The Glory of the Seven Gods of Ice and Fire

Chapter 256 The Return of the Dragon Queen
As the war on the Western Continent was constantly changing and advancing, the situation on the Eastern Continent across the Narrow Sea was also changing.

Volantis, the city that had served as an outpost and fortress for the slave-holding camp against the kingdom in the long war in the past, finally chose to surrender to Daenerys Targaryen's approaching army.

This incident itself did not surprise the world much. With the destruction of the cities in Slaver's Bay and Qarth's withdrawal from the war, the once model colony of Valyria was no longer able to continue the war. The eldest daughter had declined to the point where only a city wall remained, and naturally there was no problem of slavery. Therefore, the remaining nobles in the big city, after making sure that the financial backers in the east were all finished, simply opened the city gates and kowtowed to the Dragon Queen in surrender.

Similarly, Volantis had other reasons for this choice: the kingdom's frontier governor, Tyget Lannister, had gathered troops and manufactured equipment in Upper Lorn, preparing to launch a final attack on the eldest daughter. Volantis and the kingdom had fought for so many years, and the blood of the other side flowed on their swords. Now the big city has no help from the east, and the remaining tiger cloaks and the Unsullied can't hold on for long. If the soldiers of the kingdom are allowed to attack the city, I'm afraid...

Therefore, for Volantis, the most appropriate choice is to surrender to Daenerys, who has little grudge against them. Moreover, the Dragon Queen also has a grudge against the kingdom, which means that Volantis can rely on this to gain the support and assistance of the Queen and maintain the operation of the city and the life of the privileged class.

Moreover, the nobles of the big city have an unspeakable purpose. As the eldest daughter of Valyria, Volantis has never lacked the desire for power and even hegemony. There are also many powerful people in the Black Wall who have Valyrian blood flowing in their veins.

So, after the dragons returned, they couldn't help but recall the time when the Dragon King ruled the world on dragons: Daenerys lacked dragon riders, and it would be great if they could ride on dragons... Of course, this is still a distant thing for them, and the queen doesn't trust them now.

However, even if the queen does not select dragon knights from among them in the future, Volantis still has some qualified officials and some reliable and capable people. They were all trained in the wars of the past ten years and are the talents that the queen lacks and urgently needs. As the queen marches westward, they can also follow the queen across the border and across the narrow sea. As long as the queen wins, with the help of these connections spread all over the world, Volantis can slowly restore its influence and perhaps even surpass the past.

As for the garrisons sent by the slave city-states in Volantis, these people had no choice in the face of the general situation. Most of them obeyed Volantis' arrangements and surrendered to the Dragon Queen. The remaining few - those who were guilty of heinous crimes in the eyes of the abolitionists - were used as a token of their allegiance by others.

For Daenerys, Volantis' surrender is a great joy. This major port is very important to her westward expansion. By controlling it, her army can try to march into Westeros by sea without having to risk being attacked from all sides by the kingdom's army when marching into Myr or the Stepstones.

So, when the news of Volantis' surrender reached the queen, she immediately sent troops to take over the city of the eldest daughter and control this city that meant so much to her.

Thus, hundreds of years after the fall of the Freehold, another dragonlord ruled Volantis. Khaleesi sent a large amount of supplies and craftsmen to Volantis, restoring the city's warehouses and roads, repairing the local ports and shipyards, and turning Volantis back into the great port it once was, so that the city could provide supplies for her army.

At the same time, the Queen also carried out an unprecedented mobilization in Slave Bay. She collected a large amount of supplies and manpower, and selected an elite force from her army and tribes as the main force for the westward expedition. It was not that she did not want to invest more troops, but the East had lost a large number of ships after the fierce fighting. The Queen could not integrate many naval forces. What's more, it was impossible for every ship to be used to load troops for an expedition of this scale. She had to allocate a large number of ships to load supplies.

However, this does not mean that the remaining troops and tribes will stay idle in Slaver's Bay. While preparing for war, the queen also ordered the remaining Dothraki and Jugsnai to march westward, across the Great Grass Sea and invade the eastern border of the kingdom. In view of the weak siege capabilities of the grassland people, she also specially allocated a corps of engineers to accompany them. With these engineers, many fortresses that were once difficult to conquer will no longer be a problem.

In this way, Daenerys took a two-pronged approach and outlined a comprehensive offensive against the kingdom.

Under such circumstances, the political landscape of Westeros changed once again. Everyone could see that the return of the last Targaryen was only a matter of time, and another strong man joined the competition for the highest power in the kingdom.

But no one thought that moment would come much earlier than the public expected.

Sunspear, the ancestral home of House Martell and the political center of Dorne.

The castle, built of tan mud and straw, sits on the eastern tip of a small sandy peninsula surrounded on three sides by the sea, from where the Martells have ruled Dorne for generations.

It used to be just a small fortress, but with the arrival of Queen Nymeria and the Lorne subjects, it was immediately expanded, and Rhoyna-style towers were erected one after another. The former small castle is only a part of the current Sunspear City.

