Luciana sighed, the weight of reality heavy in the sound. "The harbor and the city walls are both being rebuilt, but... progress is painfully slow."
"We lack craftsmen, Your Highness."
"There are far too few truly skilled masons, carpenters, and smiths."
"Most of those working now are commoners with nothing but muscle. The walls they build are crooked, and the repaired berths need to be redone before long."
She paused, then continued, "Rebuilding the garrison hasn't gone very well either."
"The Lyseni... you know how they are. They're good at business, pleasure, and political intrigue, but not so good at fighting."
"We've offered decent pay, but most of the recruits are just looking for a meal. Very few can actually fight."
"Commander Leswell Peake says he has little confidence in defending the city with these men. For now, both Lys's defenses and order within the city depend entirely on the Golden Company's soldiers. They're stretched thin."
As Aegon listened, he unfolded Jon's letter.
His eyes skimmed the opening lines: Tyrosh was under control, its defenses largely restored...
"What about arms and armor?" he asked, his eyes continuing down the page.
"In short supply." Luciana shook her head.
"Lys was never a city renowned for military strength. Its stockpiles of weapons and armor were small to begin with, and more than half were destroyed in the last battle."
"In the new recruits' camp, three men have to share one decent suit of leather armor. Iron armor is beyond their wildest hopes."
"Worse still, the damaged equipment needs repairs, but we don't even have enough craftsmen who can mend armor and repair blades."
She paused, her tone softening a little. "Still... our finances are healthy."
"Lys has always been wealthy, and its treasury already held substantial reserves."
"After tallying the property confiscated