Chapter 108 Father of Dragons, King of Tyrosh
As one of the nine Free Cities, Tyrosh's territory primarily consists of Tyrosh Island, the Isle of Cedars, some islands in the Stepstones, and large plains, hills, and mountains in the Disputed Lands of Essos' Heel. Tyrosh Island is the most fertile and prosperous part of Tyrosh, and the Tyrosh City fortress is the heart and jewel of Tyrosh.
After the Westeros army pressed forward, many wealthy Tyrosh merchants and slave owners fled to the Essos continent with vast amounts of wealth and slaves. Even so, when Daemon conquered Tyrosh, the population of Tyrosh City easily surpassed that of King's Landing. At this time, King's Landing only had a little over a hundred years of history since its founding, far from the prosperity of King's Landing in later generations.
According to Sea Snake's estimate, Tyrosh City likely had over 150,000 people, with a free people to slave ratio of approximately one to three.
This is a magnificent, bustling port city, and although Tyrosh is now ravaged by dragons, with charred corpses everywhere and people burned by flames and cut by swords, and crows feasting in the streets, the joyous crowds still sing and dance in the streets, chanting praises to Prince Daemon the Liberator and the dragons in a moist, exaggerated valyrian, a variant of High valyrian.
These people singing and dancing in the streets were all slaves. On the night Daemon attacked Tyrosh with his dragons and the Westeros army, the slaves in the inner city revolted. They killed slave owners and mercenaries, opened the inner city gates, and welcomed the Westeros army. Now, they have all joined the Dragon's Servants Army, becoming part of Daemon's army.
Where there is joy, there is sorrow. As happy as the slaves were, those slave owners who couldn't escape were just as despairing. Most slave owners died in the slave uprising, and their wives and daughters were brutalized by the slaves. Some money changers, tavern owners, brothel madams, captains, and bankers were plundered.
Tyrosh originated as a military fortress of the Old Freehold of Valyria. The inner city walls here were forged by the valyrian people using the lost valyrian stoneworking technique, shaped from dragonstone, making them incredibly strong, so much so that even dragonfire could not destroy the black dragonstone walls. If not for the slave uprising, Daemon might have paid a much higher price to capture Tyrosh.
The outer city walls were damaged, collapsing and cracking under the brutal impact of dragonfire, and arrow towers fell. The Dragon's Servants Army had already begun clearing corpses, and Daemon dispatched craftsmen to begin repairing the city walls.
The colorful lighthouses by the sea stood like spears, guarding the coastline. The Kingsguard and the Dragon's Servants Army had successively taken over these lighthouses. The Sistermen Fleet, Ironborn Fleet, Valyrian Fleet, and Blackwater Fleet together chopped down the Tyrosh flags and raised the three-headed dragon banner of House Targaryen.
The hundred-foot-tall statue of the God of Wine, holding a bottle of pear brandy, pot-bellied and smiling, with a torch in his other hand. The torch was a massive brazier, and at night, the Tyrosh people would light a sacred fire on it, illuminating the entire God of Wine Square and the nearby R'hllor Temple.
The Tyrosh Grand Prince had originally hoped that the God of Wine statue would become a bunker against dragons. Whenever there was war, soldiers could enter the statue, use the God of Wine statue's eyes as viewports, and shoot arrows at enemies, while the God of Wine statue's bottle could spray scalding kerosene to attack enemies below the statue.
The Tyrosh Grand Prince sent a hundred mercenaries and three hundred battle slaves, and R'hllor Temple slaves, to hold the God of Wine statue. People climbed the winding stairs to the eye viewports, set up ballistas, crossbows, and scorpion crossbows, preparing to slay dragons. However, the Red Priests and Red Priestesses of R'hllor, along with the R'hllor Temple slaves, revolted, and the battle slaves responded, killing the mercenaries at the moment of the dragon attack.
Now, the God of Wine statue is blackened by dragonfire but still very sturdy. The young dragons Ancalagon and Blue Sprite flew to the top of the God of Wine statue. Kingsguard soldiers have taken over the area, and the banner of House Targaryen has been raised on the platform at the top of the God of Wine statue.
With the fall of Tyrosh, various murders, looting, and rapes emerged endlessly. People, driven by bestiality, created one human tragedy after another, which is inevitable during wartime.
Daemon ordered that no one be allowed to loot, rape, or kill during the chaos of war, stating that in troubled times, severe laws must be applied. Thus, some rapists who committed crimes were castrated and reduced to laborers, and some who committed murder were hanged, with crows landing on their shoulders, pecking out their eyeballs and facial skin. All wealth obtained through looting was confiscated by Daemon's Kingsguard, and order in Tyrosh was swiftly restored.
