The twenty thousand troops of the Vale lords managed to survive in the early stages by relying on King Aegon and the dwarf to airdrop military provisions.
Once they neared Blackwater Bay, supplies were shipped in by sea from Dragonstone.
But the Vale lords had ceased to swear loyalty to King Aegon, so the grain from Dragonstone naturally stopped coming as well.
With no food to eat, the Vale army could only sustain itself by raiding the nobles of the Crownlands.
This time, however, things were different. The Vale lords had just left Rosby and were far too close to King's Landing, only a little over a hundred kilometers away.
The Iron Throne was not short of troops. How could it possibly allow the Vale army to plunder its own direct vassals?
Moreover, the Crownlands nobility had been thoroughly enraged.
When Cersei secretly had the High Sparrow killed earlier, hadn't Euron led the Ironborn and tens of thousands of Reach troops away from King's Landing?
At that time, the Vale lords were very much like the Northern infantry legion that had been betrayed and destroyed by Roose Bolton.
When Robb marched south, he split his forces at the Green Fork. He personally led the Northern cavalry to relieve Riverrun, while Roose Bolton commanded the Northern infantry and fought Tywin's main force by the Green Fork.
With the Warrior himself seemingly possessing him, Robb not only lifted the siege of Riverrun, but also captured Jaime, crippled the Lannister army, and even pushed close to the lion's den itself.
Yet under such favorable circumstances, Roose Bolton played his dirty trick. He deliberately violated Robb's order to hold Harrenhal and instead incited the Northern nobles to march south into the Crownlands to loot gold and seize women.
Bolton then led his own house troops to garrison Harrenhal, coldly watching as the other Northern lords crossed thousands of kilometers and plunged deep into the heart of the Crownlands.
They did indeed seize vast wealth and women, but the Northerners' actions completely enraged the Crownlands lords.
After Randyll Tarly led the Reach armies into the Crownlands, those Northerners were trapped in layer upon layer of encirclement, with nowhere to run, and were ultimately wiped out to the last man.
The Vale lords were now in much the same situation. If they were facing only the battered Crownlands lords, they would not have been afraid.
The problem was that Euron and Randyll Tarly were right on their heels.
The Iron Throne's forces were no fewer than those of the Vale lords, and with the support of the Crownlands nobility as well.
In the end, the combined Vale army repelled several waves of pursuing enemies, but found itself trapped and doomed in Duskendale.
The Iron Throne did not carry out a total massacre. After all, war exists to serve politics.
King's Landing needed only the Vale's submission.
Submission?
That was easy. We surrender. Long live Queen Cersei! Long live King Consort Euron!
Naturally, the Vale lords immediately prepared to surrender.
They did not even object when the Iron Throne demanded that every house send its heir to the Red Keep as a hostage.
Because sending hostages was a common practice in Westerosi politics.
For example, King Balon once sent his only son, Theon, to Winterfell as a foster son.
But soon enough, the Second Stag successfully stabbed the Vale in the back.
With the Bloody Gate standing in front of it, the Vale was nearly impossible to conquer from the land.
But the Vale faced the Narrow Sea and possessed a long coastline.
Back when the Andals conquered Westeros, their first step was landing on the Fingers of the Vale.
The Second Stag almost exactly repeated the Andals' tactics. He took Snakewood with little effort.
Having successfully picked the ripe fruit from the Ragged Prince and obtained thirty wyverns, the Second Stag captured the Eyrie overnight, then attacked from back to front the next day and easily seized the Bloody Gate.
From that point on, the Vale fell into the Second Stag's control.
The situation changed so quickly that when the Vale lords trapped in Duskendale received the news, they were left staring in shock, utterly at a loss.
It was precisely at such a moment that the Hand of the King, Davos, rose from being a prisoner at the bottom of the steps to becoming an honored guest at Bronze Yohn's table.
"We sided with Aegon Targaryen, and then we came here. Aegon died, and then we planned to side with the Lannisters, or the Greyjoys?
Now the Iron Throne is occupied by a lion or a kraken. Who knows?
At this very moment, perhaps we must change sides again and throw in our lot with the Baratheons. Lord Hand, please convince me that I did not make the wrong choice."
Bronze Yohn's expression was bitter, and his words were blunt.
"Lord Royce, just as you said, right now no one even knows whether the Iron Throne should bear the name Lannister or Greyjoy.
Every upright knight should feel heartache for the chaos afflicting the Seven Kingdoms today, and every noble of honor bears a responsibility to change it.
Every Westerosi with integrity cannot deny the fact that King Stannis is the only lawful heir of King Robert."
Davos's voice was filled with sincere emotion, and his heartfelt words truly touched Bronze Yohn's heart.
Yes, Westeros had become utterly rotten, so rotten that this old man was beginning to miss the Mad King, Aerys.
Aerys was mad, so mad that the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms trembled in fear, terrified that they might draw his attention.
Yet in Aerys's time, the Seven Kingdoms were prosperous, granaries were full, and everyone revered the glorious spirit of chivalry.
Just think about it. Barristan, the White Bull, the Sword of the Morning, all those renowned "paragons of knighthood" shone brilliantly during Aerys's reign.
In that era of both spiritual and material abundance, everyone was filled with hope, believing that after the Mad King, the Seven Kingdoms would become even better.
No one could have imagined that twenty years later, the Seven Kingdoms would decay into such a state.
After a long while, Yohn awoke from his contemplation and said bitterly, "We want to pledge ourselves to the Dragon Queen. She is the best choice to pacify the chaos and restore proper order."
However, she refused to accept it.
We sent countless letters to Dragonstone, yet she was always unwilling to violate the sacred oath that "the one who ends the Long Night shall be king."
