Game of Thrones: I am Dothraki, not a barbarian

Chapter 125 Concubinage
At the G. Doherty construction site, surveyors from Dorn planted a cross-shaped surveying tool in the ground.

At the top of the tool is a horizontal cross-shaped structure with four equal sides, from which four plumb bobs are suspended. The chief surveyor keeps his eyes on these plumb bobs to ensure that the city's buildings present a perfect straight line.

Around him, assistants pulled long ropes to drive wooden stakes into the ground, marking out a grid for roads and buildings.

Lahalo and Leon Prestan stood on the wooden watchtower, looking down at the hundreds of workers busily working below, their movements as orderly as ants carrying food.

“Leon, look over there,” Lajalo pointed to the Valyrian Avenue to the south. “This avenue runs east to west, from Pentos, through Norfos, all the way to Kohol. I’ve made it the main thoroughfare of the city, and built city gates and toll booths at both ends.”

Public buildings such as the city hall, temples, markets, and theaters were all built along the roadside, connected by fountain plazas and gardens.

He then pointed south, “Two small bastions will be built on the Velvet Hill, one a military camp and the other a palace. A tributary of the Lorne River will separate the city from them and also serve as a moat. Two north-south avenues will extend from the bastions, spanned by stone arch bridges, and connected to the Valyrian Avenue.”

At this moment, the craftsmen dug a six-meter-deep trench for the city wall and used a heavy-duty crane and pulleys to install huge white stone blocks into the trench.

Each stone was carefully selected from the ruins and coated with mortar to make the entire city wall look perfectly fitted.

Afterward, the craftsmen used a ruler with a water trough at the top to ensure that each layer of stone was level before adding the next layer.

In the distance, caravans of donkeys and oxcarts carrying materials moved slowly toward Gödoho along the Via Valeria, bringing more building materials.

The potters have already set up five temporary kilns nearby to fire bricks, tiles, and water supply and drainage pipes.

The engineers in Dorn originally suggested using lead for the water supply and drainage pipes, which would be cheaper than firing pottery. Rahalo was shocked and immediately rejected the idea.

He wanted to live two more years.

Looking down at the construction site, Leon felt a surge of ambition. He waved his hand and shouted:

"This place will become the center of the new world!"

“Leon,” Lahalo said, “Godoho is a symbol of the rise of the Dothraki, and no one can stop it.”

Leon paused for a moment, then said, “The Iron Vault has begun freezing the assets of merchants who do business with you. Their reach is far-reaching, my friend.”

"How serious is the situation?" Rahalo asked, frowning.

“The Iron Treasury is not just a bank, it’s an empire. They are the rule-makers, capable of sending kings into exile and turning wealthy merchants into beggars.” Leon sighed. “You’ve offended them, and that’s a very bad thing.”

Three days ago, the Palm Merchant Guild of Kohol refused to supply you with timber. Yesterday, the Waterway Constructors' Guild withdrew all its craftsmen.

"You think they're really after that iron mine?"

Leon frowned. "Isn't that so?"

Lahalo sneered and said, "The iron mine is only a hundred kilometers away from Godorho. If we take the iron mine, Braavos can legitimately push the border line right under Godorho's nose. Their goal is actually to prevent me from building a city."

Leon nodded thoughtfully, listening as Lahalo continued, "This place controls the land route between five Free States: Pentos, Norfos, Kohol, Loras, and Braavos. It's like holding their balls in your hands. Braavos will never tolerate me building a city here. My real intention is not what it seems!"

The craftsmen are laying the foundation stone, placing coins, small statues, and stone slabs inscribed with blessings in the foundation pit, symbolizing the gods of abundance and protection.

A priest raised his hands and prayed to the gods for protection.

Leon withdrew his gaze from the priest, lowered his head, and remained silent for a long while before saying, "If what you say is true, the Iron Treasury will never let this go. Besides gold, they also have an army." "Then let them come," Rahalo sneered. "Goldohol must be built no matter what. Since I want to unify the continent of Essos, the Iron Treasury is an obstacle I cannot bypass."

"Anyway, you'd better be careful," Leon advised. "Iron Vault has never lost, and I've put all my chips on you."

"Hehe," Rahalo patted Leon on the back and laughed, "Then I'll make you rich!"

Leon winced as he was slapped, and couldn't help but roll his eyes. "My daughter Leila, when are you going to marry her?"

...

Pentos, the headquarters.

Today is Laharo and Layla's wedding, which is also a concubine arrangement. Daenerys has no objection to this and is even happy to see it happen.

She is no longer the naive girl she once was. Rahalo is the Khal of the Great Grass Sea, and a marriage alliance is inevitable; this may not even be the only one.

Especially during the confrontation with the Iron Bank, Leon showed his loyalty, and Lajalo had to reciprocate and boost the confidence of his other supporters.

Rahalo pushed open the door. The room was filled with flickering candlelight and a fragrant aroma. Strands of blue silk hung down from the four-poster bed, making it feel like being in the ocean.

Four young girls dressed in blue gauze prostrated themselves before him, their hair adorned with pearls and seashells, their eyes painted with shimmering blue-pink, their graceful figures partially obscured by the gauze, and their delicate, plump toes peeking out from behind their peach-shaped feet.

“Your Excellency Kao,” one of the mermaids said in a clear voice, “the Mermaid Queen is ready.”

Leila Prestan was Braavos's most famous courtesan.

Socialites are similar to socialites, navigating high-society settings, and must possess both outstanding looks and talent.

To receive a multifaceted education—music, poetry, dance, history, literature, and so on—is easy; just put them in the academy and put on a few chains.

Some families have produced socialites for generations, such as House Othris and other noble families. Even Balroghe Othris, the granddaughter of King Braavos, was a socialite who served King Aegon IV and had the hereditary title of "Black Pearl".

Leila greeted Laharo with an elegant bow, "Lord Laharo, it is my honor to become your mermaid."

Lajalo admired the socialite.

Leila has a delicate face, fair skin, and a blend of maturity and innocence. Her eyes are as blue as the ocean, and her long black hair cascades down to her shoulders, adorned with sapphires at the hairline.

She sat on a soft couch, holding a harp, wearing layers of blue silk robes, revealing only a pair of fair feet crossed at her sides.

“Miss Leila, you are even more beautiful than the rumors say,” Rahalo exclaimed.

Leila smiled, her eyes crinkling into two crescent moons, and gestured for the maid to pour him some wine.

Then they began to light incense burners throughout the room, and the fresh scent of sea salt spread.

Leila plucked the strings of her harp, playing a soft melody: "Unlike the courtesans of Braavos and other free states, our chastity is just as important as our wisdom."

Then, the four maids began to softly sing Braavos songs, and around Lahallo and Leila, they performed the traditional Braavos water dance, with the veils swaying gently and the movements graceful.

(End of this chapter)