knew Eddard didn't like him for a lot of reasons, too dumb to make sense. With all that known, what would Eddard do?
Go suck Robert's cock, what else?
In this world influenced by him, Wylis couldn't bring himself to fully trust Eddard. For all he knew, Eddard would somehow self-justify that his marriage to Lyanna was false and treason to the Crown.
Man isn't that wise to begin with. Honor means shit if misplaced.
He sighed and thanked whatever gods were out there that he only had to deal with the better Starks: his wife, Brandon, and Benjen.
Woosh!
All of a sudden, he felt something under the table. Then, like a rabbit digging out of the ground, the tablecloth moved, and Rhaenys' head popped out. She climbed and then settled on his leg, her little hands moving to his face so her index fingers could massage his furrowed brows.
"There, there. I make the worry go away."
It did work. Instantly, his shoulders relaxed, the crease on his forehead vanished, his brows relaxed, and a smile formed on his lips. "Gods, seems you really got magic in you, Rhaenys."
"Hehe, I know. I can even talk to the trees."
"..."
Just like that, the frown returned.
______________________
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
Check out Solo Dacey Mormont & Wylis X Elia NSFW art, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
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