Chapter 119 - White Harbor (III)
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 06:48:11 +0000 UTC“I don't like being contrary, Prince Martell.” Aenar spoke, looking coldly at Oberyn Martell.
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New Castle - Home of House Manderly.
At the Triton Court dinner table, in the Great Hall where House Manderly held its feasts and celebrations, the atmosphere was lively and slightly noisy.
Observing his court gathered in the north, Aenar had a satisfied look on his face.
Sitting on the White Harbor Throne, Aenar chewed on a piece of sheep meat while declaring to everyone: “We'll stay a few days to let the Red Legion and the Sardaukar rest. Then we'll leave without delay for Moat Cailin, where we'll meet the rest of the army.”
“The food and weapons are ready to sustain a war for a year, as Your Grace ordered before leaving for Westeros.” Oberyn informed, making Aenar nod in satisfaction.
Honestly, this amount of food and weapons was far from the total accumulated by the Red Faith over the last eight years. However, with the Long Night approaching, Aenar didn't want to waste food on a prolonged war.
He intended to end this war in at least a year and at most two. Even with dragons, conquest could not be rushed. He needed time to consolidate his rule in the Seven Kingdoms. After all, conquering wasn't just about taking land.
Dominating territories was easy; keeping them was difficult. Aenar needed to ensure that the nobles who submitted to him didn't betray him as soon as he turned his back on them. It had taken Aegon the Conqueror years to stabilize his rule and he had had to deal with countless rebellions.
Compared to this, Aenar felt that his conquest was relatively simple. Aegon I and Jaehaerys I had already solved many of the structural problems for him. Now it was a matter of restoring House Targaryen to the throne of Westeros.
Of course, he would speed up the process by appointing some soldiers who had made conquest as the new nobility in Westeros, facilitating his rule over the Seven Kingdoms.
“Husband, Daenerys has left for Dragonstone with twenty ships and the Sardaukar.” Visenya commented with a helpless tone, acting as if she was defenseless in the face of her younger sister's reckless choices.
Rhaella gave her eldest daughter a disgruntled look and snorted coldly. She was unhappy that Visenya had put all the blame on Daenerys, when Visenya herself had supported Daenerys.
Aenar rolled his eyes when he heard this. He realized that his queen had become more cunning in the time they had been apart. Using his Prescience, he clearly saw the moment when Visenya sided with Daenerys in the argument with Rhaella.
“Don't worry about her. She's already conquered Dragonstone and made almost every lord in Blackwater Bay bend the knee to her on my behalf.” Aenar said in a casual tone, but anyone could sense the pride in his voice. He was obviously pleased that Daenerys had conquered and helped conquer House Targaryen.
The king's words made everyone look at him in surprise. No one expected Daenerys to conquer Dragonstone so quickly. After all, this was the fortress of Stannis Baratheon, King Robert's brother and one of the main nobles in charge of the Royal Fleet of House Baratheon.
The island was, in practice, a naval fortress full of warships. How Daenerys had taken Dragonstone with only twenty ships and a dragon was a question on Oberyn's mind and that of everyone present.
“The Baratheon Fleet is in King's Landing, ready to set sail for Lannisport, where it will join the House Lannister Fleet in besieging High Garden. There were few defenders in Dragonstone, and the nobles of Blackwater Bay stayed behind, fearing that Fleet Redwyne would attack King's Landing.” Sensing the confusion in the eyes around him, Aenar answered everyone's questions naturally.
Aenar's words caused everyone to display satisfied expressions. Taking Dragonstone and securing the loyalty of the Noble Houses of Blackwater Bay meant that they had free passage to besiege King's Landing whenever they wanted. In addition, they had managed to steal a considerable part of House Baratheon's fleet.
“When war breaks out in the next few days, I'll go to the Vale and make the lords submit. House Arryn will bend the knee.” Aenar declared, his voice firm and commanding.
“Meanwhile, Rhaenys and Visenya will leave for the Riverlands to accept the oaths of the lords of the region and guarantee our authority, while awaiting my return from the Vale.” He gave Visenya and Rhaenys a serious look, making it clear that he would use the Dragon Riders of House Targaryen in full force.
