April, 169th year of the Conquest Era.
King Daeron, leading five thousand cavalry, decisively defeated the army of fifty-five thousand, led by Robert, the "Golden Son," on the plains outside Ricca Lacron. Thousands of Dothraki immediately defected when the dragons appeared, calling Daeron the "Khal who rides a blue dragon" and helping him rout the massive Dothraki cavalry.
On the main battlefield, three dragons almost replicated Aegon the Conqueror's "Field of Fire" battle, though this time there was no ripe wheat to fuel the flames, nor a Lion King fleeing the field.
The dragonflame of the three dragons tore apart Robert's phalanxes, which were intended to counter Westeros's armored knights, and destroyed all the ballistas and scorpion crossbows said to threaten dragons. They also turned the Golden Hammers' proud war elephants into their own enemies, completely annihilating the largest war elephant corps in the Disputed Lands.
The commander, Robert, the "Golden Son," was confirmed to have died under the dragonflame of Sendroth, the "Forest Beast." Both on the main battlefield along Loisane Avenue and on the rear battlefield where Aemon and Joffrey burned and killed scattered forces, the Westeros forces achieved brilliant results. Hundreds of elite mercenaries were burned to death on the spot, and thousands more died from severe burns after the battle, with several thousand more mercenaries being pursued and killed by Westeros knights.
This massive army was thus declared to have completely collapsed.
The remnants of the defeated army, bearing their burns, fled in disarray to the towns behind them, delivering news of their defeat to the anti-Iron Throne alliance.
And the power of the dragons.
The remaining Rhoynar city-state of Ho-Saru.
This town was originally an inland colony during the Rhoynar's peak, relying on a tributary of the Rhoyne River and the produce from the vast fertile lands, which were not then called the Disputed Lands, to provide resources for this glorious civilization.
But just like Ricca Lacron, Valyria's expansion changed everything. Those colonial city-states, with their Dragonlords' wealth, expanded like a virus, eventually igniting the Rhoynar-Valyria War.
Three hundred dragons destroyed the hopes of the Rhoynar. Every city-state along the Rhoyne River was subjected to dragonflame and Prince Garin's curse.
Ricca Lacron and Ho-Saru were no exception.
In the era when the Valyrian Freehold still existed, Ho-Saru was constantly contested between Myr and Lys. Perhaps because Lys was more favored by the Dragonlords, this town remained under Lys's control for a long time.
Naturally, it also adopted many Lysene customs.
An open-air grand bathhouse.
Salice released the boy in his left hand and the girl in his right, stepping naked out of the scalding hot spring water. A maidservant beside him wiped his smooth body. Salice looked up, allowing two girls to shave his beard.
"Robert was defeated?"
Salice looked at his aide, his beloved son Fogen. This dejected silver-haired man, though handsome and dashing, dressed in expensive armor, had a slender build and hands without a single callus, proving that he did not possess the talent one might imagine.
"He lost terribly. Even if fifty-five thousand soldiers were fifty-five thousand pigs, and the Iron Throne only had five thousand men, it would still take days to catch them."
Fogen's voice trembled slightly; he almost fainted when he received the news.
What had they provoked?
"The dragon-hunting crossbows were useless, Father. The Braavosi lied to us. Soldiers who escaped the battlefield said that none of the dragon-hunting crossbows could even harm a single hair on the dragons."
"They did not deceive us." Salice put on his white toga, sitting on a chair formed by two maidservants, and said softly, "It is we who underestimated the power of the dragons. If we were facing dragons like Horn Tide, the dragon-hunting crossbows could have played a greater role, what a pity, what a pity."
"Then what do we do?"
"No rush, no rush." Salice said softly, "We have that fool Horus in front of us. Fogen, you go as an envoy, make a trip to Ricca Lacron for me."
"Huh?"
"Less nonsense. If King Daeron is truly wise," Salice revealed a strange smile, "he will receive you well, my son."
Dragon Nest City, beneath the Hidden Sword Tower.
Igor carefully held a wooden sword, his small body bound with simple wooden armor. The boy's large eyes stared intently at his older sister, the wooden sword held across his chest, ready to strike at any moment.
Daenerys, however, looked relaxed. The wooden sword in her hand wasn't even in a combat stance.
"Daenerys, don't underestimate Igor!" Sebastian put down his book, smiling. He had recently been studying Ray's notes on several old dragons and had learned a lot.
"I know, bookworm." Daenerys smiled provocatively, "Don't worry, I'm the older sister!"
The girl lunged forward, swinging her sword, which Igor bravely blocked.
"Idiot brother, attack!"
Another swing, again blocked by Igor, but seeing her brother not attacking, Daenerys grew impatient.
She retreated two steps. "Still in the same position."
Igor hadn't managed to retract his strength and almost stumbled. Daenerys could only helplessly flick her brother with her longsword to help him regain his footing: "That's it, attack."
Igor reset his stance, nodded vigorously, and charged forward. Daenerys twirled her wooden sword, blocking her brother's first strike.
"Don't stop, keep going." Daenerys stopped attacking, instead directing her brother to attack her sword after sword, but no matter how Igor swung his sword, it was always steadily blocked by Daenerys.
"Clang!" Daenerys parried her brother's forceful vertical chop with his wooden sword, then casually tapped his wrist, "Clang!" The next moment, the wooden sword was at his brother's chest.
"You're too small, not strong enough." Daenerys sighed, "Igor, you shouldn't use a vertical chop. You're not as tall as me, and you're not as good with a sword as me, using a vertical chop..."
Before she finished speaking, Daenerys, who thought victory was assured, suddenly changed her expression. Igor suddenly performed a difficult backbend, causing her wooden sword to miss. Taking advantage of his own stumble, Igor, disregarding his freshly washed clothes, rolled on the ground and crashed directly into his sister's arms.
"Stupid sister, if I had a real sword, you'd be defeated by now~" little Igor said cheekily from his sister's embrace.
"You—" Daenerys felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Igor, before you can get close to Daenerys, if it were a real sword, you'd have died many times already." Sebastian said with a smile.
"Oh." A child's emotions change quickly. Although Igor has shown few expressions since childhood, his emotions could be read at this moment, for example, he couldn't help but smile when he crashed into his sister's arms.
Now, knowing his little trick was useless, a flicker of disappointment crossed his face.
But overall, he rarely showed emotions on his face.
Dragonzel watched the children's training with a smile. At some point, Ray and Rhaegor had sat down beside him.
"Father, news from the Disputed Lands. And news from Serena..."
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