If you stop to throw stones at every barking dog, you'll never reach your destination.
Aegor acquiesced to Asha's decision and her plan to assassinate Euron. In a way, the Ironborn weren't entirely wrong in thinking he had instructed her. Being countered by an opponent he hadn't even met, slapped in the face from afar, and given a harsh warning felt terrible, but Aegor didn't lose his composure. He had worked hard to persuade Daenerys to distinguish between primary and secondary contradictions back in Winterfell, so he couldn't become a negative example now. After noting this silent loss and swallowing it temporarily, he continued carrying out his plan step by step.
The drinking agreement with Tyrion had ended abruptly due to the unexpected attack. Fortunately, Aegor had already completed all of his strategic objectives in the Riverlands and Westerlands. From that perspective, calling this western campaign a great victory would not be an exaggeration. By now, among the forces north of King's Landing, the North and Riverlands had surrendered, and the Westerlands had been intimidated. Only the Vale still refused to declare its stance. The carrier ravens sent flew into the sea like clay oxen, and the diplomatic envoys sent for negotiation were all turned away. House Arryn neither declared allegiance nor openly opposed, seemingly determined to stay neutral.
On this matter, Aegor's policy was: postpone negotiations for now and deal with them after taking King's Landing.
The Vale was not the Westerlands. Its inherent strength was limited. Its nominal ruler, Robert Arryn, was still a boy and incapable of handling affairs. His guardian, Brynden Tully, the Blackfish, was notoriously stubborn and cautious. With a young lord, a suspicious realm, and their two traditional allies already loyal to Daenerys, they had no motive to pick a fight.
Although the analysis was thorough, the real reason Aegor gave up on forcing the Vale to join was far more practical: the first-generation cannons couldn't do anything against natural fortresses like the Bloody Gate.
Rather than mobilizing a large force to march to the foot of the Bloody Gate, wasting time and Powder without intimidating the enemy, it was better to simply adopt another approach—win on the main battlefield, make the outcome clear, and force the fence-sitters to pick a side.
...
Half a month after dividing his forces at Caitlin Bay, Aegor, who had deviated from the main route of the southern campaign, finally returned to the correct path. Galloping south, he arrived outside King's Landing, moving from the edge of the world to the turbulent center of the Seven Kingdoms.
Since he had already sent word, he didn't bother contacting Daenerys directly, instead heading straight for the Industrial Park, which he hadn't seen in a long time. The Queen could arrive in moments, riding her dragon to meet the Gift Army. As for him, he was already impatient to retake control of the long-unseen industrial town and quickly grasp the source of his confidence to stand against all the nobles of the world.
After making contact with the patrol soldiers loyal to Daenerys on the outskirts and verifying their identities, the allied army passed through the defenses and entered the Industrial Park.
This small city never failed to surprise him. Blackwall Keep, which had startled Aegor last time, still stood in the center of the area. Apart from the crimson three-headed dragon banners scattered on the walls, it looked no different than before. However, the vast area surrounding it had undergone earth-shattering changes. The originally scattered and well-planned factory buildings and sheds had become continuous military camps. The fences that previously only guarded against theft had been transformed into sturdy wooden walls three to four meters high. Outside the walls were chevaux de frise, while inside, soldiers in black armor drilled and patrolled. Black and red military banners fluttered in the wind, and the grim atmosphere, heavy with the scent of war, seemed almost tangible.
The Unsullied centurion stationed here, known as "Alligator Turtle," came out with Nina to greet him.
When Aegor had pledged allegiance to Daenerys, one of his conditions was to station troops here, to prevent Stannis from retaliating by leveling the Industrial Park. For that single promise, there were now two thousand Unsullied, three thousand Free Company soldiers, and several hundred Night's Watch logistics guards stationed here. Adding the Industrial Park workers and their families, there were well over ten thousand people living in the area. It was no exaggeration to call it a neutral military stronghold. The Industrial Park and the siege camp north of King's Landing echoed one another, forming a pincer formation. Along with House Targaryen's fleet in the bay, the Golden Company and the Reach forces south of the Blackwater River, they collectively formed the siege around King's Landing. Even with wings, Stannis would find it impossible to escape.
With Daenerys's prior orders, the garrison here already knew who Aegor was, and understood that as long as the Queen and Grey Worm were absent, he was the highest-ranking officer. They led him toward the central Blackwall Keep while answering his questions.
"Where is Her Grace now?"