“You two have my permission to burn and destroy any Noble House that refuses to bow.” His voice took on a cold, authoritative tone. “Furthermore, I authorize you to appoint new lords and grant land to soldiers who demonstrate valor.”
Those words made Visenya and Rhaenys' eyes sparkle with satisfaction. Neither of them had expected to take part in the war so soon, let alone receive so much power. Aenar had practically handed the Riverlands over to them to conquer.
However, before any of them could express their elation, he added with a sharp look: “But you must not move against Riverrun. House Tully is mine to destroy.”
Aenar turned to Rhaella, his voice laden with authority.
“I want Harrenhal as a fortress to contain threats from the Western Lands. I will entrust that task to my grandmother.” He paused briefly, before adding: “Queen Rhaella will have the same powers as Visenya and Rhaenys.”
In conventional armies, fighting on so many fronts could be a strategic mistake, weakening the forces by dispersing them. However, with dragons, few problems couldn't be solved with dragon fire.
Rhaella was surprised by the appointment. She genuinely hadn't expected to be mobilized for war, but a sense of satisfaction quickly overcame her. The fate of House Targaryen was being played out on the battlefield, and she would not stand idly by while her family fought to regain its throne.
“Who will be Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, husband?” asked Visenya, intrigued. Knowing that House Tully would be destroyed, she wanted to know who would take their place; after all, the Riverlands couldn't be without rulers.
It wasn't just her curiosity. Oberyn and Rhaella also turned their gazes to Aenar, attentive. After all, this was no ordinary fiefdom, but one of the Seven Kingdoms.
Aenar, however, answered naturally, without caring about the impact of his words: “House Targaryen will rule the Riverlands.”
Oberyn and Wyman's eyes widened in surprise. Aenar's decision broke a centuries-old tradition. One of the reasons Aegon I had managed to subjugate the Seven Kingdoms with relative ease was that he had allowed the kingdoms to continue with regional laws and customs. But Aenar saw this as a mistake.
The truth was that, even after centuries of Targaryen rule, the Seven Kingdoms were still Seven Kingdoms, not a single united kingdom.
For Aenar, this system of power was similar to that of the Holy Roman Empire, where an emperor was elected by the kingdoms, but each still maintained its own autonomy, laws and customs.
The only difference was that House Targaryen could not be replaced by vote. Even so, in practice, Westeros was more like a confederation of interests than a truly unified nation.
Such a thing could not be considered serious in the eyes of House Targaryen, which still had dragons, but after House Targaryen lost the dragons, they had nowhere near half the power they had when they had dragons.
Without dragons, the weapon to destroy any rebellion, the Seven Kingdoms became a hidden danger that all the Targaryen Kings feared would one day explode at once. Which proved to be true with the rebellion fourteen years ago.
Do you think that if Aerys II Targaryen had a dragon the size of Caraxes, the rebellion would have happened?
Most likely, Aerys would have suffered the same fate as Maegor the Cruel.
Oberyn opened his mouth to reply, trying to persuade the king to reconsider his decision. However, as soon as Aenar's cold eyes fell on him, the Red Serpent closed his mouth immediately.
The silence that followed was heavy.
“Prince Oberyn,” Aenar's voice was soft but laden with veiled menace, ”I don't like to be contradicted.”
He brought the wine glass to his lips, without looking away from Prince Martell's expression. “If you are dissatisfied with my decisions, the door is open. You can return to the comfort of the Old Palace at Sunspear whenever you wish.”
There was a calm, indifferent tone to his words, as if losing a talented general like Oberyn was irrelevant. If necessary, he could simply train Titus and Sigismund to take his place.
Oberyn held the king's gaze for a brief moment before lowering his head, a controlled smile playing on his lips.
“I apologize, Your Grace.” He bowed elegantly, his voice as smooth as silk. “I misspoke.”
Aenar kept her gaze on him for a few more seconds, assessing. Then he nodded, smiling again as if nothing had happened.
Comments
Jarod lane
Thanks for the chapters!