But the more unwilling she is to break her oath, the more I wish to swear my loyalty to her.
By the time he finished speaking, old Yohn's lips were trembling, and he was almost choking back tears of grievance.
The Onion Knight looked awkward. "The Dragon Queen is indeed a great queen, but the situation now is that you can only choose between Cersei, Euron, and His Grace Stannis.
By any comparison, His Grace Stannis is stronger than Cersei and Euron, isn't he?"
"Yes," Yohn admitted with difficulty.
"In that case, what are you still hesitating about?" Davos spread his hands and said as a matter of course. "Even children know to choose the best."
Bronze Yohn's brows twisted into an 'M' shape. His lips were tightly pressed together, and he said nothing.
"My lord, His Grace Stannis has already taken control of the Bloody Gate and sealed off the land routes into the Vale. He also has a massive wyvern corps. The troop transports floating at sea are nothing more than live targets for fire-oil bombs.
In other words, even if the Iron Throne were to exhaust all its strength, it still could not help you reclaim the Vale.
On the contrary, if the lords of the Vale swear fealty to His Grace Stannis, the power we would command at this moment would even surpass Aegon's true dragon alliance.
Thirty wyverns, combined with twenty thousand Vale troops, would be enough to achieve your original goal: taking King's Landing."
"Either become homeless strays, abandon your families and lands, and hide in King's Landing, living in constant fear; or, as liberators, conquer King's Landing amid the cheers of the people, holding your heads high and winning endless glory for yourselves and your houses."
Davos stared into Bronze Yohn's gray eyes and said softly, "My lord, is this choice really so difficult?"
"It is difficult, far too difficult. We have it far too hard." Bronze Yohn let two lines of old tears stream down his face and choked out, "Once-glorious Westeros has come to this, where even someone who abandons faith and commits kinslaying can become the foremost enlightened ruler of the realm. For nobles who cling to honor like us, it is far too hard."
If Stannis had been present, he would surely have flown into a rage. Davos, however, only forced a bitter smile. "My lord, you misunderstand.
His Grace Stannis believes in the Lord of Light, but that does not mean he forbids the Faith of the Seven. For example, I still follow the Seven.
And Renly, he—"
"That's enough. No need to explain." Bronze Yohn wiped the tears from his face and said in a muffled voice, "Some things we all understand perfectly well. Just as you said, Stannis is now the best choice. Even children know to choose the best."
"Hah, this 'best choice' is practically begging to run into the Others."
Several days later, in the present.
"I'm hesitating over whether to take King's Landing first."
Facing Jon, who had come to inquire, Stannis made no attempt to hide anything and explained why he had not immediately marched on King's Landing.
He stood before an enormous map of Duskendale, tapping it lightly with his finger. "At present, the Vale army is trapped inside the city. Euron and twenty-five thousand elite troops under Randyll Tarly are camped outside, in this area.
Before this, however, the lords of the Vale had already intended to surrender to the Iron Throne. Bronze Yohn went to Euron's camp and negotiated with him several times."
As he spoke, Stannis marked a cross on a spot in the enemy camp with a charcoal pencil.
"This is Euron's main headquarters. If I send the wyvern corps to launch a surprise attack and kill Euron along with the senior commanders from King's Landing, then have the Vale army charge out from the city to strike from within, how do you think the battle would turn out?"
Jon replied dryly, "Probably victory without defeat."
"Yes, victory without defeat." There was little joy on Stannis's face. He casually tossed the charcoal pencil onto the table, stood blankly before the map, ground his teeth for a moment, and murmured softly, "Kill Euron, drive back Randyll Tarly, and King's Landing will be right in front of us.
Only two hundred kilometers.
A wyvern needs just one hour. Riding at full gallop would take no more than half a day. In just one day, I could enter the Red Keep. I could ascend—"
Through the calm expression on the man's face, Jon could see the raging tides deep within his heart.
This king, who had pursued the Iron Throne for so many years, had never been so close to it.
So close it was within reach, there for the taking.
"Your Grace, the Iron Throne is indeed important, but the Others have already breached the Wall and are closing in on Winterfell.
When you first arrived at the Wall, you told me that a cart should not be placed in front of the horse.
You said that trying to save the realm by winning the throne was putting the cart before the horse, and that you should save the realm first, and thereby win the throne." Jon urged him with an earnestness he had never shown before.
"I… I haven't forgotten my responsibility." Stannis turned his head away, avoiding Jon's piercing gaze, and sighed. "Melisandre told me that I am not yet ready, that I am not a match for the Night King. She told me—"
After a brief pause, he continued, "King's Landing does not only have the Iron Throne. Perhaps I can issue commands from the Iron Throne, call on the lords of the Seven Kingdoms to heighten their defenses, and use the strength of the entire realm to establish second and third defensive lines.
Melisandre can also sacrifice Cersei. Perhaps she could even revive the demon dragon Vhagar."
Originally, Melisandre had agreed to go to Winterfell with Stannis. However, after receiving Davos's letter, she immediately changed her mind and urged Stannis to seize the Iron Throne first.
The benefits of taking King's Landing were simply too great. Even with his firm will, Stannis began to waver.
After hesitating for several days, the Dragon Queen did not see him arrive and grew anxious, so she sent Jon to press the matter.
At this moment, Jon felt immensely relieved that he had come. If he had arrived two days later and Stannis had already gone to King's Landing, it truly would have been too late.
"Your Grace, you may not yet know this, but the Umber stronghold of Hearthfire was breached by the Others three days ago. A town of fifteen thousand people fell within a single hour."
"One hour?" Stannis's face turned ashen.
(End of chapter)
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