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Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 15 chapters ahead
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—
Blackwater Bay
Northeast of Stokeworth
7 BAC
Dawn of the First Day of the New Year
Six thousand cavalry stood before her, arrayed according to the strategy the lords and the queen had agreed upon.
Two thousand and four hundred of the cavalry were arrayed in three equal forces, led by Lords Grandison, Rogers, and Mertyns.
They had moved in the cover of the night to surround the camp from the north, south, and west to cut off escape routes when the main force, consisting of two waves of one and a half thousand heavy cavalry, hit the camp.
Once the two waves were done with their assault, the footmen would move in to clean up any survivors, with the lighter cavalry surrounding the escape routes, ready to put down any stragglers to inflict maximum casualties on the Ironborn.
The marcher lords, being the expert archers, would be in charge of the archers, while Ei, her father, and half the lords would move with the first wave. The remaining lords would charge with the second wave.
There was even a fight over it, with every lord requesting to join the first wave for glory. In the end, she had drawn lots to decide who would be the first ones to go.
And as the first rays of the sun were seen, Ei gave the order, "Archers, fire."
The order was carried, and the men in charge of the order flags waved the large white banner with a bow and arrow in the middle.
At six hundred and fifty feet range, the archers began to fire onto the unsuspecting Ironborn camp, and Ei gave her next order. "First wave, charge!" She spurred her horse forward, and the men waved the blue flag with the horse sigil to signify the start of the assault.
When the first wave had reached the boundaries of the camp, the second wave would charge, and the Ironborn would have no time to organize and put up a resistance. If they were not routed by the cavalry charge, the footmen would solve it, and any enemy that tried to escape from the east, the direction of their assault, would find six hundred cavalry in reserve waiting with the archers.
For the first four thousand five hundred and fifty feet, the charging cavalry gained momentum while the camp was showered with arrows. The last hundred feet, the archers stopped, and the enemy could only return sporadic, uncoordinated fire.
Horses galloped at full speed now, and Ei was the first to reach the camp, swinging her naginata twice.
In Westeros, baggage trains were used to surround camps as a defensive measure against any surprise cavalry attack, and while the Ironborn were more seafaring warriors, they had adapted enough to know the value of this tactic.
But they weren't adapted enough to surround the camps with stakes, which offered greater defense.
The first swing was to the right, sending the baggage trains flying away, along with dozens of Ironborn, and the second was to the left, doing the same and giving her cavalry a clear path to the camp.
Ei herself did not bring a lance and was content to use Engulfing Lightning to strike left and right, each attack slaying more than one Ironborn.
Lances struck the panicked Ironborn, who were mostly caught in their tents and scrambled to do anything, only to see the charging cavalry and try to run away in fear.
Horses, weighing more than thirty stones with their riders by Westerosi measurements, trampled tents and men alike, and their impact alone was enough to kill.
The horses slowed as they approached the other end of the baggage fortress, with Ei clearing the way again, and just as the first wave left the camp in ruins, the second wave entered through the hole she had created earlier, subjecting the routed Ironborn to the same assault.
The first wave slowed down, as pushing the horses any further wasn't wise, and went to join the surrounding forces waiting for the Ironborn routers.
The second wave wasn't too far behind and followed the same plan.
Footmen had followed the second wave of cavalry and were sweeping the Ironborn camp, forcing them to run right into the lances and arrows of the surrounding forces.
—
Lord Wystan Steadmon pushed Vickon Greyjoy on his knees before the queen.
They had caught Vickon while trying to run north towards Harrenhal. The Ironborn bastard had given them a good chase before an arrow felled his horse, sending him tumbling down.
"What are our losses?" Even with a shock and awe attack, losses were inevitable, especially among the cavalry.
"Less than five hundred, Your Excellency."
Ei nodded. That was less than ten percent of the total cavalry they had. "And the Ironborn?"
Her father came forward, a pleased look on his face. "So far we have caught over a thousand prisoners; none are highborn, and even fewer made it out of our encirclement."
Rough numbers, but a more precise count would take time, and the Ironborn wasn't worth the effort. "Around eight thousand or more dead, then."
Lord Symond, who was with the second wave, confirmed it. "That is our count as well, Your Excellency."
"Send out riders to hunt down any stragglers, and burn the Ironborn corpses before they rot and a disease breaks out." Any other enemy, she would have let them be buried by their customs, but as the Ironborn were no better than pirates, she did not care at all.
Vickon wasn't pleased by her words, however. "You bitch! You won't be this lucky against King Harren."
An electro orb struck the Greyjoy patriarch, causing his muscles to contract in pain and knocking him out. "How uncouth." Ei turned to Lord Wystan. "Make sure he does not escape. I need him and all other prisoners alive for now."
Lord Staedmon nodded, nervous at what he had just witnessed, and was glad for the chance to leave. "Yes, Your Excellency."
"What are you going to do with him?" Vickon was the head of the second strongest house of the Iron Islands. Ransoming him would bring good coin.
"Harrenhal will be barred to us, and I intend to exchange every prisoner I have for the hostages and slaves the Hoares keep." She would rather not kill any hostages, and whoever holds Harrenhal after Harren himself dies would have to negotiate.
