Orys observed from horseback as the host of Gawen Gardener came into the view. Besides seeing the banners of Reach houses such as the three green oak leaves of House Oakheart, the golden tree of House Rowan, the apple of House Fossoway, and the red fox of House Florent, he could see the four sunbursts of House Kenning, the peacock of House Serrett, and the red lion of House Reyne. As Rhaenys told him, he looked upon possibly thirty thousand soldiers, all of them mounted on horseback and wearing a mixture of mail and plate armor. The knights only wore the latter, which could be recognized by him at that distance.
As for Orys, he held at his command eight thousand men, with the rest of the ten thousand holed up in both Rosby and Stokeworth. Besides Celtigar and Rahitheon footmen and Tarareon cavalry who were loaned to him, there were several men from the houses all over the Crackclaw Point, Massey, Bar Emmon, and a mixture of rivermen and northmen from small houses in each region who were able to be called upon. Supplementing their strength included the personal retainers of Lord Dondarrion, who had volunteered to fight alongside his lord paramount. I really should reward Blackhaven for having such a fine lord, he thought gratefully.
The quality of their weapons and armor varied with house and men, but they were all armed with a mixture of pikes, swords, axes, and bows. So naturally, the bowmen were placed in the rear line to afford the most protection from the enemy's advance. In addition, Orys had the men of the Cracklaw Point and other houses from around the Blackwater Bay who had managed to show up in formation right in front of the bowmen. Given that they demonstrated cravenness after their setback, it would take more than a few moons for him and the family to trust them again. They're in a place where they could do some actual good while also understanding what they have to do if they want to get back in our graces.
The second line of infantry was made up of the rivermen and northmen, all of whom participating under the orders of Lord Colren Blackwood and Lord Torrhen Stark, respectively. While he had no doubt of their loyalty, this was the first time that he was in command over them and thus had to see their combat abilities for himself. Hope Lords Stark and Blackwood don't take offense at that.
As for the vanguard, the Celtigar and Rahitheon footmen stood at attention, the latter given to him by Jaenyx in order to make his vassals as a precedent for the Master of War. Besides his brother the King, Orys was the senior commander over all troops and thus had authority over any sworn to fight for him. The Tarareons had grown used to fighting under Aegon and Orys since Rook's Rest, but there was still much work to be done.
The left and right wings of the army, right next to the infantry, were cavalry. The right wing consisted of the Tarareon horsemen supplemented by northern cavalry while the left wing included the retainers of Lord Dondarrion, who commanded it.
Lastly, at the rear were Orys and Quenton Qoherys, the latter of whom served as his second-in-command despite him teaching the sword years earlier.
As for the troops under Gawen Gardener, both could see that the second son of King Mern had positioned most of his Reachman cavalry in the center, which was flanked by the remainder of their mounted knights and the cavalry from the Rock. As expected, Gawen led from the front, with a green mantle attached to his shoulder while what appeared to be a green hand encrusted in emeralds was visible. He had his helm down and a greatsword still sheathed and attached to his horse. Ridiculous, he thought of the Gardener prince's gaudy appearance.
"You nervous, Lord Orys?" Quenton asked him.
"A little bit," he admitted. It was the first battle that he would fight without his two fingers on his left hand and while he could still use his right to swing Thunderfist, it would be a challenge nonetheless. He looked at his left hand, moving the three remaining fingers to see if they could be relied on.
"Good," the master-at-arms of Dragonstone answered.
"Good?" Orys looked at him in confusion.
"Means you can see what is ahead and that you must put in double the effort if you want to walk out of this alive," Quenton told him.
"Any advice, Quenton?"
"Just be patient and don't rush things just because you want to show the men that you can fight," he reminded his former pupil. "Discipline and prudence will win the day, especially against the odds were facing."
"Understood," Orys affirmed.
Then, Orys and Quenton could see that Gawen Gardener and who appeared to be a few of his captains were approaching them under a white flag. Getting his own white flag from a Dondarrion retainer, he and the master-at-arms moved towards them. What do they want?
As they got closer, Orys could see more clearly the emeralds on Gawen's armor and how much jewels were encrusted on the hilt of his sword. It certainly befitted a prince of House Gardener, but it confused Orys in that he couldn't see the connection between how he was dressed and how he was commanding troops. It seems as if this prince confuses displays with actual commanding.
While Quenton wore a simple helmet and chain mail interlocked with plate armor covering his upper arms, legs, and chest, Orys donned a helm that had stag antlers on the top and dragon wings below it and on the sides, with dragon eyes on the front. On top of that, he had plate armor on him, including a cuirass that showed his new sigil: the dragonstag. But the only decorative thing about his armor was the helm, which looked very modest compared to whatever Gawen was wearing.
