The lords looked at each other.
Your Majesty, you should be a little more subtle.
Daeron smiled and lightly drew a few lines on the ground: "Gentlemen, I trust you, so I will reveal the preliminary plan for this expedition." He glanced at Prince Aemon beside him. This handsome but taciturn knight stepped forward. He was also a recently renowned knight. At the tournament in Dragon Nest City, held by Rhaegor to celebrate Igor's name day, Prince Aemon even defeated the aging Lord Aslan Rondell and Hofa the Law-Holder, claiming the champion's wreath.
This young knight, praised by the common people as the "Dragon Knight," had collected more than twenty champion wreaths in just a few years, astounding people with his valor. Aemon's humility and handsomeness made him the dream lover of maidens across the Seven Kingdoms.
Even though Aemon had officially married his beloved Princess Naerys.
"His Majesty the King has made full preparations." Prince Aemon took the branch from Daeron's hand. He needed to tell these key nobles that deploying all their forces would be profitable.
"The biggest problem with the Disputed Lands is the extremely complex distribution of power within them."
Daenerys quietly retreated behind Jacaerys, letting her tall older brother shield her from gazes, while her mind rapidly recalled the intelligence Rhaegor had given them.
"Seven large mercenary groups, each with at least ten thousand soldiers, occupy the North of the Disputed Lands. The fertile plains of the Disputed Lands are divided among five large warlords and hundreds of smaller warlords and mercenary groups. Ricca Lacron is the most important coastal city in the Disputed Lands, controlled by three different factions. In the Northeast of the Disputed Lands, a Khalasar with forty thousand cavalry roams. The biggest enemies we face are those Dothraki barbarians." Aemon bowed slightly to Jacaerys with a hint of apology: "I mean no offense to Khal Asuler."
"Asuler?" Jacaerys smiled: "He won't mind."
Of the seven large mercenary groups, at least five are backed by Braavos. The Iron Bank continuously provides them with gold and weapons. The remaining two, while ostensibly backed by Lys and Volantis, actually have intricate ties to the Iron Bank.
Daenerys quickly sorted out the intelligence on these seven mercenary groups. A significant portion of the Iron Bank's loans flowed to the warlords in the Disputed Lands. They would support usurpers and warlords who ruled vast territories, and when these rulers couldn't repay their loans, they would back another usurper or warlord, or hint to the mercenary groups to raid those who defaulted on their debts.
Braavos.
Daenerys narrowed her eyes.
"The Golden Hammer and the Stormcrows are backed by Lys. Lord Rogare has promised to hire these two mercenary groups to participate in our expedition to the Disputed Lands. These two mercenary groups can provide us with twenty-five thousand well-trained warriors, including at least six thousand cavalry. The Golden Hammer even maintains twenty war elephants."
"Prince Aemon, you also said they are mercenaries." Lord Cregan Stark said coldly. The Warden of the North was still as cold and imposing as when he came south to King's Landing in his youth. That long winter had added to him the unique solemnity of a North noble.
"Since when do we rely on mercenaries for war?"
The Winter Wolves army of that year had made the North renowned, and the charge of two thousand grey-bearded old soldiers had shattered the West's army's defenses, making Westeros once again take seriously these descendants of the First Men who lived in the North.
"Mercenaries can join us for gold and power, and they can betray us at any time." Cregan looked at Daeron. "Your Majesty, mercenaries are not a reason for you to convince us, nor are dragons. Occupying land requires soldiers and people."
Several lords nodded in agreement.
"The armies of the Crownlands and Oldtown will set out first, as the vanguard," Daeron said without hesitation. Prince Aemon took over the King's words and continued: "The army of Oldtown will be commanded by my brother Ilion. We have gathered four thousand armored warriors who can fight on horseback at any time."
