By then, White Sheep Town had become quite prosperous. After all, a town with over a hundred thousand permanent residents was substantial by the standards of Westeros.
What was more, White Sheep Town offered Dragonfire Wine, Dragon Porcelain, exquisite jewelry made with new techniques, glassware and textiles of the highest quality, and all manner of distinctive seasonings. These goods drew plenty of visitors, so the town naturally grew at a remarkable pace.
Especially after the fall of House Hightower in Oldtown, Holy Flame Island's fame had spread far and wide. Not only did the vast majority of Westerosi nobles regularly send trading caravans, but merchant ships from the Free Cities arrived in ever-increasing numbers as well.
Even when the Long Night and winter descended, trade on Holy Flame Island did not decline. Instead, it became busier than ever. Thanks to the favor done for Oldtown last time, Holy Flame Island's fleet had been the first Westerosi fleet to purchase grain and other basic supplies at normal prices and bring them home.
The grain purchased by other houses, and even by the royal fleet, had nearly doubled in price. Once news that Westeros had fallen into the Long Night and winter reached Essos to the east, grain merchants in the Free Cities began hoarding supplies and driving prices up further.
As Medrick gave her a clear, orderly account of the past three months on Holy Flame Island and the situation on the western continent, Danyla found herself realizing just how charming the fourteen-year-old boy before her was.
Hmm, it looks like I could groom him to become my Hand of the King!
To accommodate the endless stream of merchant ships, Holy Flame Island's docks had been expanded again and again. By then, their piers could berth more than a thousand large