Orys had kept his helm up, making his face visible as they approached Gawen and his captains. Once they had stopped with their horses just a few feet away from each other, the second son of Mern put up his helm. He could see a little bit of his brown hair, but his blue eyes and clean-shaven face both served as evidence of House Gardener's good looks.
"Prince Gawen," Orys addressed him.
"Orys Baratheon," he didn't bother to even address him as a lord, a slight that Orys duly ignored. "I didn't know you were well enough for battle."
"Well, here I am," Orys raised his arms midway to show he was fit.
"I'll come to the point," Gawen said. "I've burned many farms and villages so far, have besieged your pathetic citadel on the Blackwater Rush, and I am on the way to take Rosby and Storkeworth before moving on to Duskendale. I have thirty thousand horsemen with, all of them well-equipped, while you command a paltry ten thousand with various types of weapons and armor."
"Your point being?" Quenton didn't need another to tell them what their situation was.
"There are two ways to avoid a fight. Withdraw from the field, or better yet, lay down your arms and surrender," Gawen offered. "If you two take either, I will see that you be treated properly and that no harm comes to you."
Orys scoffed. "You'll forgive me, Prince Gawen, but the last time I was given 'proper treatment' saw Loren Lannister cut off two of my fingers."
"I am not King Loren," Gawen shook his head disapprovingly, which surprised Loren. I would've thought that they would tolerate each other, not show their feelings openly especially to their enemies. "I do not torture prisoners, even bastards with an arbitrary claim on a major castle."
"Take care of your words, Prince Gawen," Quenton warned him. "You are speaking to the man who beat back the Warrior's Sons alongside the Tarlys and Peakes."
"And who are you to address His Grace?" one of the captains barked.
"This is Quenton Qoherys, ser, master-at-arms of Dragonstone," Orys bit back. "Do not dare to speak so lowly to the man who protected my family."
"I don't think that you have a right to speak either, bastard," another of the captains sneered. "You should be more deferent to your superiors."
"Only if he stopped wearing such ridiculous armor," Orys pointed to Gawen's emerald-covered cuirass. "Seriously. What proper warrior wears such a decoration?"
Gawen exhaled, but his anger was evident. "I only dress as a descendant of Garth the Gardener should. That would be something you would know, had you or your trueborn family actually possessed a reputable pedigree. We were kings while you Valyrians were sheep farmers." The captains chuckled.
As for Orys, he was struggling to control his anger at how this arrogant prince insulted his family. He then remembered what Quenton taught him: Hot temper leads to mistakes. Calming himself down, he stared back at Gawen's blue eyes. "If how you dress and how you speak to others is a reflection of how an ancient house should behave, I'll take your words as a compliment."
Gawen frowned, not expecting Dragonstone's bastard to hit back with words. Quenton snickered at the Gardener prince's expense.
"Maybe my brother and trueborn family as you say getting crowns has come at a very auspicious time," Orys continued. "When a forest grows too wild, a purging fire is inevitable and natural, something that we will bring."
Gawen narrowed his eyes. "You think you and dragon litter have what it takes to bring down thousands of years of tradition, as well as overturn an order that has been around when the Faith came?"
"What you see as tradition, I now see decadence," Orys decided to push Gawen harder.
"You sure we're talking about the right people? You incestuous lot are the ones who are decadent," Gawen said.
"Would you like to see for yourself?" Orys pulled up Thunderfist while the captains instinctively went for the pommels of their swords. "I reckon I can smash your armor in and show you how jewels are useless except for decoration."
Gawen held his held up haughtily. "So, you won't withdraw or surrender then?"
"You started this war, but we shall finish it," Orys declared.
"So be it," Gawen nodded, but with glee forming. "I shall look for you in the field."
"Don't hurry yourself. The fire shall come for you all," Orys called out as Gawen and his captains returned to their troops.
Returning to their positions, Quenton could only remark, "That went well."
"As expected," Orys simply replied. "We can't step back, so we must fight."
"You ready, Lord Orys?" Quenton drew his sword.
"Always," Orys cracked a smile before nodding to one of his personal guard, who pulled out a hunting whistle and blew on it, its shrill sound being heard throughout the field. The signal.
To provoke the Gardeners into attacking, the archers under Orys' command nocked their arrows. "Loose!" he ordered as hundreds of arrows flew through the air and landed on the center formation of Gawen's cavalry. Having expected them to don plate armor, Orys had them use armor-piercing arrows. Still, it was hard to be certain of the kill when the arrow was traveling at an upward angle and using the momentum gained from its downward plunge to get its mark, as only some fell off of their horses.
Seeing that their enemy had gotten the first kills of the day, the Gardener center charged forward alongside their right and left wings. As for Gawen, he held himself back, as if waiting to see how the battle would go.