There were many drowned people in the God of Wine fountain. They had been set ablaze by dragonfire and jumped into the God of Wine fountain to try to extinguish the flames, only to drown, their bodies floating face down on the water. Some Dragon's Servants Army began salvaging bodies, and convoys of bodies, in groups, were transported to the seashore for cremation. The thick smoke from the burning bodies, like the fingers of black ghosts, reached for the sky.
Kingsguard soldiers and the Dragon's Servants Army arrested bankers and imprisoned them in dungeons, retrieving boxes of gold and silver from their vaults; the Ironborn drowned heinous slave owners in the sea, sacrificing them to the drowned god; the bed slaves of brothels were liberated, and Daemon selected some young and beautiful ones to serve as laundresses and cooks.
Tyrosh's brandy brewers and dyers were the most valuable slaves. Daemon took over the dye works and breweries, turning all these slaves into his servants.
The Temple of the Three-Headed God is located on the Hill of Reincarnation. The gray temple resembles a palace, and in front of it, in the Square of the Three-Headed God, stands a statue of the Three-Headed God, its three heads like venomous snakes, baring fangs and claws. The terrain here is open, and Vermithor, with injured wings, landed here. Silverwing licked Vermithor's wounds, and Aly Rivers, the witch, concocted an ointment from weirwood sap and herbs. Daemon personally pulled the long arrow from Vermithor's wing and applied the ointment.
There were many cattle and sheep in the Tyrosh animal pens. The Dragon Guard drove large herds of cattle and sheep to Vermithor, who opened his blood-filled mouth and feasted.
Seasmoke, the Red Queen, Dreamfyre, Blood Wyrm Caraxes, and other dragons successively gathered on the Hill of Reincarnation.
Daemon stood on the hill, overlooking the city with the dragons.
"From now on, this will be Tyrosh's Dragonmount."
Sea Snake frowned, "This place is right next to the Temple of the Three-Headed God. The Tyrosh people believe that the first head of the Three-Headed God swallows the dead, and the third head spits out new life. Is it not ominous for dragons to reside here?"
Lord Roderick Dustin, the Wolf of the Barrows, showed a rough smile, "What do the gods of the Tyrosh people have to do with us? Westeros people are followers of the old gods, the drowned god, and the Seven. Sistermen worship the strange Lord of the Skies and the Lady of the Waves. In short, the Three-Headed God has nothing to do with us."
The Tomb Wolf lived in Barrowlands for most of his time, and he rarely sailed. This trip to Tyrosh was the furthest he had ever been from his homeland. Sea Snake was different; he had spent most of his life at sea, traveling to distant Yi Ti, Essos, and the Thousand Islands, even challenging the icy coast Beyond the Wall. He had seen too many gods and strange lands.
Sea Snake said, "In Westeros, we certainly worship our own gods, but this is not Westeros. I have sailed for so many years and have always held reverence for the gods of various places. Those strange gods may not have power, but their followers have power, and power resides in the hearts of people."
Daemon said, "The Tyrosh people worship multiple gods, and the Three-Headed God is just one of them. If the followers of the Three-Headed God see dragons near the Temple of the Three-Headed God, they will gradually believe that the dragons are protecting their city and temple."
Now that dragons brought destruction and death, if Daemon wanted to conquer, he had to establish stability and order in Tyrosh. Daemon decided to respect Tyrosh's traditions and allow multiple gods to coexist. In those days, Aegon the Conqueror was not a devout follower of the Seven, but when he began conquering Westeros, he still prayed in the Royal Sept on Dragonstone, and after conquering Oldtown, he even received the blessing of the High Septon, who personally crowned him.
Daemon captured Tyrosh, leaving only the narrow Tyrosh Bay separating him from the coast of the Disputed Lands in the southwest corner of the Essos continent.
Because Tyrosh had previously prepared for a long siege, the warehouses in Tyrosh's inner city were stacked high with corn, wheat, oats, and flour, as well as ham and dried fish, brandy and ale, plum wine, amber sweet wine, and mountains of gold and silver.
Daemon moved into the Tyrosh Grand Prince's castle. This milky-white castle was vast like a labyrinth, completely engulfing Daemon and his followers. The castle had an outdoor swimming pool, fountains, stables, training grounds, a blacksmith's shop, an armory, and septs dedicated to foreign gods. Lord of Tyrosh Draz, the Tyrosh Grand Prince, fled in haste, leaving behind mountains of silk, clothing, velvet sheets and bedding, crystal sandals, Myr carpets, and Norvos tapestries.
The Kingsguard took over the palace. Daemon and his wife, Gael, with their sons, moved into the bedroom that had belonged to generations of Tyrosh Grand Princes. Daemon's mistresses, Aly Rivers, the witch, and Terra Uller, resided in the adjacent secondary bedrooms. Her female guards, Mona Darklyn and Ser Mia Hogg, moved into the guardroom, and the handmaidens Mysaria and Laena moved into the nursery.