"The army of the Crownlands will be commanded by Ser Will Hunt, Captain of the Kingsguard." Daeron's eyes fell on Lord Joffrey. "Lord Massey and Lord Darklyn have already begun to gather armies. The Crownlands army will be centered around three thousand royal family troops, and the nobles of the Crownlands can raise twenty thousand men."
"Twenty thousand is the total fighting force the Crownlands can muster through full conscription, Your Majesty." Lord Hugh Arryn said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, we cannot conscript all the young people. This is not a life-or-death war; we need to leave people behind to farm."
"Winter is coming, and it's most evident in the North and the Vale. We won't pin our hopes on summer never ending, Your Majesty." Lord Cregan's voice was still as cold.
"The Baratheon family will stand under His Majesty's three-headed dragon banner." Lord Royce Baratheon's loud voice was not so booming now. "But Your Majesty, you also know very well that the Baratheon family is willing but unable. Six thousand men, that's the limit for the Stormlands, but I can guarantee you that these six thousand men are all old soldiers who have fought in the Stepstones."
Daeron smiled and nodded to Lord Royce.
"I know, gentlemen, so I will use the current plan to convince you." The King said calmly. Prince Aemon, like Daeron's other hand, was drawing and writing on the ground with a weirwood stick.
"The coast of the Disputed Lands is covered in vast Redwood Coast. A mercenary group with many ships, the Redwoods, has considerable influence there and is also one of the rulers of Ricca Lacron. I, along with Aemon, Rhaegar, and Ilion, will land with the vanguard at Ricca Lacron to capture the city, which will serve as our outpost for invading the Disputed Lands."
"What about supplies, Your Majesty? And Prince Aegon? Prince Aegon and Prince Viserys also have dragons. Are they not participating in the expedition?" Lord Cregan's questions were as sharp as ever.
However, Lord Cregan did not ask another question: What about the Varezes family?
"My royal uncle is unwell. He will remain in Westeros to gather supplies for us and guard the rear," Daeron said calmly. "My cousin Aegon will go as an envoy to Braavos. Syrax will let the Braavosi know the preciousness of peace."
His gaze involuntarily drifted to Jacaerys, who was still lost in thought, and Daenerys, who seemed to be pondering something.
"Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, and Vermax are all adult dragons. Horn Tide is also sufficient to deter ordinary people. Four dragons are enough for us to sweep the coast."
"Your Majesty..." Dalton Greyjoy, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. The old pirate slowly walked to the King's side, coldly scanning Lord Loreon Lannister and Lord Leonno Tyrell, but his gaze returned to respect when he looked at Lord Cregan, Lord Tully, and Jacaerys.
"My Iron Fleet once swept the Redwood Coast; there was almost no defense there." The Red Sea Monster calmly recounted his feat of almost destroying the Three Daughters: "But Ricca Lacron is an exception. Its rulers have built that ancient city stronger than steel. It's not an easy bone to chew."
The Red Sea Monster suddenly licked his tongue: "However, my Iron Fleet is still willing to serve you, Your Majesty. Give me two months, and I can gather a thousand longships for you, and ten thousand men whose heads are as hard as axes."
"You just need your old ways, don't you, Sea Monster?" Lord Loreon glanced at the Red Sea Monster. "Your Majesty, as for the navy, the Royal Fleet, Lord Redwyne's fleet, and the Silver Fleet are enough to destroy all resistance on the Redwood Coast. We don't need..."
"Lord Dalton, I am very grateful for your help." Daeron raised his hand to stop Lord Loreon from continuing. "The Realm needs every axe, every armor, every sword."
Lord Leonno Tyrell was helpless. In recent years, the resurgence of Oldtown seemed to have brought the Reach back to its former glory. If not for the grand intermarriages with House Fossoway, House Rowan, House Redwyne, House Merryweather, and others, the Tyrell family would probably have slowly been overshadowed by the Targaryen family in Oldtown.
He could not refuse King's Landing's arrangements. After the Baratheon family and the Greyjoy family, the Tyrell family became the third Warden family to actively offer support.
