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The wood in the bonfire crackled under the scorching flames, and the flickering firelight made Rhaegor, in his disguise, appear quite handsome.
The young man recalled everything he had seen and heard since entering the Stormlands. After leaving Youlu Village, they quickly passed through the mountains separating the Borderland Principality from the Stormlands. There, Rhaegor saw Vermax foraging, though Vermax did not notice him. They safely passed through the mountain pass and entered Auckland's territory.
The Stormlands is not very large among the Seven Kingdoms. Before the Conquest, the Durrandon family ruled this land of storms and dense rainforests. Legend has it that the sky over Shipbreaker Bay is eternally both dark and bright; dark from the clouds perpetually gathered over Shipbreaker Bay, extending to half of the Stormlands, and bright from the almost ceaseless rolling thunder.
The Storm Kings of the Durrandon family always held four views.
The Riverlands is a stripped prostitute, always awaiting the favor of the Stormlands, or the West, or the Vale, or the Reach.
The Reach is a neighbor that must be disciplined; they are wealthy, but not as brave as the Stormlands people.
The Dorne are relentless enemies. If possible, using the skulls of the Martell, Well, Yronwood, or Fowler as drinking bowls would be a very important matter for every Storm King. Successive Storm Kings have always delighted in this.
Finally, and most importantly, the wealth of the Stormlands relies on the North and the East, but its most crucial military strength comes from the Borderlands in the South. The Borderlands lords, who have long fought bloody battles with the Dorne and the Reach people, contributed the elite Stormlands warriors for which the Stormlands is famous.
Relying on these battle-hardened elites, the Storm Kings defeated the Tyrell family, who called themselves Kings of the Trident River, before the House Hoare crossed the Narrow Sea. King Alan III, through a series of coincidences, eventually annexed the Riverlands, which was the most prosperous period in the history of the Storm Kingdom, extending from the Narrow Sea to the Sunset Sea, and from the Red Mountains of the Borderlands to the Neck. The Durrandon family ruled a vast territory, rare in the era of the Seven Kingdoms.
Unfortunately, the Durrandon family ultimately failed to hold this vast realm. With the incursions from Dorne and the Reach, and the conquest by the House Hoare crossing the Narrow Sea, the Storm Kingdom had already lost its Riverlands territory and retreated back to its homeland before Aegon conquered the Six Kingdoms with his dragons.
But even that declining Storm Kingdom was stronger than the current Stormlands.
The reason is simple: the Borderlands, which once provided soldiers for the Stormlands, were taken by Dragonzel. The Stormlands not only lost nearly a third of its territory but also many capable and brave vassals.
Lord Boros Baratheon should thank the House Swann of Stonehelm, the Grandisons of Grandview, and the Clintons of Griffins Roost for not defecting to Dragonzel, as these three families are, in a strict sense, also military nobles of the Borderlands.
Rhaegor noticed that the scenes he saw after entering the Stormlands were markedly different from the Borderland Principality. The villages in the Stormlands still maintained their traditional appearance, with not much change even after so many years of peace.
However, Rhaegor could still feel the preciousness of peace.
They were able to resupply with relatively normal black bread in the villages, which contained no stones or grit. They even managed to buy beer that wasn't as bad as urine in a seemingly clean and pretty village.
Perhaps due to their age, or their appearance, or Legan's eloquence, their journey here was much smoother than the three-person team next to them.
It might also have something to do with their fatter wallets.
Rhaegor admitted this, but he noticed more, for example, rainforest timber was being transported north along the coastal road built during Dragonzel's reign. More than one group of wandering knights, mercenaries, and unemployed drifters began to gather at several castles near Storms End.
"Is Lord Boros gathering an army?" Rhaegor thought to himself, "Perhaps I can go to Griffins Roost to see what's happening."
At this moment.
Dragon Nest City, Five Fingers Hall.
Dragonzel sat at the head of the table, looking at his Five Fingers and his younger brother Valarr. His Bloodsworn Brothers, Reville Haiton, still served as his attendant, along with Count Quentin Manwoody, assisting Dragonzel in Five Fingers Hall. However, they were not needed for pouring wine; Valarr's daughter, Daniela, took on the task of serving wine.
The maiden skillfully poured wine into each person's goblet, then stood quietly to the side, not speaking. Of course, there was basically no opportunity for her to speak.
"Rhaegor should have reached the Stormlands by now," Hofa said softly, "if they traveled smoothly."
"Don't worry, Hofa, they are doing quite well," Tigaro reassured him. "Reigen Kaawen and Ailarion Hoth, disguised as Hagar and Roger, followed Prince Rhaegor. They are traveling together now."
The "Shadow Finger," who had grown a long beard, said with some emotion, "Your Highness, the fact that Prince Rhaegor didn't send those two boys back shows that he has realized his mistake."
"It's good for him to go out and see more," Ray said with a smile. "After all, my elder brother went through the same thing back then. He is the heir of the Varezes family, and whatever he does, he must do it best."
"Tigaro, tell me about the intelligence you have on them." Dragonzel's finger lightly tapped the table. Tigaro spun his rings a few times and reported Rhaegor's whereabouts to Dragonzel in detail.
