The welcome at Merman's Court did not last long. Once it became clear that the most important objective of this journey could not be achieved, Lonzell and Lord Desmond briefly discussed trade between their houses. Lord Desmond promised to open the port to the Valaerys family's fleet, reduce taxes, and purchase goods produced by Valaerys workshops. Lonzell also agreed to invest in workshops and breweries in White Harbor, hiring local workers to produce silverware and rich ale—both of which were White Harbor's strengths.
Lord Desmond Manderly eagerly invited Lonzell to a feast at Merman's Court. He had prepared a grand meal of lampreys for the prince and the royal prince, along with countless seafood dishes and enough ale to drown every man in White Harbor. But Lonzell refused.
"We have already enjoyed many feasts, and we ate and drank our fill at Dragonstone. What we need now is only a warm bed and food for the dragons."
Lord Desmond was eventually persuaded by Lonzell and instead distributed the feast among the town's poor. He arranged lodgings for the prince and royal prince at Merman's Court. However, Lonzell and Jacaerys decided to settle their dragons first. Ever since Jacaerys had come to King's Landing, he had broken the habit he had developed there and no longer put chains on Vermax.
Though dragons were wild by nature, once they had accepted their master's commands, they were perfectly content to eat food delivered to them so long as mortals did not provoke them. They much preferred the thirty pigs and twenty long-haired sheep led over by White Harbor's knights to those same knights clad in iron armor.
"All right, there is no one else here now." Lonzell took the brush Jacaerys handed him and carefully cleaned the grime left on Vomysor after its