Gael soaked in the bathtub, with small fish nibbling at her feet. Gael was very excited, a sweet smile on her face. "Daemon, I love Tyrosh. The liberated slaves here call you Daemon the Liberator, Father of Dragons, and I have become the Liberator's wife, Mother of Dragons."
Daemon smiled, "The conquest has only just begun. More glory and wealth await us."
Gael suddenly grew afraid, her smile vanishing. She asked, "Are we still going to war? Princess Rhaenys told me that Tyrosh's power on the Essos mainland is still strong, and Lys and Myr will definitely help Lord of Tyrosh Draz counterattack Tyrosh."
Daemon stroked Gael's silver-white hair. "Don't worry, Tyrosh is surrounded by sea, and the city itself is a strong fortress. If the enemy crosses the sea to attack, our dragons can easily destroy their fleet. The Triarchy relies heavily on mercenaries. Even without dragons, relying on our Valyrian Fleet, Kingsguard, and Dragon's Servants Army, we can easily defend with the strong city walls."
Tyrosh was almost as strong as Dragonstone, suitable as a base for conquering the Essos continent. Moreover, Daemon had the Stepstones and Westeros behind him. The Sistermen Fleet, Ironborn Fleet, and Sea Snake's Valyrian Fleet could greatly assist Daemon with sea supplies.
The newly conquered Tyrosh was in ruins, awaiting reconstruction. Wounded soldiers began receiving treatment, artisans were repairing damaged city walls and arrow towers, tearing down burnt bronze gates, and replacing them with iron oak gates. At the same time, the fleet shuttled continuously between the Isle of Cedars and Tyrosh, constantly bringing in supplies.
A few days later, Daemon received representatives from various factions in Tyrosh at the castle.
Red Priestess Helen had fiery red hair, snow-white skin, scarlet eyes, and luscious red lips. A crimson robe enveloped her graceful body, its hem rustling. She was the representative of the R'hllor Temple, and Red Priestess Helen offered Daemon her sweetest smile.
"Prince Daemon, the lord of light r'hllor sent a revelation long ago. I saw your and the dragon's arrival in the sacred fire. Blood and fire will sweep across the entire Essos continent. Now this day has finally come to pass; the dragons have finally returned from the west."
The lord of light r'hllor had great influence in the Free Cities, but Daemon was not fond of Helen's words. "Blood and fire sweeping Essos? I am only here to avenge my father. Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh poisoned my father, Prince Baelon. I will conquer their cities and find the murderers. I have no interest in other parts of the Essos continent."
Daemon did not want to reveal his ambitions too early. Now, the Sealord and Volantis were gathering armies, Pentos was recruiting mercenaries, and the Triarchy was desperately trying to win support from these surrounding city-states. Volantis and Braavos had strong combat power and had long coveted the fertile Disputed Lands, as well as the three excellent port cities of Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys. They were very likely to intervene in the Triarchy's war.
Helen showed a mysterious smile. "Prince Daemon, if you are determined to seek revenge, the lord of light r'hllor will illuminate your path of vengeance, and the flames of revenge will burn your enemies. If Prince Daemon wishes to experience the lord of light r'hllor's power, I would be pleased to receive you at the Lord of Light Temple late at night, but you must hurry, for the night is long and full of perils."
Then Helen flipped her hair and turned to leave, her graceful figure and walking posture attracting the gaze of all the men present. This Red Priestess likely possessed great power, but Daemon was unlikely to become a follower of R'hllor, because Daemon had many anointed knights under his command, as well as Northmen who worshipped the old gods, and Ironborn who worshipped the drowned god. Converting to R'hllor would mean abandoning the old and new gods, which would clearly alienate Daemon's Westeros subordinates from him.
The Tyrosh merchant Morras was tall and thin with prominent ears. He had once served as the Governor of Tyrosh and even ran for Tyrosh Grand Prince, but unfortunately, he was ultimately defeated by the current Lord of Tyrosh Draz. On the night Daemon led the Westeros army to besiege the city, Morras led his guards and slaves to open a side gate in the inner city and surrender.
Morras wore a magnificent white and gold silk robe. His accent was moist and gravelly. He smiled and said, "Prince Daemon, you have conquered Tyrosh and should rightfully hold the title of Tyrosh Grand Prince."
Daemon proudly declared, "I have no interest in the title of Tyrosh Grand Prince. I am Ser Daemon of Blackwater. I conquered this place, and from now on, Tyrosh will be a land under the Iron Throne."
On this expedition, Daemon raised the banner of revenge. After conquering the Stepstones, Daemon's subordinates, Wind's Grace Raven Greyjoy, Qidan Massey, and others, strongly urged Daemon to crown himself King of the Narrow Sea on the Stepstones. Daemon refused, because his kingdom was still nascent. In such circumstances, building high walls, accumulating abundant provisions, and delaying claiming the title of king was Daemon's strategy.