"...After Legan fell ill with a fever, Prince Rhaegor took care of him for several days. During this time, they encountered wandering knights from various places—our people were among them. He will give Prince Rhaegor a lesson he will remember for a lifetime at the appropriate time."
Dragonzel nodded, saying nothing.
Daniela, standing nearby, froze for a moment, looking at everyone with some disbelief, but she concealed it well. Only Ray saw the fleeting anxiety and unease on his niece's face. Ray suddenly had a mischievous idea. He quietly leaned over and whispered a few words into Tigaro's ear. Tigaro first looked at Ray in shock, then at Dragonzel.
This Ray… Rhaegor, you should be secretly delighted to have an uncle like him…
Dragonzel understood his brothers so well that he could guess what they were thinking. The moment Ray conceived that bad idea, even before he told Tigaro, his expression betrayed him.
But this is also good.
Dragonzel nodded slightly at Tigaro, indicating that it was permissible.
Only then did Tigaro relax and resume his serious posture, sitting steadily in his seat. Only Valarr looked at Ray for a moment, then at Tigaro, not understanding what had happened.
"Your Highness, regarding the situation in the Stormlands, are you—" Aslan Rondell, the "Blood Finger," seeing that the previous topic had concluded, spoke up to start the next one.
The Stormlands' action of gathering soldiers could not be hidden from other lords, but everyone knew that the Realm was now impregnable. King's Landing had a king who seemed to do nothing but consistently maintained the policies left by Dragonzel. Dragon Nest City, though no longer holding the King's Hand position, was believed by all to have dragons that would soar high and fight for the Realm if the king personally flew to Dragon Nest City for aid. So no one thought the Stormlands was gathering soldiers to rebel or anything of the sort…
The reasons above were just pretexts. Lord Boros's sole reason for gathering soldiers was that the Stormlands needed land. He had already sent ravens to King's Landing and Dragon Nest City about this, but King's Landing had not given him a clear reply, only tacitly approving his act of gathering an army.
Dragon Nest City also did not reply to him, but the fact that the Silver Blood Army did not mobilize already told Lord Boros that the Varezes family did not want to interfere in their affairs.
As long as it doesn't get too out of hand.
It really isn't out of hand.
Lord Boros's goal is simple.
The Stepstones.
These barren rocks in the Narrow Sea, though poor, control the throat of the Narrow Sea and are strategically crucial. But for the Baratheon family, the most important thing is that no matter how small these rocks are, they represent new territory.
The Stormlands needs new territory.
"I know," Dragonzel said. He naturally knew Boros's thoughts, but… the Stepstones are not only important to his Baratheon family, but also to Sunspear and the Varezes family. The Silver Fleet needs a suitable transit port, and the Stepstones are very suitable. Sunspear also hopes to get a share of the Summer Sea-Narrow Sea shipping route—in fact, it's hard to say that the Martell family didn't instigate the historical Stepstones War.
Today, the Stepstones have gradually revived with peace and prosperity. The collapse of the Three Daughters led many disillusioned individuals to become pirates on the Stepstones, especially after the collapse of Tyrosh…
Dalton Greyjoy completely destroyed this wealthy Free Trade Cities. Now, this once prosperous and beautiful island city has regained its vitality.
But not as a Free Trade Cities.
But as a pirate capital.
The situation in the Stepstones is now complex, with nine Pirate Kings dividing the islands. Each of them commands at least fifty large ships with two hundred or more oars. These Pirate Kings sometimes fight each other, sometimes plunder merchant ships, and sometimes break into smaller groups to evade the Silver Fleet's searches.
Although they are often chased like dogs by the Silver Fleet and Sunspear's slowly forming "Sun Fleet," their notoriety has spread from Westeros to Qarth.
The nine Pirate Kings all have their territories, titles, and names.
The strongest among them are three.
Vel Sparrow, the "Grand Lord of Tyrosh" and "King of the Narrow Sea," who dominates the ruins of Tyrosh. It is said that he was once a member of the Governor's Council of the Three Daughters. After the kingdom's collapse, he chose to return to his old profession and successfully reclaimed Tyrosh. With his substantial wealth, he crowned himself "King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea."
Lycario, the "Pirate Queen" who calls herself "Countess of Bloodstone Island" on Bloodstone Island. An old acquaintance, her current power is second only to King Vel Sparrow. Her Bloodstone Island Fleet possesses one hundred and twenty large warships, and her forces have far exceeded their former peak.
Fel Greyjoy, the "Golden Sea Monster," who reigns supreme over the Bone Tide Islands. He has a very distant blood relation to Dalton. When Dalton led the Iron Fleet back to the Iron Islands, he chose to stay with his longships and the captains willing to follow him. Now, he calls himself the "Great King of the Bone Tide Islands," appearing as if the "Red Sea Monster" was nothing more than this.
The other six Pirate Kings either occupy only a few islands, such as the female Pirate King of Gallows Island, or some do not even occupy habitable islands, only able to anchor on uninhabited islands or seek refuge with the three great pirates.
They have nothing to worry about.
"Boros will get what he wants," Dragonzel said calmly. "And so will I."
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