Orys turned to another of his personal guard, nodding to him as he waved his personal sigil to and fro. The cavalry under his command then withdrew from their positions, leaving their own center exposed from the flanks. But for the final outcome to be realized, they had to be risked. Hopefully, the men won't suffer too much under so much steel bearing down on them.
At the last moment and as the last of Orys' cavalry were able to withdraw, the Gardener horsemen lowered their lances and let out a collective war cry, the same happening with their left and right wings.
"Hold!" Orys shouted. Their center already had their pikes raised and had assumed a V-shape formation, which could be used to blunt a charge from heavy cavalry. "Hold!" He could tell that some of them were nervous, having never seen so much plate armor coming at them, but they also knew that there was no turning back.
At last, the combined might of the cavalry under Gawen crashed into their formation. And as Orys expected, many were unhorsed that time as pikes pierced either their cuirass or their mounts. However, they were still very outnumbered and had to put in much effort to keep steady.
"Archers, release at will!" Orys ordered. At such a close distance, it was easy for them to pick off Gardener knights with their arrows, as they could see their marks at the head and neck. But Gawen Gardener was still not involved in the fighting and Orys' troops were being attacked on three sides, Gardener and other knights being able to swing their blades from horseback.
Orys was about to call for the cavalry back, only for Quenton to stop him. "Wait, my lord. Wait. I know you don't want these men to suffer long, but timing is important. We send for the cavalry too early or too late, we lose."
Orys nodded, thanking Quenton for the reminder. "Then, I shall join the men."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Quenton warned him. "The men are already struggling to hold as is. If Gawen sees you off your horse and fighting alongside them, he'll charge in and increase the already heavy weight on the troops so that he can kill you."
"Exactly," Orys nodded. "Plus, if the troops see their commander on the field with them, they might hold much better than they are right now."
That's when Quenton understood. "You crafty son of a bitch," he grinned before he moved to get off of his horse. "Then I guess I shall join you. The teacher must not be outdone by the student."
"We'll see about that," Orys dismounted while putting down his helm and bringing Thunderfist up.
Walking through the lines, student and teacher made it to the vanguard. Grabbing a dropped pike from the ground, Orys found a Gardener knight trying to hack a Celtigar footman and pierced his horse with it. Seeing him fall to the dirt, he ran up, raised Thunderfist with both hands, and brought it down on his cuirass. The result was a caved-in steel breastplate and blood spitting out of his mouth as his innards and bones were crushed.
As for Quenton, he snatched an axe from one of the northmen, ran up to another Gardener knight, and swung at his left leg. Pulling him down from his horse, he then stuck his blade between the exposed area of his neck. Age has not dulled his skill in battle, it seems, Orys observed before continuing onto the next.
"Line, forward one step!" he shouted as the vanguard pushed against the pinned cavalry. Many of their horses stepped back, some not so gently as their riders fell off. One of them got up and swung at Orys with his sword. Despite not having two fingers on his left hand, he was able to parry it, secure it with Thunderfist, pull it from his hands, and put a blow against his forehead with his war hammer. Seeing him stunned, he spun around and used the momentum gained to knock his opponent off of his feet before swinging it downwards onto his face. Bits of skull and brain splattered across the ground as his face was no more.
He then moved on to another knight. Deciding to see how the sharp end of Thunderfist would work, he ran up behind him, buried the spike into his shoulder, and pulled him down as he got a secure hold on his armor. Since it was too close for him to swing Thunderfist again, Orys pulled out his dagger and buried it in his throat.
Orys looked up, to see the remainder of Gawen's force charging at him, this time with him leading personally. He ran back behind his lines and found his personal guard, the one who had the whistle. "Blow it! It's time!" He then pulled it out and blew hard so that the sound would not be drowned by battle.
As Gawen's reinforcements joined the fray, Orys' own cavalry also emerged after withdrawing from their initial positions. They charged into the flanks of the combined Gardener host and engaged them from horseback. Although not as well armored, Orys' cavalrymen could move more flexibly and had the better positions. What's more, the Tarareons pulled out their bows, assumed their traditional formations, and released a continuous arrow stream into the massed Gardener knights, felling many.
Orys eventually found Lord Dondarrion, who had arrived with the left wing. "We're about to have them surrounded, my lord," he said.
"I know, but don't," Orys shook his head.
"Why not?" That confused the Lord of Blackhaven.
"If we surround them completely, they'll just keep fighting. They had us surrounded on three sides and now we must do the same." He turned to another of his personal guard. "Get the northmen and Blackwoods to advance from behind the vanguard. Reinforce the cavalry."
"Yes, my lord," he complied as he relayed the orders.
"And what about Gawen Gardener?" Lord Dondarrion asked.