"Order the men to salvage what they can from the camp, especially horses and carts, and have the wounded carried to Duskendale for healing. We will not be wasting time by having them treated at the camp. The host will rest for today and march tomorrow morning." Time was of the essence to catch Harren, and the wounded could receive better care at a city like Duskendale.
"Yes, Your Excellency." They all spoke at the same time, leaving the tent to carry out their orders again, this time with the comfort brought by triumph.
The new year had started with a great victory for the Storm Kingdom.
—
The enemy camp was raided for supplies and anything valuable. While food, arms, and other supplies were in abundance, valuables were not since the Ironborn hosts were built for rapid movement.
Ei had ordered double rations and the looted alcohol to be distributed to increase the morale over the lackluster loot.
With the wounded carried out on carts to Duskendale, all that was left to do was to gather the bodies in a massive pyre, which took most of the afternoon.
More than eight thousand bodies weren't easy to pile together.
Setting the Ironborn corpses on fire, the dead of the Storm Kingdom were gathered to be buried, with the Septon leading the funeral processes.
Ei could not do anything for the dead in the afterlife, but she made sure each and every dead person was recorded so their families could receive aid for the contributions of the deceased.
—
Hayford
From the trees, well-hidden figures watched Harren "the Black" Hoare's host cross into the lands of House Hayford.
The Shadow Archers, as the ragtag bunch of commoners, knights, and even some second- and third-born sons called themselves, have been shadowing Harren's movements ever since the word of war between the Ironborn and the Storm Kingdom had reached them.
They knew the Ironborn had split in two for a surprise attack on Queen Argella's host—and wasn't that truly weird for the men to hear, King Argilac suddenly giving up his throne for his sorcerer daughter—and petitioned their leader to go and inform the Durrandons.
But their leader, called simply Hunter, for she did not give her name, claimed that Queen Argella would not be caught unaware and refused to send anyone out.
How she knew the Sorcerer Queen of the Storm Kingdom, Hunter did not say.
But Shadow Archers did not just tail Harren.
At night, they assaulted the Ironborn camp, burned supplies and tents, and ran away before the Ironborn could even understand what had happened.
Slowly they chipped away at Harren's patience, leading him to send out riders, of which the Ironborn did not have many due to their seafarer ways. Shadow Archers usually ambushed the riders, taking away their horses and possessions to trade for supplies.
They had even managed to take Harren's second son, Hasper, prisoner after ambushing his party near the border with the Kingdom of the Rock.
"What is the plan now?"
Her voice was fair but also commanding, an unusual mix. "The same as it has been. We harass Harren's host and soften them for the killing blow. With the Greyjoy host defeated, the Ironborn rule over the Riverlands is almost over."
"How can you know that?" The Shadow Archers had merchants and other people disposed to their cause inform them of anything important in the Riverlands and beyond, but none had sent any messages, to his knowledge.
A satisfied smile could be seen under her hood. "A little bird told me."
There was a harsh caw, and Robbard lifted his head to see a crow circling overhead.
—
The Kingdom of the Rock
Lannisport
King Loren watched from his far eye as the Ironborn fleet sailed eerily close to Lannisport, but he knew his lands weren't the target.
No, that pleasure belonged to the Storm Kingdom.
"My King, perhaps we should consider an alliance with House Durrandon? This would be a great chance to push the Ironborn out of the Riverlands." Tybald Lannister, Lord of Lannisport, advised the King of the Rock with a reserved look on his face.
King Loren was quite displeased at the fortunes of House Durrandon and its vassals, as it harmed the interests of the Kingdom of the Rock.
"What do I care if my enemies slaughter each other? Let the Storm Kingdom and the Ironborn fight; we will be the ones that come out better off." If the Ironborn won, they would be too weak to push into anywhere.
But if the Storm Kingdom won, they too would be too weak to do anything but try to salvage the Riverlands ravaged by the Ironborn for three generations to compete with Lannisport.
"Because of these Iron Works?"
"Yes." The wondrous invention of Argella Durrandon had cut down on the business the blacksmiths of Lannisport received, which meant it hurt Lorren's coffers. They had picked up orders again once Weeping Town and the Blackforge Town on Parchments had turned their Iron Works to focus on the war, but no matter the outcome, things would soon go back to the way they were.
"Keep watch on the Ironborn and have our fleet ready to sail if there is any sign of attack."
"Yes, My King."
—
Ironborn Fleet
Coast of the Kingdom of the Rock
Qhorin Volmark watched the mighty, and more importantly, rich, Lannisport pass by.
What an opportunity it would have been to raid the wealthiest port in all of Westeros.
But alas, they had to sail to Riverlands, for their king, Harren, had summoned them for war against the Storm Kingdom.
Harwyn Hoare, grandfather to King Harren, had taken the Trident from the Durrandons, and now the grandson would finish what the first King of Isles and Rivers had started.
It would take them twenty days to reach Weeping Town to start raiding the Storm Kingdom, and while it wasn't a great target like Lannisport, rumors of how their coffers were brimming with silver had traveled like the wind.
And it was all theirs for the taking.