Daemon planned to thoroughly conquer the Three Daughters, establish his kingdom by relying on the Disputed Lands, the Stepstones, Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr, and only consider claiming the throne after firmly establishing himself on the Essos continent.
The army Daemon led, when it departed from King's Landing, was assembled in the name of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator and the Iron Throne. Although Daemon had freed slaves and recruited locals in the Stepstones, Tyrosh, the Isle of Cedars, and other places along the way, forming the Dragon's Servants Army, the combat effectiveness of the Dragon's Servants Army was far inferior to the Vale Knights, the Riverlands Knights, the Western Knights, the Northern Winter Wolves, and the Ironborn and Sea Snake's Valyrian Fleet.
Daemon publicly declared that the conquered Stepstones and Tyrosh belonged to the Iron Throne, so that the mercenary knights, free riders, noble second sons, Ironborn captains, and Northern warriors from all over Westeros would faithfully follow Daemon's banner.
Daemon refused to wear a crown, naturally looking down on the title of Tyrosh Grand Prince.
The rich merchant Morras was somewhat disappointed. "Prince Daemon, since you have conquered Tyrosh, you should follow Tyrosh's customs. Tyrosh is accustomed to being ruled by a Grand Prince, and the free people here expect you to become the Tyrosh Grand Prince. According to custom, the Tyrosh Grand Prince is chosen through election. Prince Daemon, hold an election! The free people of Tyrosh will honor you with their votes."
Daemon immediately realized this was a trap. Daemon had already ordered the abolition of slavery in Tyrosh, but Morras kept talking about the voting rights of free people. Without a doubt, he was still deliberately distinguishing between slaves and free people. Morras was testing, fantasizing about maintaining slavery under Daemon's rule and dreaming that the free people of Tyrosh would still have voting rights.
Daemon certainly would not fall into the trap. He said coldly, "Tyrosh has already knelt before the dragons and the Iron Throne. From now on, the Iron Throne will protect Tyrosh's safety. You do not need elections, nor do you need a new Tyrosh Grand Prince. The rule of the Dragon King is clearly more glorious than the rule of a Grand Prince."
The rich merchant Morras was stunned. "Prince Daemon, even when Tyrosh was a Freehold of Valyria colony, it had a certain degree of autonomy. You wouldn't deprive us of our rights, would you?"
Daemon said sternly, "If the people of Tyrosh poisoned the heir of a valyrian Dragon King, could they still dream of autonomy? Moreover, you are now the subjects of the dragons, and this is the territory of the Iron Throne, by no means a colony."
The rich merchant Morras could only retreat sullenly. Next to step forward and petition was a giant over seven feet tall, "Scar" Berisha. He wore dark brown leather armor, black wool breeches, and his arms were as thick as elephant legs. On the chest of his leather armor was engraved the emblem of a dragon and a soldier, which was the symbol of the Dragon's Servants Army.
Berisha was originally a private guard and war slave of a wealthy Tyrosh merchant. He had once been a gladiator in the arena of Meereen and was sold to Tyrosh three years ago. On the night Daemon's Westeros army attacked Tyrosh, Berisha joined the slaves in an uprising. That night, Berisha wielded a warhammer, killing over a dozen enemies. His strong physique and fierce combat prowess quickly caught Daemon's attention, and Daemon took him into his service.
Berisha spoke on behalf of the freed slaves. He said, "Father of Dragons, we slaves in Tyrosh were exploited by slave masters, living lives worse than pigs and dogs. Fortunately, Father of Dragons broke our chains and liberated us. Now, we slaves have either become glorious warriors of the Dragon's Servants Army or subjects of the dragons."
"We request Father of Dragons to severely punish those slave masters."
Daemon nodded slightly. "Many slave masters died on the night of the slave uprising. Those who survived, the most heinous slave masters, will be severely punished if proven guilty."
Berisha was still not satisfied. "Slave masters should compensate us."
Daemon shrugged. "Many slave masters are dead. How can they compensate? Besides, the Tyrosh Grand Prince has fled to the Disputed Lands and could return at any time." In reality, Daemon had confiscated the slave masters' wealth in Tyrosh. If their properties in the Disputed Lands were not counted, these slave masters were almost as destitute as slaves.
Berisha said, "I suggest, Prince Daemon, that you take those slave masters as slaves and let them experience the pain of being enslaved."
Is this never-ending? Daemon said proudly, "I abolished slavery and gave you freedom. There will be no more slaves in Tyrosh. I conquered this city not to turn slave masters into slaves, or slaves into slave masters."
The Sea Snake, Princess Rhaenys, Lord Roderick Dustin, the Wolf of the Barrows, and others looked at Daemon with admiration. Daemon had clearly become the King of Tyrosh.
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