"He said that he'll find me. I shall oblige him," Orys then ran back into the fray.
The charge of the cavalry into their flanks had made the Gardener's own horsemen begin to falter. The only reason why they kept fighting vigorously was because only the vanguard had engaged with him. That would end, however, as the second line marched around the Celtigar and Rahitheon men in a wide circle to reinforce their own cavalry, effectively restricting them. But as their rear remained open, the temptation to retreat from troops with superior positions would become very enticing.
When I surround an army, let an outlet free and don't press a foe into absolute desperation, Orys remembered one of Quenton's lessons on tactics. If they had completely encircled them, the Gardeners' spirits would have grown too high and they would have fought more robustness than before, which would result in more men dying.
Scanning the nearly sequestered Gardener host, Orys spotted an emerald green hand on a breastplate. "There you are, you bastard," he said to himself as he forced his way through.
Gawen Gardener was busying swinging away in order to avoid getting stuck with a pike by a riverman. While he succeeded in parrying the pike away and stabbing him through the heart, he failed to notice Orys running towards him and pushing against his horse. Falling down to the ground, he stood up and faced the Lord of Storm's End.
"Looks like you found me after all," Orys remarked.
"You'll regret showing your face to me here!" Gawen snarled.
"Then come claim your prize!" he challenged as the Gardener prince charged towards him.
Orys brought Thunderfist up, but as Gawen closed the distance, he feigned striking from across and instead ducked as he avoided the Gardener's swing before using the axe's shaft to push him away and throwing him off-balance. But Gawen possessed better footing than Argilac did, as he quickly recovered from his push.
His blade clashed against the head and shaft of Thunderfist, the sound of Valyrian steel striking what seemed like the best castle-forged steel filling the air with a sharp cling. Although he was the best that House Gardener could offer in terms of swordsmanship and war tactics, he did not expect for the bastard of Dragonstone to react so quickly to his strikes and to wield a weapon so well, as seen from his eyes widening through the openings of his helm.
Orys wrenched the shaft of Thunderfist upwards and moved its head to the right as their weapons continued to clang against one another, with Gawen having no choice but to go with the move as Lord Baratheon forced himself forwards and thus made the second son of King Mern move backwards, all to keep his footing, even as Thunderfist seemed to come alive in how fast it twisted around his own blade.
As the duel between them continued one, the Gardener prince struggled to keep a grip on his weapon, forced to take his left off. With his joints being made to assume unnatural and uncomfortable angles that started to take a toll on his body in addition to how much armor he was wearing, a single strike of Orys' elbow towards the Gardener's helm got Lord Baratheon to force him back and down again. That weakened the greenhand's sword arm just enough to allow Orys to reach forth and take hold of his hilt while grabbing Gawen's hand. Then, doing something that he never done before, he banged his helm against the Gardener's, causing loud rings to echo in each. However, Orys recovered quickly enough and used the stun that Gawen was still in to snatch his sword from his hand.
As he took the sword away from him, Orys could hear, "Protect Prince Gawen!" He prepared himself to fight more of the Gardener's entourage, only for Quenton and Lord Dondarrion to rush in and hold them off.
But while his personal guards were engaged, Gawen also recovered and threw a punch at his helm while grabbing onto him. Rolling around in the dirt, Orys punched back with his right hand and got Gawen off of him before he moved to get Thunderfist, which he had dropped when the Gardener surprised him. Before he could, he pounced on Orys again, pinning him and his right hand down.
Orys then elbowed Gawen's face, knocking him off again before turning around and trying to punch him with his left hand. Only… two fingers were missing and three was not enough to make a fist. Although he pushed his face away, Orys gritted his teeth and grunted in pain as he grabbed his left hand to rub it with his right.
"You stupid bastard," Gawen recovered from the rather feeble jab while chuckling. "Looks like Loren did accomplish something. You're less of a warrior without your two fingers."
Orys gritted his teeth, forcing himself to shrug off the pain before lunging for Thunderfist while Gawen went for his sword. But Lord Baratheon was faster that time, and angry at how the Gardener prince insulted him. Before Gawen could bring up his blade in a upward slice, Orys swung downward, catching it before it touched him and forcing it from his hand. And due to the sheer force behind Thunderfist, Gawen's blade snapped into two and thus leaving the Gardener prince without a weapon.
But not willing to let him leave the field alive, Orys spun around and used Thunderfist to collide with his breastplate. As Gawen fell backwards and blood coming out of his mouth, the emeralds that made up the green hand of House Gardener were smashed and bits of them spread out among the ground. Looking closely at his foe, he saw that the green hand was no more and Gawen lay on the dirt, bleeding out as his cuirass and insides were caved in.
