On the right side of the middle reaches of the Upper Rhoyne River basin, the Vaesyris Hills were a lush green, and the gray-brown Westeros Fort stood majestically atop the hill.
The Andals' simple carriages traveled on the mountain roads of the Vaesyris Hills; the carriages were crude and unadorned.
Behind the carriages were dozens of Andal guards protecting them, and these guards looked around like country bumpkins who had never seen the world.
The Andals were truly at the scale of village warfare now, unable to be compared with the surrounding city-states.
They also wanted to learn more about this newcomer who had defeated the village coalition army, the warrior incarnate spoken of by the High Septon.
Through the carriage windows, the elders could see the stone castle on the hill.
"Is he someone worthy of us following?" Inside the carriage, the elders of the Andal villages asked Umu, the High Septon of Andas, with some concern.
Most of these elders were wise old men among the Andals, middle-aged to elderly in appearance, with white hair.
In their youth, they were excellent priests, warriors, merchants, hunters, or knew some other skill, such as medicine, blacksmithing, shipbuilding; in short, they held great prestige in their villages.
"He is handsome, and also very dangerous. The most crucial thing is that he possesses a certain charm. His Majesty Viserys fights like a king," Umu introduced.
"But your so-called king now has only a few hundred men and a single hill under his command," an Andal elder said, dissatisfied. "You are leading us down a path of adventure, Umu."
"Even if it is an adventure, it won't be worse than the Andals' current situation, will it?" High Septon Umu asked dismissively. "The Andals now are like sheep living in a wolf's den. Those bandit mercenaries, brigands, slave traders, and Dothraki savages—any of them can come and oppress us. Rather than clinging to life like this, it's better to take a gamble."
The other elders were also aware of the objective situation Umu described; they just felt that the collective allegiance of the villages was somewhat radical.
But then again, the native Andals had been in decline for hundreds of years, and these muddled days truly offered no hope.
High Septon Umu then looked at the other elders, "Don't forget, in the battle on the hills, the villages suffered heavy losses of young men. Without military protection, our villages will soon be bullied by other villages. The terrifying thing is not just defeat; the worst is slave traders stealing our wives and children to sell them. And His Majesty Viserys is a magnanimous person; he will not bully the Andals. What he wants to do is to make the Andals rise again, to become the true King of the Andals."
"I hope what you say is true," the elder said. "We have been mired in the Seven Hells for too long; only the emissary of the Seven Gods can revive the Andals."
"Believe me, I have found the Warrior Incarnate," High Septon Umu said with certainty.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh." The horn on the watchtower sounded, signifying the arrival of new guests.
"Westeros Fort has arrived," High Septon Umu said, pointing to the fortress in their view, where the black-based three-headed dragon banner fluttered from the tower.
Although the fortress was not particularly magnificent, it was awe-inspiring enough for these Andals from the villages; this was a living, breathing new castle.
After all, the Andals had already become tribalized; their towns had been repeatedly destroyed, and they no longer had the courage or strength to build towns and castles.
Myr and Tyrosh were also city-states, but those were foreign castles; this time, a castle and town were reappearing in Andas.
"The defenses here are very strict," an elder said, looking at Westeros Fort. The inner wall had been well repaired, the outer wall had taken shape, and there was also a layer of wooden palisades.
Soldiers patrolled the walls with crossbows, maintaining rotations.
And garrison soldiers guarded the inner and outer gates of Westeros Fort, many of whom were the former Andals.
They had adapted to this new job, and their demeanor was different from when they were half-farmers, half-bandits.
Most of the soldiers chose black armor; there were chainmail and leather armor, and those without would wear a black-based red dragon insignia.
"Elders, High Septon Umu, His Majesty Viserys is waiting for you in the castle," a middle-aged knight in black armor said politely. On the knight's blue robe were embroidered two crossed black warhammers within a white diagonal cross.
"Thank you, Ser Roland," High Septon Umu said quickly.
