King's Landing, Red Keep, Hall
Before the Iron Throne at this moment, the many ministers under Tommen I were in a complete uproar. Cersei Lannister, the Queen Mother, was also furiously berating Margaery Tyrell, the Queen, questioning her about the cause of Joffrey Baratheon's death.
All of this was triggered by a grand gift sent by Marco, a box wrapped in a cloth bag that was delivered to the Iron Throne by a giant sea eagle.
After the bag landed, Marco's phantom appeared once again before everyone. He directly stated that the severed head was that of "Littlefinger," and explained how "Littlefinger" had incited conflict between the Lannisters and the Starks. Finally, he changed the subject and revealed the truth of the "Purple Wedding."
Marco did not point out the cause of Robert Baratheon's death, because that would be meaningless. On the contrary, stirring up conflict between the Tyrells and the Lannisters was quite necessary.
In fact, besides Cersei, almost no one present cared about Joffrey's cause of death. Even the amiable Tommen had a hint of aversion towards Joffrey.
But this was exactly what Marco needed. Seeing the tense atmosphere, Tywin Lannister, the Duke, had someone drag away the completely distraught Cersei.
Next, the newly appointed head of intelligence, Wesker Flower, spoke to Tommen on the Iron Throne, reporting:
"Your Grace! The Vale has completely fallen. Most of the nobles have surrendered. Only a few small families escaped across the Narrow Sea to King's Landing. According to current intelligence, that heretic king is conquering the Mountain Clans. Our little birds have suffered heavy losses, and much of the intelligence arrived late."
Tommen pondered for a moment, then turned to Tywin near the Iron Throne. Tywin rubbed his throbbing temples and said to Brother Cole, the religious advisor, and Maester Horton:
"Do you gentlemen have any plans? I intend to send troops to control Harrenhal first, and set up defenses there. I also hope that you two can provide more of those crossbows from Oldtown; we urgently need them to deal with the dragons. And..."
Tywin's meaning was clear: they needed to act quickly to deal with the Valyrian Empire. He had always wondered why the Church and the Citadel's backing forces hadn't acted when the Vale was attacked.
After Littlefinger's death, Tywin's plan to restrain and gradually control the Vale was no longer achievable. Originally, after the Battle of the Fingers, King's Landing had intended to send troops to support them, but the Alliance of the Righteous rejected this proposal, and deployed heavy troops to guard the Bloody Gate, while the remaining fleet in Gulltown patrolled the sea.
Brother Cole, the religious advisor, stood up and nodded to those present, then began to speak:
"The great Seven will perform miracles, calling upon all believers to fight against the evil Valyrian Empire. The scholars of the Citadel will also send the best weapons and equipment to the battlefield. This is a war of faith and rule, and the Great will surely bless us."
Afterward, Brother Cole suggested to the many nobles present that the Iron Throne reconsider establishing a royal fleet and proposed allying with Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands.
Brother Cole pointed out that the Valyrian Empire, after acquiring the Narrow Sea Fleet, the White Harbor Fleet, and the Vale's fleet, now possessed the capital to threaten King's Landing.
Regarding this situation, Brother Cole stated that the Iron Throne needed more ships to better handle potential problems. He also suggested that the Iron Throne consider seeking foreign aid from Essos.
Subsequently, the new Grand Maester, Horton, pointed out that Essos had undergone tremendous changes. The "Dragon Queen," Daenerys Targaryen, had conquered Slaver's Bay and Volantis.
"Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr have re-formed the Three Sisters Kingdom, and they are uniting to fight the Dragon Queen. Aegon I Targaryen once conquered the Seven Kingdoms with only three dragons and a few thousand soldiers. But now, our enemy possesses not only dragons, but also fleets and a large army."
Grand Maester Horton's words echoed in everyone's ears, and many felt a chill run down their spines. Among them, only one person had a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth: the Prince of Dorne, Oberyn Martell.
After learning of The Mountain's death, Oberyn Martell remained in King's Landing. On the one hand, he was there to seek more benefits for Dorne, and on the other, to find an opportunity to retaliate against the Lannister family. Seeing this situation, Oberyn felt very pleased. He had always disliked these people since arriving in King's Landing.
Whether it was the dragon king from the north or the Dragon Queen from the south, as long as they could help Oberyn eliminate the Lannister family, he would welcome them. What he liked to see most now was the Lion and the Rose vying for power. In his heart, neither of these families was any good.
Tommen I on the throne looked at the silent crowd below, appearing somewhat at a loss. However, fortunately, his Queen, Margaery, saw his fear and gently touched his hand.