"Prince Gawen is dead!" someone shouted. Panic spread among the Gardener army, with some witnessing Orys standing over Gawen's corpse as he lay dying. Already facing the determined footmen under his command and being slammed on three sides by the cavalry, the news of their prince's death became too much for them to handle. The army broke, fleeing as fast as their feet and horses would take them through the opening both Orys and Quenton left for them.
As the Tarareons and the rest of the cavalry gave chase, the footmen from Celtigar, Rahitheon, and other houses looked on as Orys and Quenton stood over Gawen. Some even began to collect the emeralds that had been dispersed from Orys' strike.
"You… will… never… succeed…" Gawen managed between gurgling blood. "I… shall… be… avenged."
Orys knelt next to him and looked him straight in his eyes. "They can try," he removed his helm, to reveal his sweaty hair about to get messier with dirt and blood.
He turned to Quenton, who was bloodied and had cuts on his arms and one across his right cheek. Although he had done most of the work to bring Gawen down, he was not about to let this teacher have no credit. He gestured him to come forward while standing. "Put him out of his misery. He doesn't have long."
"If that's that way you see it," Quenton said as Orys stepped aside. The master-at-arms of Dragonstone raised his sword and plunged its tip into Gawen's throat, finishing him off as the light left his eyes and he stopped breathing.
"Take off of his armor and bring his sword," Orys told Quenton. "And bury him. He's a warrior, so he deserves that much." His teacher nodded, pride evident in his face, as Orys turned around and faced the troops. Thrusting Thunderfist into the air, the men cheered at the great victory achieved. The men patted his shoulders and back as he walked through them, to return to Dragonstone before finally returning to Storm's End.
It's not over yet, Orys reminded himself. There's more to come.
Orys stepped off the ship that Daemon lent to him to sail back to Storm's End, walking down the gangway as he looked upon the retainers that he had to earn the loyalty of after Argilac died. Only because of the expedition to the Stepstones and the battle against the Reachman houses of Tarly and Peake was he able to do so, but he learned the hard way from how Argella struggled in his absence that the nature of loyalty was quite fickle. His reaming of his bannermen might have gotten though his warning to never try to undermine his lady wife since that would equate disrespect towards him, but he knew better than to trust his warnings having a long-term impact on their scheming. How did kepa do it? Orys thought as he reflected on how his father kept his vassals in line before Jaenyx came and the war started.
And he knew that it was only going to get more difficult. While retaining his titles as Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, he was now Master of War for Westeros, thus making him Aegon's chief advisor on all aspects of warfare and by extension one of his top commanders. The stormlords now have a king to follow and I'm going to make sure that they understand how unbreakable that bond is.
Turning around, Orys helped Argella off of the gangway as they walked on the dock towards their home side-by-side. But there would be no time to properly rest at Storm's End, as they both had work to do from the directives Aegon gave prior to his sailing from Dragonstone to Storm's End.
"You've accomplished a very great victory, brother," Aegon nodded with pride, as did Visenya and Rhaenys. Jaenyx gave a small grin, impressed at what his good-brother achieved against such odds. "With Gawen Gardener dead and the Reach's reserves spent, it is now time to go on the offensive."
"I second that, Egg," Jaenyx pointed on the Mander of the table of Westeros. "It is now time to strike at the northern Reach by moving on the rivers that make up the Mander. With this area containing much of the kingdom's farmland and villages, we will deal a critical blow to the Gardeners if we were to either take them or burn them."
"But Jae, both Mern and Edmund Gardener might also recognize that and they could move troops from the lands west of the Slayne to reinforce it," Visenya pointed out.
"If that was to occur, then it would be easier for the stormlords to begin the process of retaking the lands on the western banks of the Slayne," Argella answered. "Whatever happens, we'll be stretching the Gardeners' remaining bannermen thin across many miles of flat farmland and mountains."
"At the same time, we cannot ignore the threat that comes from the lords sworn to the Rock," Aegon pointed to where Casterly Rock was located on the table. "We might have driven out the Lannisters from the riverlands, but they still command a sizable force still numbering in the tens of thousands."
"Loren can advance his troops from the Golden Tooth, Riverrun, or along the ocean road between Lannisport and Highgarden," Jaenyx pointed to the three locations. "While Lord Blackwood can muster enough men to keep the men of the Rock pinned at Riverrun, it'll be a different story should Loren strike from there with more men, attack from another direction, or both."
"We should have continued onwards to Riverrun instead of letting that bastard Edmyn Tully remain there," Rhaenys said.
"While the northmen and the riverlords who remained faithful to us would have been able to accomplish that, it would have drawn needed strength away from areas that needed the manpower more and possibly delaying our coronation," Visenya explained to her. "For the time being, we should leave Riverrun be and focus on the more important goals: the advance on the Reach and retaking the stormlands west of the Slayne."