"Lord Redwyne will provide the fleet." Lord Leonno said: "Your Majesty, the Reach will gather fifteen thousand armored warriors within three months and raise provisions for the grand army."
"The Realm can allow the Iron Islands to practice the Old Way on the Redwood Coast and along the coast of Sothoryos," Daeron said calmly; he needed the Ironborn's bloody raids to deter the warlords of the Disputed Lands.
It would be best if it scared them into submission, but if not, it would also be good to unite them and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
"After occupying Ricca Lacron, the Redwood Coast will be completely open to us," Daeron continued to analyze: "We will advance along the coast after supplies and reinforcements arrive. Prince Aemon and I will lead the main force to first conquer the warlords in the South. Rhaegar will remain in Ricca Lacron to hold the fort, and Ilion will guard the North with Vermax to prevent northern intervention. After dealing with the scattered forces in the South, we will then deal with the large mercenary groups and Dothraki barbarians."
"It seems His Majesty has a detailed plan," Lord Kermit Tully smiled. "The Riverlands will prepare provisions and eight thousand armored warriors. They are all well-trained, proficient in longswords, longbows, lances, and morningstars. They are the second, third, and youngest sons of nobles, and battle-hardened sergeants, Your Majesty. I can guarantee there is no more elite army than this."
"The West will provide military funds." Lord Loreon saw that the lords had all acknowledged Daeron's plan, and he also offered what he could give. In addition to ample gold,
There were also five thousand fully armored warriors.
It can be said that, apart from the Iron Islands' self-proclaimed ten thousand raiders, the armies that the Stormlands, the Reach, the Riverlands, and the West could currently provide were all fully armored nobles and sergeants. Most of them, if they obtained warhorses, could even become cavalry or heavily armored infantry at any time.
Lord Cregan stared at Daeron and suddenly smiled: "Your Majesty, the North will also send troops, but the North is not as rich as the South. We still need to accumulate strength and prepare for winter. I will send four thousand well-equipped warriors. By the gods of the First Men, they are as fierce as the greybeards of the Winter Wolves army."
"If His Majesty's plan succeeds, we will all benefit from it, so why not?" Lord Hugh Arryn said with a smile: "The Vale will send nine hundred knights and two thousand cavalry."
Daeron nodded, then looked at Jacaerys and Daenerys.
"Father sent Jacaerys and me here, and this is our stance." Daenerys stood before Jacaerys again and said with a smile: "Jacaerys and I, along with our dragons, will go to Tyrosh to assist the army in crossing the sea. The Silver Fleet will provide cover for His Majesty."
The lords tacitly avoided mentioning anything about armies.
The fact that Syrax, Skyfire, and the Varezes family provided these two dragons already showed great sincerity. Although, judging by Daenerys's words, they would most likely not be at the forefront of the charge.
But that was enough.
Prince Aemon and Daeron didn't feel anything was amiss; Daeron even secretly praised it in his heart. The Varezes family's willingness to send dragons and a fleet already showed their attitude.
The Silver Dragon supports the Red Dragon's expedition.
That was enough.
The Great Council had just ended less than five days ago.
News that Westeros was moving against the Disputed Lands reached Braavos, and soon after, Volantis.
Although Daeron had no intention of keeping it a secret, the speed at which the news spread still startled him.
What he didn't know was that after the news broke, the East Continent was almost instantly plunged into an "earthquake." Countless envoys departed from every corner of the Disputed Lands, heading to different regions. Furthermore, an even larger Khalasar moved south from near Qohor, preparing to rendezvous with the Khalasar in the Disputed Lands.
Braavos, the Iron Bank's secret vault.
The Keyholders sat in a circle, looking at each other, none speaking.
"The dragons are coming, gentlemen. After nearly two hundred years, dragons are once again about to rampage across our lands," one Keyholder whispered.
