Swearing an oath in the name of one's family honor and the Seven Gods was the most sacred and binding vow one could make in this world, far more solemn than the overused "I swear on my whole family" curses from the logical, engineering-minded world Gregor came from.
With the Seven as witnesses, such oaths carried divine weight. They were far more binding than those unpaid student internship contracts signed during college breaks.
Gregor watched as his three subordinates finished their vows, a faint smile creeping onto his face. The old Gregor would never have smiled. That man was cold, brutal, and never indulged in emotion, not even with those who served him. But Gregor Clegane was now his own man, and he would decide what kind of master he wanted to be.
When the three officers knelt before him in unison, a ripple stirred in his heart. He wanted to tell them to rise, to make their pledges standing, as equals. He wanted to say: "We're brothers-in-arms, no need for kneeling." But he held his tongue.
He was a noble, a knight, and a titled man. One day, his son would inherit that title. That was the order of this world. Back in his old life, he had the mindset of a democratic third-year engineering student, but here, he would respect the customs of rank and hierarchy. Besides, maintaining absolute authority in front of his officers was necessary.
Once their oaths were made, Gregor told them to stand, and embraced each of them like brothers.
Raff, Dunsen, and Polliver were his die-hard fans, he knew it well. To them, he was a hero, an idol. None of them were knights yet, although Gregor had the right to confer knighthood upon them. And while every swordsman dreamed of that honor, Gregor knew such a reward, so prestigious and cost-free, shouldn't be handed out too casually.
So, when he embraced the three like brothers, he reined in the impulse to knight them then and there. He used to be a bit too soft-hearted in his previous life. That had to change.
"All right. Polliver, go upstairs and bring Maester Harry to the courtyard."
"Yes, milord!" Polliver replied respectfully.
"Raff , gather all eleven of my household subjects. Tell them to come to the courtyard. I'm... uh, holding a little meeting."
"Yes, milord!"
Polliver and Raff turned and left.
Gregor tapped the stone bed with his fingers. "Dunsen, check under my wolfskin blanket. See how much gold we have left."
"Yes, milord!"
Dunsen lifted the bedding and carefully felt around every corner. "Seven gold dragons, thirty silver stags, fifteen copper stars."
…
The continent of Westeros used three primary forms of currency: gold, silver, and copper coins.
All three circulated as minted coins.
The gold coin, commonly known as a gold dragon, featured the face and name of the reigning king at the time of its minting. On the reverse side was the sigil of House Targaryen, a three-headed dragon. The coin's nickname, "gold dragon," came from this very emblem.
House Targaryen had ruled Westeros for three centuries. During that time, gold dragons had become widely accepted across the continent, and even beyond the Narrow Sea in the Free Cities and the exotic lands of the East. Though the Targaryen dynasty had been overthrown more than a decade ago, the image of the three-headed dragon remained on the gold coins. King Robert Baratheon had not replaced it with his own crowned stag.
Silver coins were called silver stags, named after the crowned stag sigil that Adoned them, the heraldry of House Baratheon of Storm's End. The current king of Westeros, Robert Baratheon I, was the head of this house.
House Baratheon had been founded by Orys Baratheon, Hand of the King and close friend to Aegon the Conqueror. Legend says Orys was Aegon's bastard half-brother, a man favored for both his martial prowess and loyalty. Aegon gave him the Baratheon name and sent him with his sister-queen, Rhaenys, on dragonback to subjugate the Stormlands.
With Rhaenys's help, Orys defeated the last Storm King, Argilac Durrandon, and married his daughter Argella, taking Storm's End and founding the Baratheon line. Since then, House Baratheon had ruled the Stormlands. Sixteen years ago, Robert Baratheon, a descendant of Orys, overthrew the Targaryens and claimed the Iron Throne, uniting the Seven Kingdoms.
For the past three hundred years, the crowned stag had Adoned the realm's silver coins, hence the name "silver stag."
The last type of currency was the copper star, a small round coin made entirely of copper.
Its name came from the seven-pointed star stamped on its surface, the symbol of the Faith of the Seven. Across Westeros (excluding the North and the Iron Islands), the Seven were the dominant religion. In King's Landing, the grand Sept of Baelor stood as the centerpiece of worship.
The number seven was considered sacred in Westeros, tied to divine symbolism.
Wealthy merchants and nobles dealt primarily in gold; the common folk used silver and copper. In remote regions, especially beyond the Wall in the far north, barter was more common than coins. Up there, a warm animal pelt was worth more than any gold dragon.
This tripartite currency system had been established after Aegon the Conqueror unified the realm. Robert Baratheon kept the system intact after overthrowing the Targaryens. Coin minting was strictly regulated, only authorized by the king and overseen by the Master of Coin.
On this relatively modest continent, the exchange rate was simple:
One gold dragon = 30 silver stags = 210 copper stars.
…
"Bring all the coins, we're going to the courtyard," Gregor said.
The amount was far too little for what he intended to do.
"Yes, milord!" Dunsen hurried to pack the gold dragons, silver stags, and copper stars into a pouch. "Milord, perhaps you should bathe and change your clothes first."
Gregor paused.
Due to his violent nature and long absences from home, having lived mostly at Casterly Rock under Tywin Lannister's roof, his household staff had dwindled. There were no maids left. Only a cook, a male servant for yard work, and a steward to handle the family's affairs.
"Fine. Help me," Gregor said.
"Yes, my lord!"
Half an hour later, Gregor had washed, dressed neatly, and fastened his broad and imposing sword belt. He and Dunsen stepped into the courtyard.
His energy had recovered by about half.
Waiting nervously in the yard were eleven of his household subjects, men and women, young and old, all dressed in rags, faces sallow and gaunt, looking more like refugees than residents.
Gregor sighed inwardly, overcome with sympathy.
(Note: There are two types of silver stags with different values, and five denominations of copper stars. The actual exchange system is more complex—for example, one gold coin can be exchanged for over 10,000 copper bits. This has been simplified here for clarity.)