As the first human force to engage the Gifted Army in open battle, the Golden Company’s performance was commendable—perhaps even exceptional. But it mattered little, for they were not facing the shielded infantry they had imagined. Instead, they had run headfirst into Westeros’ first-ever grenadier corps.
Cannons...
Aside from two younger war elephants nearly losing their footing as they stepped onto the dry riverbed, everything proceeded according to plan. Ten hundred-man units surged out from their staging area, converging from multiple angles on the Gifted Army’s small beachhead.
Their formation might have seemed chaotic from...
For most of the year, the swift currents of the Blackwater made it impossible to build pontoon bridges. But in the depths of winter, with the upper tributaries frozen over, the river’s water level and speed had dropped significantly, making an otherwise infeasible operation entirely possible.
Three medium-sized vesse...
Putting down the finely crafted, undoubtedly expensive Myrish lens, Harry Strickland—leader of the Golden Company, known as "Homeless Harry"—let out a sigh. The breath turned to mist in the frigid air.
That sigh carried two emotions.
The first was admiration.
Admiration for the black-clad army assembl...
War is like a game of chess. Until the final battle’s last engagement is fought, a commander’s orders remain crucial in shaping its outcome.
Though the war itself was between Aegon Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen, today’s battle was a match between Aegor West, the Night’s Watch Lord Commander, the White Walker...
Spring thunder?
That was the first thought of the quickest-witted among them.
Every year, at the brief turning of the seasons before summer, the warming, humid air clashed with the lingering cold currents, creating violent vertical convection that birthed towering storm clouds and unleashed rolling thunder.
<...
Seven save me, what kind of foolish woman lets her mind wander during her own wedding?
Margaery cursed herself inwardly, relieved that her father’s timely call had prevented her from making a spectacle of herself. Most guests hadn’t noticed her momentary lapse. This wasn’t her first wedding—after a quick curtsy...
From miles away, the plumes of smoke rising from King Aegon’s campfires could be seen. They were countless, in the hundreds or thousands, stretching skyward before tilting slightly under the wind’s influence, like a sprawling, slanted white forest growing along the banks of the Blackwater River. The entire southern sky ov...
2025-01-29 17:55:45 +0000 UTC View PostMake a decision?
Princess Arianne feigned a thoughtful expression, but in truth, her mind was blank, and she was panicking inside.
She had come north expecting to dip her toes into the game—only to have the entire pot of stew handed to her outright. She was completely overwhelmed.
Sunspear and Highgarde...
The Free Folk think the Gift and the North are the South, while the Dornish believe the Stormlands and King’s Landing are too far north. Is this not a perfect example of cultural and perceptual diversity?
Aegor chuckled and turned swiftly on his heel. “Of course, allow Blackwall Keep to extend its hospitality to yo...
With both Daenerys and Aegor arriving outside King’s Landing and meeting separately with Young Aegon and Margaery, the long-standing three-way stalemate across the Blackwater was finally broken and reshaped.
The day after the Night’s Watch had angered the "Little Rose" into storming back to the Reach’s camp in a ...
Ironborn?
But wasn’t Blackwater Bay under blockade by Daenerys’s fleet stationed at Dragonstone? How did they get in?
The same doubt flashed through the minds of both Stannis and Davos, but neither voiced it. The reason was simple: their very acquaintance stemmed from Davos’s daring feat during the darkest...
Night fell, and the entire city of King’s Landing plunged into a deathly darkness and silence.
To prevent fires, deter theft, and guard against infiltration or sabotage by spies, enforcing a curfew during times of siege was a standard practice that required no further explanation. However, Stannis had an additional c...
This is bad!
Margaery’s heart sank, realizing she had made a grave mistake.
Why did she have to bring up Aegon’s proposal?
She wanted to slap herself. She had already sensed things were going awry and knew she should have left earlier. But instead of retreating, she had let her pride get the better of...
Myrcella, seated nearby, approached promptly. She carefully set down her ever-present clipboard, flipped through a few pages with practiced ease, and drew out a stack of documents—not too thick, not too thin—which she placed in front of Margaery.
Margaery’s eyes widened as she took the documents. She instinctivel...
Margaery Tyrell’s visit to Aegor was not about siding with the Queen—it was quite the opposite.