"No, Aegon back then was on our side. His dragon spewed dragonfire at the slave masters of Volantis. He was a friend."
"That is in the past," an ancient Keyholder, whose age was indiscernible, tapped the table. The black iron key at his waist made an eerie sound. His voice plunged the entire secret vault into silence.
"What does the House of Black and White say?" the old man asked.
"They said nothing," a Keyholder wearing a black and white mask shook his head. "The servants of the Many-Faced God will not take risks for what has not happened."
"But…"
"No buts." The old man stood up. "The Disputed Lands are an important source of income for the Iron Bank, and Westeros is also a major client of ours. In principle, we will not favor either side, but although Westeros has never defaulted in the past thirty years, the Rogare Bank has stolen a lot of our business."
"So you mean…"
"They cannot be too comfortable." The old man's voice was flat: "The Disputed Lands have never had a single master, and they will not have one in two hundred years either."
"But they have dragons."
The old man's voice abruptly stopped, and the secret vault fell into a deathly silence.
The quiet lasted for a very long time.
Until the Sea King's attendant broke the silence of the secret vault.
"The Iron Throne will send a Prince as an envoy to Braavos."
"Which Prince?" The Keyholders finally found an opportunity to speak and asked one after another.
"Aegon, Aegon Targaryen, the eldest son of Prince Viserys of Oldtown, the master of Syrax."
The old man instantly stood up and exchanged glances with the other Keyholders who had also risen.
Even through their masks, they could feel the emotions in each other's hearts.
Surprise.
While the upper echelons of Braavos fell into a deathly silence, other trade city-states, which also quickly received the information, successively began their respective actions.
Several distant city-states felt it was none of their business, so they decisively washed their hands of it.
Lys began mobilization, Myr closed its gates, hunkering down behind their sturdy walls, while Pentos joyfully opened its gates; they had good relations with the Targaryen family and were not worried about their arrival.
Volantis, however, fell into silence.
But this eldest daughter of Valyria soon stirred. Although the Elephant Party advocated peace and retraction, it did not mean the Elephant Party was a surrender faction. For matters that threatened Volantis's vital interests,
The elephant is fiercer than the tiger.
Volantis's envoys also set off; some went to the Disputed Lands, while others sailed east—they carried gold.
They would bring back a battle-hardened army.
Dragon Nest City.
Dragonzel lay on top of the Silver Blood Tower, lazily basking in the sun. Diana sat beside him, smiling, slowly preparing a freshly made drink. Daenerys held her soon-to-be five-year-old brother, playing with him. Sebastian, with a bitter expression, read a book in a sunlit spot, while Osiris and Damion slept soundly in their cradles.
It was a scene of peaceful harmony, if one ignored Igor, whom Daenerys had dressed up as a girl.
The little boy expressionlessly allowed his sister to play with him, silently letting her apply makeup to him.
"Father, Daenerys and Little Jace's letter has returned." Rhaegor tried to soften his footsteps, slowly walking up to the garden on the tower top, and then he frowned.
"Daenerys, don't bully your brother."
Daenerys immediately stopped, hiding the makeup brush behind her back: "No, Father, I didn't."
"Wah!"
Igor suddenly burst into tears, closing his eyes, kicking his little legs, and lying directly on the ground, crying heartbrokenly.
It startled Diana, making her hand tremble, almost dropping the stirring rod.
"Igor, you're doing this again!" Daenerys immediately realized what her brother was doing, and no longer feigning innocence, she tossed the makeup aside, put her hands on her hips, and glared at Igor, who hadn't shed a single tear. "At least shed a few tears! You silly brother!"
"Hmph!" Seeing that he really couldn't squeeze out any tears, Igor simply gave up pretending and shamelessly lay on the ground.
Rhaegor frowned, looking at his two children. Seeing that her father remained silent, Daenerys pouted and obediently carried her brother to the side to wash his face.
Rhaegor nodded and walked towards his father.
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