Lord Frey was the only noble who had hosted Danyla to have the livestock slaughtered before feeding them to the Great Dragons. Clearly, House Frey had accumulated its wealth through more than mere stinginess and a love of money.
Lord Frey certainly knew how to manage a household!
Slaughtering the livestock first not only demonstrated their respect and sincerity toward the Great Dragons and the Targaryen royal house, but also kept the hides from going to waste. Most nobles might have scorned such a small sum, yet it was enough to cover several ordinary families' expenses for a year.
Perhaps because House Frey had only recently risen to prominence, they had not forgotten what life was like for those at the bottom. Though unpopular among the nobility, House Frey provided a reasonably good life for the people under their rule.
Whenever war broke out, House Frey could readily muster three or four thousand soldiers. This was also one of the main reasons they had been granted one of the few marquessates.
There was a saying that put it well: only when you respected wealth would wealth be willing to come your way.
Dreamfyre and the others had not eaten yet that day, so the sight of the plump livestock whetted their appetites at once. They ate for nearly two full hours.
Dreamfyre alone swallowed more than fifty goats and over a dozen yellow cattle. Little Balerion and the others ate plenty as well. Myracis might not have been large, but she had a surprisingly hearty appetite.
The five Great Dragons ate around three hundred goats and more than thirty yellow cattle. The polite smile on Lord Frey's face almost faltered; he had always liked to keep a careful account of his household expenses. This was nearly enough to cover half