"Agreed," Aegon nodded. "But before we move on, we need to discuss how we can reward Quenton. He served us with honor and in the battle against Gawen Gardener, not to mention teaching most of us here the way of the sword." He, Visenya, and Orys smiled, reflecting on their memories of the training yard under Qoherys' tutelage with fondness. "Both I and Rhae agreed that a lordship is the most proper reward for his services, but we're not sure which keep we can give him despite the fact that there will be many once this war is over."
Jaenyx and Visenya rubbed their chins in deep thought, looking over the table as they searched for options. Orys also thought on it, as he felt that the master-at-arms of Dragonstone deserved a good castle blessed with good lands and a good location. Where is good, though?
"How about Riverrun?" Visenya suggested, surprising Aegon, Rhaenys, Orys, and Argella. "Stone Hedge has been slighted and there are no other castles besides Harrenhal that is suitable for the magnitude of Quenton's merits. Riverrun is a good castle, easily defensible, and currently occupied by a turncoat. Once both Edmyn Tully and Broden are dead, we'll give it to him and make it official once this war is over."
"Hmmm," Aegon thought aloud before he bobbed his head in agreement. "Good choice, Vis. That might also give him more motivation in the coming moons ahead, as there will be a lordship waiting for him if we triumph."
"Which leaves Harrenhal without a lord and without a future at the moment," Orys pointed to the northern shore of the Gods Eye where that wretched castle was. "Its initial purpose of being a supply depot for the riverlands as suggested by Jae was a good one, but it needs to have another purpose that will serve us in the long-term. Or, we can just simply demolish it and say to all, 'This is what happens when you assume the dragons are weak and docile.'"
That prompted chuckles from his family and Argella.
"As tempting as that last option sounds, the more that I think about it, that castle may serve a long-tern purpose for us yet," Jaenyx answered.
"What do you mean?" Aegon became curious as to what purpose he had for Harrenhal, as were Rhaenys, Orys, and Argella. As always, Visenya looked as if she already knew what her husband thought.
"We cannot deny that Harrenhal is located at a particularly important point in the riverlands, as all routes to and from the region will have to pass by the Gods Eye. It is also located strategically close to the Blackwater Bay, which presented a grave threat to us when we first landed on this continent," Jaenyx explained.
"Well said, Jaenyx," Orys noted.
"Given its location and its size despite being incomplete, it's imperative that a lord we know for sure is loyal to our family is given control over the fortress. Or better yet, we have control over that fortress in perpetuity," Jaenyx proposed.
"We?" Rhaenys was surprised. "You do remember that the riverlands suffered because of that damn castle?"
"As short-sighted as Black Harren was, Rhae, we cannot deny that he chose a good place to build a castle. And it'll take as much effort, maybe more, to demolish it, effort that we cannot afford to expend as we start to shape our realm," Jaenyx replied to his good-sister.
"So, what exactly do you suggest?" Aegon asked him.
"Thinking more on the castle's uses, I suggest Harrenhal be included in our personal demesne as well as all of the lands attached to the fortress," Jaenyx circled over its location. "In addition to keeps, there will be much gold to spare from the houses that stood against us. We can use part of it to make the necessary repairs to the castle, turn it into a proper keep, and we now have a good counterbalance against all potential adversaries in the riverlands."
Aegon and Rhaenys thought very deeply on this, as did Orys and Argella.
"I discussed this with Jae recently," Visenya joined in. "Besides our dragons, the most important asset that we have now is drawn from lands. When we think about it in those terms, Harrenhal is an important asset and we cannot just let it rot or give it to a random lord. We're a royal family now and we need to ensure that our strength is above the others, even beyond that of House Stark."
Both of Jaenyx's and Visenya's words made perfect sense to Orys. He was also technically royalty despite being a bastard and being a lord under his trueborn family. Even with the war going on, they had to take measures to ensure their long-term survival, made more critical since the Valyrians were still a minority in Westeros. One moment or aspect that leads everyone to think we're weak will cause problems that will never end, he considered.
"I see your point," Aegon finally said after thinking about it some more. "If Harrenhal remains in our possession after we do some major reconstruction, we have one strong fortress under our direct control and thus beginning a foundation from which to establish our family in this land. But I'm curious as to why the sudden change in thinking. Just moons ago, you were content to leave it as a ruin and not let anyone be its lord."
"And you're right, Egg," Jaenyx acknowledged. "But that was before I said to you that we had to think bigger and this part of how we do it. It's even more important now that we're royals."
"Jae's right, Egg," Rhaenys agreed. "There's no doubt that the lands around the Blackwater Bay will be ours to rule directly, but it wouldn't hurt to have a fortress as large as Harrenhal to be added to that."