Tommen glanced at his beautiful wife, and his heart immediately settled. He saw that the people below had already come up with a result.
Afterwards, the Grand Maester drafted a royal decree, calling on the remaining lords of the Seven Kingdoms to gather their vassals and assemble their armies at Harrenhal, preparing to confront the Valyrian Empire forces that might emerge from the mountain pass.
Currently, nearly 20,000 troops from the Tyrell family were stationed near the Crownlands, along with nearly 10,000 troops from the Lannister family. They would remain to continue guarding King's Landing.
The expeditionary force would gather troops from the Reach, the Stormlands, the Crownlands, and the Westerlands, forming a force of about 40,000 to jointly defend Harrenhal. Moreover, this war would be led by Jaime Lannister, and the Faith would also send elite troops to support them.
The Iron Islands, Pyke, Seastone Chair
"You mean that the Dragon Queen doesn't want my 'big cock,' nor does she need the support of the Iron Fleet, is that right?"
Euron Greyjoy, casually draped in a white robe and wearing a driftwood crown, asked the soldier kneeling before him. The soldier nodded fearfully in response to his question.
Then, Euron walked down from the Seastone Chair and came before the soldier, asking with some uncertainty:
"What exactly happened? Explain it to me clearly, and don't leave anything out."
Upon hearing Euron's question, the soldier became even more frightened, but he still stammered out the whole story.
After Euron sat on the Seastone Chair, he ordered part of the Iron Fleet to go to Essos to find Daenerys Targaryen, hoping to ally with her. However, Euron's information might have been a bit delayed; he didn't know that Daenerys had completely conquered Slaver's Bay and was already preparing to conquer Volantis.
It's easy to imagine what a terrifying scene awaited Barton Greyjoy, the envoy, when he said, "Euron Greyjoy wants to offer the Dragon Queen his 'big cock', along with the Iron Fleet."
Upon learning that Daenerys already possessed the Slaver's Bay fleet and was preparing to conquer Volantis, Euron's pupils suddenly shrank. No matter how arrogant and brainless he was, he naturally knew what Volantis represented. It was the only place in Essos that could rival Braavos.
Euron didn't bother with the situation of the clansman in the soldier's report, the one whose "big cock" had been cut off. What he was truly worried about now was how to face the situation that was coming. He had his own ambitions; he wanted to become someone like Harren the Black.
Lost in thought, Euron dismissed the soldier who had brought the news. Then, he took out a strangely shaped dagger from his pocket, as if pondering something.
Just then, a knock came from the door. At Euron's signal, Maester Anakin, one of his subordinates, walked in from outside, holding a scroll of raven letters.
"My lord, this is a raven from the Iron Throne. They wish for you to pledge fealty to the Iron Throne, and obey the royal leadership. As a reward, they will grant you a portion of the Riverlands to govern."
Euron took the raven and examined it carefully, his thoughts complex. Finally, he said with some disdain:
"To offer me a piece of land that can be taken at any time, and expect the Ironborn to risk their lives for them? Has that old Lion been squeezed by some whore in King's Landing? They dare to propose such terms?
Go and send them a reply immediately. If the Queen Regent and the Queen on the Iron Throne will keep me company for a night, perhaps I'll consider being their Master of Ships. Otherwise, forget it!"
After Maester Anakin left, Euron took out a dagger from his pocket. It was a strangely shaped dagger, its design mirroring the Greyjoy family's kraken sigil. The head of the kraken formed the hilt, and the blade took the form of the kraken's tentacles.
Euron stared at the ruby eyes of the dagger, seemingly lost in thought. He had found it while rummaging through the family treasury some time ago.
This dagger seemed to possess a very strange power. Ever since he obtained it, Euron had been dreaming. In his dreams, he always saw Nagga's Hill on Old Wyk.
Euron would encounter a very beautiful mermaid there. Each time he caught the mermaid and prepared to "punish" her, he would wake up.
Over time, Euron realized that the dagger held some sort of revelation for him. While traversing the ruins of Valyria, Euron felt as if he were possessed by some power.
At that time, Euron felt a constant echo in his mind. Perhaps it was due to this very power that he managed to emerge from the ruins of Valyria, while the other crew members who explored with him perished inside.
However, from that moment on, that terrifying and indescribable voice echoed incessantly in Euron's mind, nearly driving him mad on several occasions. Unable to bear the torment of this voice, he had his flagship's crew turned into mutes.