The Andal elders looked at the black-armored knight, a knight of splendid attire and spirited mount, with a refined demeanor, clearly different from the local Andals.
Iron-clad knights were once the proudest part of the Andals of Andas, but their descendants had long lost the glory of their ancestors.
As the carriage passed through the passageway of Westeros Fort, the elders tried to calm their uneasy hearts.
Umu of Andas successfully brought dozens of Andal villages to obey Viserys, which aligned with the current situation of the Andals; they always attached themselves to the strong.
After Umu and the elders of the Andal villages dismounted from the carriage, they followed Roland to the training grounds, where soldiers surrounded the drill field.
A small jousting tournament was underway, and they saw knights attacking each other on horseback.
The dragon banner symbol was even more ubiquitous inside Westeros Fort: on towers, in the sept, in the kitchens, in the barracks.
"Jousting!" Many Andal elders' eyes lit up. There weren't many tournaments between villages, as the number of knights was limited.
The Andal elders still reminisced about the past, when blacksmiths taught the Andals ironworking skills, and warriors demanded bravery from the Andals.
Then the Andal knights, with their iron armor and iron swords, righteous knights who always championed justice, jousted on horseback in fields of blooming flowers—that was the golden age of the Andals…
"Please wait, His Majesty is currently jousting," Ser Roland said with some apology.
The Andal elders, however, didn't mind and began to watch with keen interest.
The knight in black armor and on a black horse, with a visored helmet, was the King; the other was a knight in white armor and on a white horse.
Both knights used jousting lances. While jousting might not fully indicate skill, it was very telling of horsemanship and balance.
The two warhorses began to charge, holding their jousting lances level.
As the two horses crossed, Viserys smoothly shifted his body, dodging his opponent's attack. His movements were as agile as a leopard, as if he had sensed it beforehand.
Then Viserys suddenly struck his lance against the white-armored knight, and his opponent fell from his horse with a thud.
The Andal elders watched the performance intently. Judging by this horsemanship and strength, their own warriors who had died, such as One-Eye and Toad-Legs, were indeed mere small fry.
Then a second rider bravely stepped forward to challenge the King, and after a few more rounds, he was struck by Viserys, falling from his horse, while the warhorse leisurely grazed on grass.
This comical display drew loud laughter from the surrounding people.
"Long live the King!"
"Long live Viserys!"
"Warrior!"
"Warrior!"
The onlookers shouted Viserys's name, utterly captivated.
The Andal elders also looked thoughtful; in terms of martial prowess, this young King at least had a good level of skill as a guarantee.
Viserys removed his helmet. He accepted these praises, but he was also constantly striving for more.
Viserys rode his horse before Umu, seeing the group of elders who had traveled from afar.
Viserys rode a black steed, wearing black scale armor, with a longsword and a dragonbone Valyrian steel dagger at his waist.
On Viserys's black cloak was the insignia of the Targaryen three-headed red dragon; his silver-gold short hair shimmered in the sun, and his purple eyes were filled with resolute determination.
"You have come a long way; it must have been arduous," Viserys said.
"This is our supreme honor," High Septon Umu said.
The other elders immediately echoed him.
"This is the elder of Stone Village…"
"This is the elder of Black Swan Village…"
…High Septon Umu introduced each person's identity to Viserys in turn.
"The Andals have been in decline for too long. I am glad that you can support my cause, which is also the cause of the Andals' revival… Unite, Andals are not slaves, let Andas shine with glory once more," Viserys said to the elders, handsome and elegant, with unparalleled bearing.
Viserys's words left the Andal elders feeling dizzy; they couldn't resist this speech.
"His Majesty Viserys is the Incarnate of the Warrior! The Seven Gods illuminate the path, and blessed are the warriors who fight for His Majesty Viserys!" High Septon Umu shouted loudly..
"King of the Andals!" The atmosphere was well set, and the elders also shouted a few phrases.
Now it was perfect: Robert was the King of the Andals, and Viserys was also to become the King of the Andals of Andas.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)