Three leagues away from the castle is the famous Water Garden.

When the three dragons still adorned the gates of King's Landing, Prince Malon Martell built this garden as a gift to his Targaryen bride Daenerys, marking the union of Dorne and the Iron Throne. The master's balcony overlooks numerous pools and fountains, blood orange trees cast shadows, and pale pink marble floors are laid throughout the gardens and courtyards, passing through a row of carved beams and through elegant arches.

The autumn here is very refreshing. Although there are hot moments during the day, the night is very cool. At the same time, the sea nearby will occasionally blow salty winds. Coupled with the fountains and pools, this place has become a rare summer resort in the Dorne territory. This place not only attracts many nobles to stay, but also children can spend a happy time here. Families from all over Dorne and all classes will send their children to the water garden to be raised. Here, no matter whether they are noble or humble, children can play together on the beach, in the pool, and in the fountain.

As the host, Prince Martell was very happy to see such a scene. Perhaps the children's laughter could alleviate the pain of his long-term gout.

And now, many years after the fall of the Targaryen dynasty, the Flowing Gardens has welcomed another Targaryen - Daenerys Targaryen.

“It’s beautiful.”

Walking in the garden where her ancestors once walked, looking at the carvings and flags representing Targaryen and Martell, Daenerys couldn't help but think of Viserys. She felt that her brother would like this place.

In the water garden, a group of children were playing. They did not notice the Targaryen who was watching them. For these children, nothing was more important than playing.

"I am glad you give me such an evaluation, Your Majesty. The Water Garden is the fruit of Dornish wisdom and a gift from Dorne to Her Majesty the Queen. Even in the era of the usurper, nothing has changed here."

Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, who was sitting in a wheelchair, said that even though he was confined to a wheelchair and tortured by illness, the prince's every move was still full of noble grace.

This prince reminded Daenerys of William Darry, who in Daenerys's memory was also old yet majestic.

"I'm glad Dawn has remained so loyal."

Although she said so, for a moment, Daenerys also had an impulse in her heart. She wanted to question why such a "loyal" Martell did not secretly help her and her siblings when they were wandering, and why he did not revolt when Viserys was advancing triumphantly. Anyway, if that were the case, her brother might not have died.

However, she eventually suppressed her inner instinct. That was a question a little girl would ask, not something a queen should say.

"How much strength can Dorne bring out?" Daenerys asked what she was most concerned about at the moment.

"Your Majesty, although the Dornish like to brag that they have 50,000 spears, the fact is that the most troops Dorne can mobilize is no more than 20,000. Even when your father and brother assisted you, Dorne only sent 10,000 men to the north. Now, with the Dornish continuing to immigrate to the east over the past decade or so, the troops we can muster on our homeland are less than before." Doran said with a wry smile. Although Dorne is located in the south, most of its territory is barren desert. If you insist on digging deeper, Dorne's real strength is weaker than that of the North. The ferocious image of the Sand People was largely forced out by foreign enemies.

"I really didn't expect that." Daenerys suppressed her disappointment and said only this. She had heard the rumors about "the brave men of Dorne are as dense as the sands", the boasting of the frog prince, and the stories of the Dornish people who migrated to the east. Although she had some bad expectations in her heart, the facts were worse than she had originally expected.

"I am sorry, my Lord."

Doran felt even more bitter about this. In the original plan, Dorne should have become the backbone of the Targaryen restoration, but the plan could not keep up with the changes. Both sides of the Narrow Sea underwent drastic changes under the Great Expedition. The allies in the original plan either withdrew or disappeared; Darry was destroyed, Balb and his Khanate fell apart, and even Viserys, who had led the royalists to resist for more than ten years, died for unknown reasons. Now, it is the inconspicuous royal orphan, Daenerys Targaryen, who has succeeded. She not only carried her brother's banner, but also expanded her power in the East and became a powerful monarch.

The Dornishmen have become insignificant in this situation. Even without mentioning the army brought by the Queen from the East, the addition of Tyrell from the River Bay and Littlefinger has greatly diluted the importance of Dorne.

Now the purpose of the marriage is no longer a consideration. It has become impossible for his son to marry Daenerys - even if the queen wants to sell her for a good price, she will not sell her to Dorne who has joined the party so early.

Next, Daenerys continued to walk in the water garden, listening to Doran telling stories about the Targaryens and the traces they left behind. Daenerys enjoyed this feeling very much, as if an elder - Doran was indeed her elder - told her stories of the past and recalled the glorious years in the past.

However, happy times are short-lived after all. There are only so many of these old memories, and the stories have to come to an end. Next, let’s get to the main course of this meeting.

"Why is my supplies unloading so slowly?"

In the palace of Sunspear, Daenerys has already taken the seat of the master, which is a sign of the Martell family's loyalty to the queen. She looks out to the balcony, through which she can see her dragons. After hundreds of years, dragons are flying over Sunspear again, and the Dornishmen are looking at these dragons with awe in their eyes.