This situation only returned to normal after Euron ascended to the Seastone Chair. However, the current recurrence made him unconsciously think of that eerie, terrifying voice again.
After a moment of thought, Euron tightened his grip on the dagger and shouted to the guards at the door:
"You, go prepare a ship. I'm going to Nagga's Hill on Old Wyk to pray for blessings. Have the drowned men get ready; I feel that the great Drowned God may be about to perform a miracle."
In the interval while these guards were leaving, one of them quietly walked into the corridor. After passing through the dark stairs, he arrived at the door of the small room where the maester was.
"He's ready to go to Old Wyk, Maester. Do you need me to do anything else?"
The guard knocked on the door, then spoke quietly to Maester Anakin with a blank expression.
Afterward, Maester Anakin gave him a bottle of potion and said to the guard:
"Stay by his side. Report any developments to me promptly. This is a three-month supply. Manage it yourself, and if any problems arise, I won't be able to help you."
The guard nodded to show he understood, then left. Maester Anakin gently closed the door, muttering to himself:
"The seed has been sown. Now, we'll see how it takes root and sprouts. Since some things can no longer be stopped, let them become even more frenzied! With the tide rising, there will naturally be a tide falling. Wait patiently, and truth will ultimately endure."
Dorne, Sunspear, Water Gardens
Doran Martell watched the young man and woman embracing and kissing in the Water Gardens, a slight smile on his lips. The Prince of Dorne was pleased because he believed his son had truly grown up.
Regardless of any entanglements his family had with this future daughter-in-law, he hoped this beautiful and lovely girl could always remain in Dorne. Watching the two of them getting along so well, Doran Martell couldn't help but think of his own wife. They had separated due to cultural differences. Fortunately, Tristan and his fiancée, Myrcella Baratheon, didn't face this situation.
Ario Hotah looked at Prince Doran and instinctively said:
"I haven't seen you like this in a long time. Without realizing it, Prince Tristan is already so grown up."
Just as Prince Doran was about to speak, a man in strange attire arrived with a raven letter. After bowing to the two of them, the man stood quietly.
This man was small and thin, his body wrapped in tight clothing. The scale armor he wore had a very strange design, as if a serpent-like emblem was writhing across it.
From his facial features, it could be seen that he was a Sandman, with even darker skin. His face looked as if it had been scorched by the sun, tinged with an unnatural pink.
Prince Doran read the contents of the raven letter, and his expression kept changing, sometimes excited, sometimes agitated, and also with a trace of worry.
After handing the letter to the man in strange attire behind him, Prince Doran instructed:
"First, send a message to Prince Oberyn, telling him to find an opportunity to contact the Dragon King in the North. Then, find a few trustworthy people to form a secret envoy and contact the Dragon Queen in Volantis."
"Now, it depends on whether they're willing to ally. I remember there are Little Birds of Varys in the Moonstone Tavern in Sunspear. Just go find them. We once helped those two siblings. Let's see what conditions the two Dragon Kings have!"
After receiving the order, the strangely dressed man quietly departed. He was Prince Doran's intelligence chief. Due to their different beliefs and culture, the Dornish didn't have many maesters serving in their castles.
The Martell family's ability to rule Dorne for so many years wasn't solely due to their bloodline. Their "Vipers" were scattered throughout Dorne, and whenever there was any disturbance, the "Vipers" would seize the opportunity to strike a fatal blow to their enemies.
Ellaria Sand was both Oberyn's lover and the leader of this force. She was the bastard daughter of Lord Harmen Uller of Hellholt, and she excelled in all aspects. Both Lord Harmen Uller and Prince Doran favored her greatly and entrusted her with important responsibilities.
It can be said that in the later stages of the TV series, the reason why Ellaria and her Sand Snake daughters were able to seize power completely was due to the support of the "Vipers" and Hellholt.
It was just a pity that they were ultimately ambushed by the "space mage" Euron Greyjoy, which led to the withdrawal of Dorne's forces from the game of thrones. (Those two brain-dead screenwriters' pitfall, and I have to come here to patch it for them, TMD)
Dorne was now at a crossroads of fate. According to the intelligence of the "Vipers," the Faith and the Citadel had revealed their fangs, seemingly preparing to confront the Dragon King from the North.
Back then, when Marco used magic to send messages across the Seven Kingdoms, he had also shown off in Sunspear. Coupled with the performance of the Valyrian Empire in its later stages, Prince Doran was more inclined towards this male Dragon King.
This wasn't because Prince Doran favored boys over girls. Dorne had always been a very open place, and the Rhoynar's idea of gender equality had always been present.
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