Dragonstone

Tycho Nestoris wore a long, cord-like beard that grew from his chin and nearly hung to his waist.

He smiled faintly again. "The Iron Bank's debtor is the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms."

After a pause, he added, "And you, Lord Stannis, believe that your bloodline entitles you to demand gold from us, just as the Iron Throne does."

At that, Stannis narrowed his eyes slightly and said with certainty, "No one in the Seven Kingdoms has a better claim than I do."

Tycho raised a brow, his expression calm. "The Sunset Lands across the Narrow Sea are full of terms requiring careful interpretation and consideration—The Usurper, madmen, inheritance by blood—while the Iron Bank on the other side of the Narrow Sea prefers the story told by numbers, because it is more straightforward and harder to distort."

His gaze swept over Stannis and Davos, a faint smile on his face as he continued, "How many soldiers do you command?"

The moment he finished speaking, Stannis gave his answer. "Four thousand."

"How many warships do you have?"

When Stannis glanced at him and Davos was about to answer, the Iron Bank representative reminded him, "I mean warships that are still afloat and capable of taking the field, Lord Davos."

Davos fell silent briefly before saying, "Thirty-six."

Tycho's gaze immediately shifted to Stannis as he pressed on. "What is Dragonstone's output? Can it support four thousand soldiers and thirty-six warships?"

Stannis answered directly, "No."

At his words, the three men behind the table exchanged looks. After a brief pause, Tycho still wore that seemingly courteous smile as he said, "As you can see, the numbers you have provided do not foretell a pleasant ending. I fear all we can do is thank you for personally visiting our ship."

Stannis's chest rose