Now, Daenerys is asking questions.

"I'm sorry, Lady Daenerys, but since the disbanding of Planktown, the Greenblood River has never been able to restore its former capacity."

Plank Town, as the name suggests, is a city made of planks. The Greenblood River orphans built this floating city, but things have changed since their homeland of the Rhoan River opened to them. Groups of Greenblood River orphans drove small boats across the narrow sea and returned to their homeland, which directly led to a sharp decline in the local population, especially professionals.

The Greenblood River orphans have lived on the Greenblood River for so many years that they have built an industrial chain around it. However, as the number of orphans continues to decrease, these industries are also declining. Therefore, the orphans who remain must make a choice: either go ashore to adapt to the laws of the land in order to survive, or go east and return to their hometown.

From then on, Plank Town began to disintegrate. The decrease in the number of orphans led to the destruction of this river town. The orphans either went ashore or crossed the river to the east.

The disappearance of the orphans had a great impact on Dorne. Although the gap created by their departure was immediately occupied by riverside residents from all over Dorne, it was still very difficult to reach the level of the orphans.

The direct manifestation of this situation is that the income of Sunspear City has dropped sharply, and the trade relations within and outside Dorne have also been affected. The Martell family used to be happy that the guys who refused to be ruled left, but now they miss them.

And the difficulties Daenerys is facing now also come from this.

After listening to Doran's explanation, Daenerys waved her hand in annoyance. Since it was an objective problem, she didn't ask any more questions. But when she thought that this was caused by Hugo, she couldn't help feeling annoyed.

Along the way, she clearly felt the ubiquitous influence of Hugo Tollet. It could be said that it was he who created the current situation in the world.

At this moment, that guy not only defeated the White Walkers, but also had the favor of the Seven Gods. The more Daenerys thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Fortunately, she also had the merits of fighting against demons and wiping out slavers, and she also had the miracle of the return of the dragons. Although these were somewhat dwarfed by Hugo, it was better to have them than nothing. As long as Hugo was dealt with, she could also establish her own legitimate rule in the known world based on these merits.

As the prince stepped down, the next person to come forward was Garlan Tyrell, the envoy of House Tyrell. He brought with him a group of Rivermen wearing gorgeous armor and cloaks. When these Rivermen appeared, almost all the Dornish nobles in the audience expressed hostility. Daenerys was aware of the feud between the Rivermen and Dorne, but this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.

"Your Majesty, the Tyrell family is loyal to you, and the Riverbend can bring you 100,000 swords." Ser Garlan was handsome and had a loud voice, which made Daenerys a little dazed. It was the first time she saw a knight who was so consistent with the knight's story.

"If that's the case, then why does the Reach still support the false king on the Iron Throne? Moreover, I'm afraid there are no more than 100,000 swords now. After Redwyne and Hightower die out, can the Tyrells still maintain their rule over the Reach?"

The Red Viper, who arrived in Dorne at about the same time as Daenerys, questioned it. Oberyn originally planned to meet Daenerys's army in Upper Lorne, but he soon realized that most of the local Dornish immigrants were very reluctant to this order - the grassland people had brought too much pain to Upper Lorne, and they were not willing to help the barbarians on the grassland at all. Even his nobles had many opinions. They would rather fight with the Lannisters than trust a group of barbaric and unfaithful guys.

So, after some consideration, Oberyn finally gave up his plan to lead the Dornish people of Upper Lorne in rebellion. He handed over the territory to his wife and daughters for management, and told them that the territory would be divided and inherited after his death. He then led his troops south to Volantis, and returned to Dorne after meeting Daenerys.

"Those are just some stopgap measures and strategic needs. Lord Oberyn, if your majesty needs us, we can send the fake king and fake queen mother here immediately. As for the control of Highgarden, you don't have to worry at all."

Ser Garlan still had a pleasant look on his face, and it was impossible to tell from his face whether this Tyrell was emotionally provoked or not. The Red Viper shrugged and stopped the confrontation.

"Riverbend has its own plans, so let's go ahead."

Daenerys did not intervene directly in these conflicts because she did not want to be used as a gun by either of them - most importantly, the support that the Riverbend could provide her was greater than that of Dorne.

Even after so many wars, Highgarden still has a huge military force, not to mention that during the War of the Usurper, Tyrell held up half of the king's army.

"Lord Petyr Baelish has arrived!"

Hearing the name, Daenerys shuddered a little. She knew the name Petyr Littlefinger. In the rumors in the East, Petyr was largely regarded as a figure of the same type as Hugo: both of them were of humble origins, and then gained great power through their own abilities.

Moreover, Daenerys also knows something that the public does not know: the chaos on both sides of the Narrow Sea after the death of the usurper is closely related to this person.

Therefore, the Queen had a glimmer of hope, expecting the valley man to once again demonstrate his abilities.

(End of this chapter)