"In Rosby," replied Alligator Turtle. As a commander, he could speak the common tongue fluently. "Our forces at King's Landing haven't yet gained overwhelming advantage over the defenders. To avoid the risk of a surprise attack threatening Her Grace's safety, Grey Worm persuaded her to stay away from the front lines."
Aegor nodded approvingly. Just as fighter jets shouldn't land in combat zones, it was wise for Daenerys and her dragon, as air power, to retreat slightly. Though Rosby was half a day's journey from King's Landing, it was only a matter of minutes for a flying dragon. Daenerys's safety had greatly increased, but the threat to Stannis remained unchanged.
"Mm. Send word to Her Grace and inform her I've arrived at the Industrial Park with the army and await her orders."
---
King's Landing was close at hand. Aegor could see its outline just by standing on tiptoe. If he wished, and was willing to pay the price, he could attack and enter before nightfall and spend the night in the Red Keep.
But he wouldn't. Taking King's Landing was only the first stage of the strategy he had presented to Daenerys. After that, he still had to deal with the Golden Company, the Reach, and Dorne, as well as guard against potential interference from the Free Cities. The army Daenerys brought from Meereen, excluding the sailors, included five thousand Unsullied and just over ten thousand Free Company soldiers, totaling no more than sixteen thousand. His own northern allied army—consisting of the Gift, North, and Riverlands—amounted to roughly the same number. This meant Daenerys's total military strength under her direct command was just over thirty thousand.
But that was the total. In reality, a portion of those forces were tied down elsewhere.
On Daenerys's side, even ignoring Dragonstone Castle, the military port required a garrison. Fortresses like Rook's Rest and Whispers on the Crab Claw Peninsula, and cities like Duskendale and Rosby in the heart of the Crownlands also needed some soldiers to maintain control. On Aegor's side, he had ordered part of the Riverlands army, led by House Tully, to merge with Bolton's forces, forming a combined force of six thousand feudal troops to jointly hold the line at Earl Harroway and Harrenhal, while also patrolling the King's Road from Caitlin Bay to King's Landing.
This arrangement was not only to separate the rival houses of Stark and Bolton to prevent infighting. In truth, this force had an even heavier burden than the main force besieging King's Landing. Years of war had left the Riverlands and Crownlands full of refugees and bandits. To keep the logistics route from the North and Riverlands to the southern expedition clear, the grain and fodder promised by the lords, and the cannons being continuously cast in Crown Town, had to reach the front lines without delay. Troops were needed to ensure the safety of these supply lines.
Moreover, these few thousand soldiers carried another critical responsibility: vigilance and containment. Aegor judged that the Westerlands and the Vale would not send troops, but a judgment was still just a judgment. If Tywin Lannister didn't believe in the power of Powder, or the Regent of the Vale suddenly went mad and chose to support Stannis, then with the reconnaissance and interception provided by this force, at least the troops attacking King's Landing wouldn't find themselves flanked.
These men might either enjoy a relatively easy time escorting goods or be thrown into desperate battles with little chance of survival. It was precisely for this reason Aegor placed Bolton, who was slightly more reliable, in charge of this route. One could imagine, if the Blackfish led the Vale cavalry south to support Stannis, and Robb was sent to intercept, the great-uncle and nephew might conspire together, and the latter might even defect, attacking the Gift army from behind.
Cautious arrangements naturally had no major flaws, but the result was that the available forces on the main battlefield were compressed to twenty-five thousand. These were the true elite core, loyal troops who could be used until they aged and retired. Throwing them recklessly into a direct assault on King's Landing would result in heavy losses, making it difficult to sustain the second phase of operations.
Aegor not only hoped to take King's Landing with minimal casualties, but also needed to drive back the Golden Company and the Reach forces south of the Blackwater River before launching a full assault. The armies of Aegon and House Tyrell had, in the early stages, indeed distracted Stannis and tied down some of his forces, indirectly protecting the Industrial Park. That could not be denied. But Aegor wasn't so grateful as to accept them sitting by during the most critical moment of his siege on King's Landing. As another powerful claimant to the Iron Throne, the Golden Company supporting "the Prince" would certainly not stand idle while Daenerys took the capital and gained a legitimate advantage.
Whether they launched a surprise assault to seize the Red Keep first, or turned hostile and attacked the siege camps and rear, neither scenario was a risk Aegor was willing to take.
Thinking of this, Aegor turned his head and asked, "Aegon and House Tyrell must have already requested an audience with Her Grace, right? When has she set the meeting?"
Alligator Turtle opened his mouth but didn't speak. Instead, after exchanging a glance with Nina, she answered.
"Uh… My Lord, Her Grace met with them here a week ago."
(To be continued.)
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