The Westerlands were reputed to be the wealthiest region in all of Westeros. Mines of every size dotted its mountains, and the gold, silver, copper, and iron buried underground had sustained House Lannister's immense wealth for thousands of years.
Yet apart from these ores, other everyday necessities were scarce here. Food, cloth, medicinal herbs, and even many small, unremarkable items could not be produced in sufficient quantities on this rocky land.
Many daily necessities had to be brought in by caravans traveling great distances, traded for by the wagonload and shipload from places far and wide, just to meet the everyday needs of the local nobles and common folk.
For that very reason, Alliser had done remarkably well to arrange a dinner with hot soup, fresh meat, freshly baked bread, and even the Westerlands' own distinctive wines, despite Viserys and his companions arriving unexpectedly and leaving him almost no time to prepare.
Had they been anywhere other than Casterly Rock, in some other part of the Westerlands ravaged by war with the North, merely gathering these fresh ingredients would likely have taken considerable effort.
Alliser sat farther down the table, holding his wine cup steadily in both hands. He raised it slightly toward Viserys and Daenerys before speaking respectfully. "Your Majesty, Princess Daenerys, Casterly Rock has only just been through a major upheaval. Many parts of the city have yet to recover."
"We truly couldn't prepare many elaborate dishes on such short notice, so I must ask you both to bear with us this time. On your next visit to the Westerlands, we'll be sure to prepare ahead of time. Fortunately, the meat and bread were all prepared today, cut and baked just before being served. The wines are local specialties as well, with something of the Westerlands' rocky character