Standing amidst the spray of the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen looked back at the steel giants trailing her fleet. She knew her wooden ships were no match for the Northern fleet. Though she longed to mount Drogon and seize Jason Liu then and there, the memory of the Iron Fleet's instantaneous destruction stayed her hand. She would not risk her people in a battle they could not win on the water.
When Kent delivered the invitation to board the Easter I, Daenerys's refusal was sharp and immediate. Kent expected as much; his duty was merely to present the offer. However, Varys, smelling the salt and the danger, feared that a flat rejection might provoke Jason into sinking them as he had the Ironborn.
The eunuch stepped forward with a practiced, soothing smile. "Sir Kent, our Queen is eager to discuss the future of the realm with King Jason. But the sea is an inconvenient place for such a meeting. Why don't our fleets proceed to Blackwater Bay? We can set up our respective camps on land and then select a suitable meeting place outside the capital."
Kent could not decide such matters himself and returned to the Easter I to report the proposal. When Jason heard the terms, he chuckled with an air of indifference. "They're afraid I'll sink them if they step on board. No matter. Tell them I agree ." With the crushing power of his modern weaponry at his fingertips, Jason viewed any potential Targaryen schemes as mere jokes.
Relief swept through the Targaryen council when the reply came. They had no desire for a naval war against steel. Daenerys immediately ordered her fleet to full speed. "We must land as soon as possible! Once our army of one hundred thousand is on solid ground, we will no longer have to fear the North's warships!"
The Targaryen vessels raised every sail and pushed their oars to the breaking point. Behind them, Jason ordered his fleet to slow down, trailing far enough back to ease their tension but close enough to remain a looming presence. After an hour of tense sailing, the Targaryen host entered Blackwater Bay.
As soon as the prows touched the mud, the disembarkation began. Outside the Mud Gate of King's Landing, the landscape was a wasteland; Tywin Lannister had already cleared the trees and civilian hovels to deny the invaders cover.
High atop the city walls, Tywin Lannister, clad in his famous golden armor, stared gloomily at the hundreds of ships clogging the bay. He slammed his fist into the stone rampart. "Euron Greyjoy, that useless fool... his fleet has clearly failed."
Beside him, Mace Tyrell, his chubby face glistening with sweat under his silver rose-crested armor, shifted nervously. "Lord Tywin, we cannot simply watch the Targaryen girl bring her army ashore. Should we not sally out and attack?"
"It's too late, Lord Mace ," Kevan Lannister said, pointing to the dirt slopes where the first wave of Dothraki warriors had already formed a defensive line. "They were prepared. If we send our cavalry now, the Dothraki will carve them apart."
Tywin's plan remained firm: wait behind the high walls, let the Targaryen army bleed itself dry against the defenses, and only when their morale was shattered would the combined Lannister and Tyrell forces open the gates for a final, crushing counter-attack.
Suddenly, a deafening roar tore through the sky. The soldiers on the walls looked up in terror as three massive black shadows blotted out the sun.
"Dragons!" a voice screamed.
The legends had become a terrifying reality. Panic rippled through the city watch. "It's Aegon the Conqueror all over again !" one soldier cried. "We're finished!"
The residents of King's Landing retreated into their homes, peering through shutters and praying to the Seven that the fire would not find them.
Tyrion, standing near his father, looked at the chaos with growing anxiety on his scarred face. "We have to appease the men immediately, or the army will break before a single arrow is fired."
"Jaime," Tywin barked at his eldest son. "Take your best knights and get down there. Tell those idiots they are looking at three underage beasts that can be killed with a well-placed bolt. Go!"
Jaime Lannister nodded and descended into the city, his elite knights riding through the barracks to beat back the rising tide of cowardice.