"The specifics can be looked over at a later time, but I concur with your suggestions," Aegon nodded. "Now, moving back to the war…"
"If we are to mount a successful invasion of the Reach, we cannot rely on one route of approach," Visenya stated. "We need to attack from multiple directions in order to spread their lines even thinner."
"And how do you suggest we do that, Princess Visenya?" Argella was stumped. Fortunately to all, she didn't see how slightly uncomfortable at how she was addressed, since such a title belong to empty-headed maidens, while allowing only Jaenyx to say it so openly. Some things just don't change, do they, Vis? Orys mused.
"Besides the advance on the northern Reach, we will also have to attack from the stormlands through Nightsong once that castle is retaken and from a third direction if possible," Visenya pointed to various features of the Reach on the table. "Although… I must admit I am at a loss from where the third direction can be started."
"Would attacking the Reach from three directions spread our own forces thin?" Argella posed.
"Unlike the Gardeners, we have freedom of movement largely thanks to Orys," she pointed to her brother. "Edmund is pinned in the stormlands and with their reserves expended, the paths are clear."
"Regarding the third direction, we do have an option," a thought suddenly came to Orys. "We can use the sea."
Aegon looked as if he didn't consider that. "Are you suggesting that Daemon lead a fleet from Driftmark all the way around the continent towards the Reach? I have to warn you, brother, that'll take a lot of time and I don't think he has the strength to take on the ships commanded by the likes of House Redwyne and the ironborn out of all of the opponents he might face."
"Not by himself, he doesn't," Orys admitted. "But as Argella told me, we still have a fleet that is seaworthy, the same fleet that took part in the expedition against the corsairs and currently docked at Tarth, Storm's End, and Estermont. Sixty vessels in total."
"Sixty? I thought there were fifty," Rhaenys pointed out.
"Despite the demands on the eastern banks of the Slayne, I was able to construct ten more ships in case we needed to supplement our strength," Argella explained.
"Even with the slight increase in numbers, you'll still be outnumbered," Visenya reminded them.
"I know," Orys admitted. "But that's also what the enemy will think. Given their actions against us in the past moons, we know that they will rely on their numbers to defeat us. The same will probably apply at sea also."
"I am still dubious about what you're suggesting, brother," Aegon said. "I know that Torrhen said that any landing on the western shores of Westeros is impossible due to the ironborn and Redwyne fleets, which implies that we must make an opening. At the same time, don't expect that the good fortune we've enjoyed so far will last forever."
"It's not a matter of good fortune, Egg," Orys replied. "I killed Gawen Gardener, probably the Reach's best knight and commander. You really think that they will act logically if they see me arriving with less ships than theirs?"
"Ah," Jaenyx caught on. "You're relying on them to act irrationally and solely on hot temper if you show yourself to the enemy since you spilled Gardener blood. That will make them more likely to make mistakes and use simple tactics in an effort to wear you down."
"Exactly," Orys nodded. "Someone who finally understood my intentions."
Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya smiled in approval, but were still worried. "If that's what you're thinking, all right. I'll leave the specifics to you and whoever sails with you. But please be careful still," Aegon implored. "Hot temper is what made Loren cut your fingers off."
Orys ground his teeth at the mere mention of what the King of the Rock did to him. "Oh, the enemy will see that their hot temper is no match for dragonfire. But don't worry. I won't act recklessly."
"Good," Rhaenys was relieved. "And now, I think we should move to planning our advance into the Vale."
"We should," Aegon agreed.
Orys had his orders from Aegon and as his Master of War, he was going to see them done. It was what occupied his mind as he held court for the first time in a moon at Storm's End, in which the major lords of the stormlands were present, especially Lord Dondarrion.
"While I have no doubt of your seafaring abilities, Lord Orys," Lord Selmy began. "Our first priority is to drive out Edmund Gardener from our lands and reinforce our positions on our side of the Red Mountains."
"I concur with Lord Selmy, my lord," Lord Caron stepped forward. "If we send an expedition around the continent, we risk weakening our current positions east of the Slayne and that is something that we cannot afford to have when there are nearly forty thousand summer knights and retainers on the western shore."
"And the gods know just what those fanatics are doing in our lands!" Lord Penrose cried out. "Walks of shame, mock trials, septons running amok. If the Faith was truly like this, then I would have renounced the Seven many years ago."
"Hear, hear," Lord Dondarrion agreed, as did many of the stormlords. If this was before the Gardeners came, such talk would've been unthinkable. Now, with their homes being ravaged, they are openly speaking of driving the Faith out.
While Orys was glad that the stormlords finally saw the Faith as a threat to be eliminated, he knew that it was only because their homes were being devastated. Great change happens when push comes to shove, he thought. Still, not going to say anything about their worries.
