Chapter 605

"Your Grace, the fleet at Dragonstone consists of: over thirty ships that Victarion Greyjoy brought from the Iron Islands to Meereen, the one hundred and five warships captured from the defeated Volantene fleet, and several dozen repurposed merchant vessels from Meereen that are barely combat-worthy. Since the Volantene ships are mostly large vessels, we surpass the Iron Fleet in total tonnage, but we are at a numerical disadvantage, and our crew quality is inconsistent."

The fleet's representative, a middle-aged man who looked nothing like a soldier, answered Aegor’s inquiry.

"Our sailors are mostly newly trained, mixed with some defectors and prisoners. They can sail, but in combat, their performance would be questionable at best. We could manage in a ranged naval battle, but if forced into boarding engagements, we’d be overwhelmed. Facing the Iron Fleet alone would be difficult enough—adding Stannis’s royal fleet makes victory even more unlikely. They may have fewer ships, but they are seasoned naval forces, and none of their vessels are small."

It was as Aegor had suspected—Daenerys’ so-called “fleet” was little more than an armed transport convoy. It was sufficient to ferry the Unsullied and the freedmen army from Meereen to Westeros, but in actual combat, it was barely a fighting force. In fact, the strongest component might well be the remnants of Victarion’s "Second Iron Fleet."

Blocking Stannis inside Blackwater Bay was possible. But in a full engagement against Euron Greyjoy’s personally led fleet?

There was a real chance they might turn their coats mid-battle.

Understanding the situation, Aegor cleared his throat, cutting through the overlapping voices of debate in the war council.

"Your Grace, even your own fleet commanders admit that our naval strength is no match for the Iron Fleet." Aegor turned to Daenerys, who was listening with a grim expression. "But the question that concerns me now is this—if Euron has already entered Blackwater Bay, why hasn’t he attacked Dragonstone?"

"If he wanted to cripple your fleet, he could have done so immediately by striking the port. Instead, he only attacked a single patrol ship—and even let two survivors go. Why?"
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"Obviously, it's a threat," said Oberyn Martell lazily, leaning back in his chair and tapping the table with his fingers. He offered his own romanticized guess.

"I heard Crow’s Eye once proposed marriage to Her Grace and was rejected. Could it be vengeance? A man scorned—if he can’t have her, he’ll make sure no one else does?"
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"He wants me? Fine!"

Daenerys’ temper flared.

"I’ll ride my dragon to Blackwater Bay myself tomorrow and show him exactly what a Targaryen woman’s passion looks like! Let’s see if the Ironborn have dragon-killing ballistae on their ships!"
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That wasn’t the point at all.

Aegor barely stopped himself from rubbing his temples. He quickly stepped in.

"We don’t know if they have ballistae or not, Your Grace," he cautioned, "but even if they don’t, regular artillery—scorpions, trebuchets—could still pose a threat. More importantly—we’re talking about hundreds of ships."

"Even if you could burn them all one by one, how long would that take? Days? Weeks? The idea that he’s trying to force a marriage is possible, but this move feels more like a display of power."

"He’s announcing his presence—making sure we know that the Iron Fleet is here and that they are not friendly."

"Is that how pirates behave?"
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"No," the fleet officer admitted, frowning.

"Pirates favor ambushes and swift strikes. They come and go with the tide. They don’t send warnings. What’s the point of raiding if you let your target prepare beforehand?"
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"Exactly."

Aegor exhaled sharply.

"Look at the Ironborn’s movements these past two years—the Reach, the Riverlands, the Westerlands, the North. They’ve raided everywhere but never fought a decisive battle. Why?"

"Because the Iron Islands are weak."

"They have numbers, but they cannot sustain losses. Every Ironborn who dies is one fewer raider, one fewer shipmate. They cannot afford a costly war. That’s why they never engage in full-scale battles."

"And now, they deliberately attack a patrol ship without hitting Dragonstone? That’s a warning."

"Euron wants us to be too afraid to use our navy. He wants to force us to assault King’s Landing purely from land, letting Stannis bleed us dry. That way, even if we take the city, we’ll be too weak to consolidate the realm—leaving us vulnerable and giving the Ironborn time to entrench their holdings."

"In other words, he’s playing the long game. He wants us weakened, so no one can challenge his rule over the seas."
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Robb Stark frowned.

"So you’re saying—if we don’t use our fleet, Euron won’t attack?"
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"That’s my personal assessment," Aegor admitted. "But I wouldn’t bet my life on understanding a madman’s mind. The fleet should stay on high alert."
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"If we can’t win a naval battle, then we should just ignore the sea and take King’s Landing by land," Arianne Martell suggested. "What’s the problem?"
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"It’s not that simple," said Torturer, an Unsullied officer.

"King’s Landing’s seaward walls are its weakest, while its landward walls are its strongest. If we abandon a naval assault, Stannis will move his ships into Blackwater Bay to reinforce the Iron Gate and Mud Gate. That means we’ll be forced to attack the most fortified sections of the city."

"We have the numbers advantage, but without surrounding the city, we can’t bring all our forces to bear. If we only attack from the west and north, we can’t even deploy all our siege engines. Meanwhile, the defenders can concentrate their forces."

"And more importantly—we will be forced into street-to-street combat."
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"If we breach the city from all sides, we can storm the Red Keep from every angle," the Unsullied continued. "But if we only attack from the west and north, the defenders can build barricades, layer their defenses, and retreat step by step toward the Red Keep."

"At that point, we won’t be storming a city—we’ll be fighting through a fortress within a fortress."
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"I cannot afford heavy losses in King’s Landing."

Daenerys cut off the discussion.

"I need a solution."
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The room fell into murmurs. Discussions swirled.

But no one could find an answer.

Slowly, one by one, they all turned to Aegor.
----


(Why is everyone looking at me? I know nothing about naval warfare!)

Aegor resisted the urge to groan.

This was the downside of reputation.

People expected him to always have an answer.

But his victories so far had come through preparation, through calculated risks, through exploiting every advantage he had.

This was not a battle he could cheat his way through.

Still—he couldn’t say that.

So, he pretended to think.

Then, after a pause, he offered two choices.
----


"Option one: We compromise. We abandon the naval assault, fortify Dragonstone’s fleet for defense, and find a way to take King’s Landing without massive losses."

"Option two: We strengthen the fleet, destroy the Iron Fleet, and wipe out every enemy at sea and on land."
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He let the words hang.

Then added:

"But if Your Grace chooses the second path, we will need time to prepare. And the longer we delay, the greater the risk of the Reach returning to the battlefield."
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Silence.

Then all eyes turned to Daenerys.

For the first time, hesitation flickered across her face.

And then—

A soft voice behind her spoke.

"Your Grace," Missandei said, "there is no rush."

"Tonight, we have won a great victory. Let the council disperse, enjoy the celebration, and rest. You can decide tomorrow."