Aegon Targaryen had already sent envoys to propose a marriage alliance with the Tyrells. Their respective camps were just a few miles apart, making negotiations swift and convenient. After a brief discussion, Mace Tyrell...
Margaery Tyrell was in a good mood—so good that even being ignored by Aegor didn’t bother her.
Because she could feel it: the Tyrells’ three centuries of humiliation were finally coming to an end.
In Westeros, there was an unspoken truth that everyone knew but few dared to discuss openly. The current ruler...
"Margaery Tyrell?" Aegor raised an eyebrow, letting out a small chuckle. "Not now. Once I’m finished with my work and have the time, perhaps."
Was the Little Rose a friend?
Judging by her involvement with the Night’s Watch industrial ventures after he’d left King’s Landing for the Wall—her frequent dea...
“She met with him?!” Aegor jolted, his expression changing sharply.
There are advantages to being the subordinate: someone else takes the lead, bears the banner, and absorbs all the political heat. You can avoid being the focal point of scrutiny or accusations.
But the disadvantage is equally clear: the subo...
If you stop to throw a stone at every barking dog, you’ll never reach your destination.
Aegor had allowed Asha to attempt Euron’s assassination. From a certain perspective, it wasn’t entirely unfair for the Ironborn to assume she had acted under his orders. Being countered so thoroughly by an opponent he had neve...
Aegor hadn't expected Asha to suddenly snap and attack him.
But that didn’t mean he panicked.
From the moment he stepped beyond the bounds of the Night’s Watch and onto the treacherous stage of politics, he had known the path he walked was fraught with danger. He had prepared himself to offend powerful figur...
Explosions reach their full potential only in confined spaces, and such perfect conditions are rare on the battlefield. Aegor was, in truth, cheating—by carefully preparing the blast in advance, he had amplified the already terrifying power of gunpowder to achieve maximum intimidation.
The same amount of powder, if u...
“Aegor, you’re making this incredibly difficult for me.” Tyrion sighed, exasperated. “Father agreed to let me negotiate with you because of our close relationship. He thought I had the best chance of striking a deal that both sides could accept. But now, with the Queen’s demands being so harsh, aren’t you forcing ...
2025-01-29 17:43:37 +0000 UTC View PostThis was a trap.
An obvious one.
The demand was excessive, yes—but considering that Tywin Lannister had indirectly orchestrated the deaths of countless Targaryens, it was at least understandable.
Tywin had spent decades breaking the Westerlands to his will, consolidating its wealth, and rebuilding its w...
"Seven save me, you run faster than a hound catching the scent of fresh meat!"
Had anyone else shouted that in public, Aegor might have taken offense. But coming from him…
"I only ran so fast because I missed you," Aegor shot back with a wry smile, accepting the less-than-flattering comparison. "And I see your...
Aegor had no intention of making martyrs of those who had lost kin fighting the White Walkers, but someone had to pay for their previous insolence—and for the gunpowder wasted by the Gifted Lands Army. After a round of negotiations, the final judgment was passed:
The former lord, Jason Mallister, was to abdicate in f...
By the banks of the Green Fork, beside a simple windbreak tent set up near a forest of swords, spears, and banners, Aegor stood with his hands behind his back, gazing calmly at the looming walls of the Twin Rivers Castle in the near distance. The stronghold, rising high in the open plains, stood as an imposing sentinel over t...
2025-01-29 17:42:03 +0000 UTC View PostUnable to lose face, the gathered lords had no choice but to begrudgingly raise their contributions, not to outshine or crush the others, but at least to avoid looking too miserly in comparison. This house added a bit more, that one followed suit... and as the saying went, many hands made light work. Before long, Daenerys had...
2025-01-29 17:41:40 +0000 UTC View PostNot only would he have to empty his coffers to provide grain and military supplies, but he’d also be thrown to the front lines as cannon fodder?
This was...
This was outright bullying!
Roose Bolton nearly slammed the table in fury. The pale, expressionless face that rarely betrayed emotion now showed a ...
"Don't rush—this is only the first step in breaking the stalemate. Next, Lord Bolton, you'll need to guard against the Starks and the other Northern families," Aegor said, glancing toward the lively gathering of Northern lords. Some of them were already casting curious looks in his direction, noting his private conversation...
2025-01-29 17:40:54 +0000 UTC View Post