Orys nodded in understanding. "I shall have to inform my brother the King that until the stormlands is secure, no sea expedition shall commence. But… any suggestions on what to do with Edmund Gardener?"
"My lord, we were hoping that you had suggestions of your own. After you, you killed Gawen Gardener," Lord Connington said.
"You must remember, my lord," Argella spoke up. "My lord husband might have accomplished many things, but he knows that the best solutions come from cooperation. His family is an example of that, an example that we all must follow if we are to weather this crisis and defeat our enemies in the Reach."
"Lady Argella speaks true," Lord Dondarrion concurred. "The Targaryens, alongside Prince Jaenyx Belaerys, have accomplished wonders only because they worked together. It is this same spirt of collaboration that Lord Orys encourages through gathering us here to obtain the best possible strategy from us."
"Then… may I make a suggestion?" Lord Swann asked.
"You may," Orys opened the floor to the Lord of Stonehelm.
"Up to this point, we have held the eastern banks of the Slayne well and prevented their advance. But with Gawen Gardener dead and Highgarden's reserves depleted, we must continue to press the advantage that Lord Orys was able to gain. We all know that neither us or the enemy will budge an inch. However, what if we obliged them?"
"You care to elaborate, Lord Swann?" Argella's interest was piqued, as was Orys'.
"We have to break the stalemate, but we won't if we charged forward. How about… we allow a gap to be opened in our lines and have the Gardeners cross onto the eastern bank?"
"And once enough of their bannermen are across the river and still not in formation, they'll be easier to pick off," Orys caught on.
"Yes, my lord," Lord Swann confirmed.
"That's a risky strategy, my lord," Lord Caron declared. "There's no telling if Edmund Gardener will take the bait and no telling if we can strike when they're still disorganized. It would require much detailed planning and timing on our part for it to work."
"Timing that we have now thanks to Lord Orys," Lord Swann replied. "Plus, it'll require deception on our part and I'm sure our lord paramount can think of something."
"And should our lines be breached permanently if we decided to continue?" Lord Penrose asked.
"They won't, because if they move too far from their supply lines, they'll be vulnerable," Orys concluded. "It's settled then. I will Lord Swann's recommendations towards driving out Edmund Gardener. But also, I ask all of you to recommend any man willing to board a ship like they did against the corsairs. As soon as Edmund Gardener is driven out, I will set sail. Understood?" The stormlords nodded their heads. "You have your orders, and remember today, specifically what happens because all of you come together to collaborate towards the common cause. I hope that continues."
Later that night, Orys was eating his first meal in a while within Storm's End's solar with Argella. It was a challenge to hold the fork, as he was missing two fingers, but seeing his struggle made his lady wife stand up and cut the slices of auroch for him.
"Thank you," Orys smiled.
"Looks like I will much to help you on going forward," she smirked.
Orys sighed contentedly. "It must've been hard for you, running affairs while I was gone."
"I managed," Argella shrugged.
"Well… know that I won't leave your side again. We work better together and only then can we really face the world," Orys asserted.
"I'm glad you think so," she replied gratefully. "After all, you said 'I'm better with you, Argella.'"
"It was the truth, which it still is," he answered.
"You know, I was wondering. As a lord and the founder of our house, you should begin thinking about expanding," Argella changed the topic.
"What do you mean?" Orys wanted to know.
"Well… a house is as strong as its heirs and while you put it to a good start, without heirs, it'll disappear," Argella explained.
Orys raised his eyebrows. "Wait… are you saying that you want to… bear my heirs?"
"You created that banner, which honors Durran Godsgrief. Storm's End will be ruled by those with the blood of the dragon and that of Durran," she put her hand on his cheek. "Our dragonstags."
"Dragonstags…" the word rolled off of Orys's tongue. "I like the sound of that."
"Just saying what needs to be said. But… let's work on that after the war is done," Argella moved her head to and fro.
"Wait, you talk about having heirs and now you say that you want to wait? Why bring it up then?" Orys laughed, but slightly puzzled.
"Having heirs is just as important as keeping Storm's End in order," Argella pointed out. "That's what my father understood and that's what I think you should be concerned about too."
"I told you, Argella. I will not force you to do anything you don't want to do," Orys repeated.
She then surprised him by pecking his other cheek and then his lips. "I know you did. But still, better to know and think about it now than later. That way, we're more prepared. In addition, have to make our new sigil a reality, right?"
Orys chuckled. "Right."
They spent the rest of their supper enjoying each other's presence, as they did since he was freed. But now, it was in their castle and Argella had talked about having heirs. "Would you prefer sons or daughters?"
"Do we have to worry about gender? If it has both of our blood, our children will be fine, won't they?" Argella asked rhetorically.
Orys sighed before grinning. "Yes, they should."