Game of Thrones: The Red Dragon Lord.

Chapter 226: Prophecy and Sons of the Harpy

Melisandre saw Gavin's actions and her eyes showed a hint of anticipation. She gently reminded him, "Your Majesty, there is a brazier in the hall."

Gavin chuckled and said, "No need, this is fine."

After that, a ball of blazing flame suddenly appeared in his hand, burning fiercely in his palm out of thin air. After Gavin put the blood into the flame, he looked at Melisandre and said, "Tell me, what do you see in the fire?"

Melisandre did not answer immediately, but stared at the fire intently, her eyes revealing a look of both obsession and longing.

After a long while, her slowly rising voice broke the silence: "You will fall into a death trap. Even if you escape by chance, you will still be seriously injured and dying. You can only survive if you pull out the 'Light Messenger'."

Listening to Melisandre's words, Gavin couldn't help but frown secretly, and began to think about the credibility of the other party's words.

The first thing Gavin thought of was the Thousand-Faced God whom he had provoked before. So far, this was the most powerful enemy Gavin had ever faced, and he had successfully caused damage to him. As for other enemies, Gavin was not worried, as the traps they set might collapse on him.

"Whether it's true or not, it won't hurt to be careful," Gavin thought to himself.

Thinking of this, Gavin asked, "The 'Lightbringer' you mentioned is the sword in the prophecy?"

Melisandre nodded and said respectfully, "Yes, your majesty, it is the burning sword, the red sword of heroes."

After listening to this, Gavin nodded slightly: "I remember you said last time that 'Lightbringer' is not just a sword? Then what is it?"

Melisandre shook her head and said, "I don't know either. Only when you pull it out yourself can you understand the mystery."

After hearing this, Gavin became even more confused. Melisandre's words made him feel confused and at a loss.

At this moment, Missandei hurried out of the pyramid with hurried steps. Just now, she heard the loud roar of Blazing Shadow and guessed that it was Gavin's return, so she came here to greet him.

She walked up to Gavin, bowed respectfully, and said softly, "Your Majesty, welcome back." Her voice was gentle and steady, and her eyes were full of admiration and joy for Gavin.

Gavin nodded slightly and said calmly: "Notify everyone that the Unsullied and the Second Legion are expected to return to Meereen in a month, accompanied by three thousand prisoners. Ask the officials to prepare the barracks." His tone was firm and decisive, as if everything was under his control.

Missandei bowed quickly and responded. Seeing this, Gavin asked casually, "What is the situation in Meereen during this period?"

Missandei's face flashed with hesitation after hearing this. She pursed her lips slightly and said slowly, "Your Majesty, several captains of the fleet have compiled the information in the city and put it in your study."

Gavin was keenly aware of Missandei's abnormality, and he guessed that something big might have happened in Meereen during the time he was away.

He turned to look at Melisandre, smiled slightly, and said, "We'll talk about this next time." After that, he strode into the pyramid, and Missandei hurriedly followed behind him.

In the study, Gavin sat comfortably in a chair, concentrating on the record in his hand. The yellowed parchment in his hand seemed to carry the fate of the entire Meereen.

With the departure of Gawain and the two legions, Meereen fell into turmoil, like a lake into which a stone had been thrown.

An organization calling itself the Sons of the Harpy quickly rose up and openly opposed Gavin's rule. They carried out assassinations in the city and created panic.

At first, only some ordinary people and lone soldiers were killed, but as time went on, the situation became more serious. The Sons of the Harpy became more and more daring, and they began to openly attack patrolling soldiers, and even poisoned the barracks and set fire to warships.

Fortunately, the soldiers who stayed behind discovered the situation in time and barely avoided more serious consequences.

But the series of assassinations carried out by the Sons of the Harpy in Meereen made the people in the city like frightened birds and fell into deep panic.

This fear spread like a plague, even affecting the remaining troops. Now, it was the navy of Gavin's fleet who were responsible for patrolling and defending the city.

Although Gavin left behind 5,000 soldiers, most of them were captives who had just surrendered, and some were mercenaries from the Golden Group. Compared with the navy soldiers in Gavin's fleet, these defenders were far less loyal and less capable. After all, the navy soldiers had followed Gavin the longest, and as his undisputed direct descendants, they were the most loyal to Gavin.

Faced with the severe situation of people's unrest and the vile behavior of the Sons of the Harpy setting fire to warships, several experienced captains discussed and suppressed other officials with their seniority. They decisively closed the military camps and the navy took over the entire city.

Although Meereen is still stable on the surface, the number of navy is limited after all, and the chaos in the city is becoming more and more serious.

Gavin gently put down the parchment in his hand, frowned slightly, and instructed Missandei: "Go and invite several captains of the fleet."

Missandei bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, they are waiting for you in the hall."

Hearing this, Gavin showed a relieved smile on his face, stood up and said, "Let's go to the main hall." As he spoke, he walked out of the study with steady steps.

A moment later, Gavin arrived at the hall. The captains who had been waiting there saluted respectfully.

A captain spoke first: "Your Majesty, something happened in Meereen while you were away. An organization called the Sons of the Harpy appeared in the city." Gavin smiled lightly, raised his hand to interrupt him and said: "I already know the general situation. You have done a good job. Have you investigated the Sons of the Harpy?" His eyes were deep and sharp, as if he could see through everything.

Another captain stepped forward and answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, after a period of investigation, we found some clues that seem to point to several wise lord families in the city. They are very likely the supporters behind the activities of the Sons of the Harpy, but we don't have any definite evidence yet." There was a hint of caution and worry in his eyes.

A cold light flashed in Gavin's eyes, as if it could penetrate all the fog: "Do you have a list?" His voice was low and powerful. He was mentally prepared for this kind of situation. His rule undoubtedly changed the original interest structure of Meereen. The abolition of the slave trade caused great losses to the wise lords. They naturally worried that Gavin would further weaken their power and wealth.

The captain immediately replied, "There is one, but there may be more than just these people." As he spoke, he carefully took out a piece of parchment from his arms and handed it to Gavin with both hands.

Gavin took a quick glance at it and returned the parchment to the other party. He then said coldly: "Arrest the people according to the list and retrial them. All the Wise Lord families involved in the Sons of the Harpy will not be spared." His words were full of coldness and determination.

Upon hearing this, one of the most senior captains stepped forward and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, we also encountered this situation when we just conquered Lys. At that time, you returned to the Stepstones, and Commander Hassan also adopted the same method. Although armed purges can eliminate most opposition, they can never be eradicated. The situation in Meereen is similar to that in Lys. In addition to the wise lords, there are also many Ghis with citizenship in the city. These Ghis used to own a few slaves. We can get rid of all the wise lords, but we can't kill all the Ghis."

Gavin frowned slightly when he heard this. He knew that the situation was indeed complicated, just as the captain said. It was much more difficult to rule than to conquer. He asked in a deep voice, "So what do you think we should do?"

The captain thought for a moment and said slowly: "Your Majesty, if you ask me about the sea, I can answer, but I am really incapable of managing a city. However, the Governor Reese you appointed later did a good job in this regard. My advice to you is to find an excellent manager."

Gavin nodded slightly and asked casually, "I have been away from Lys for some time. I am not very familiar with the current situation in Lys. Is Tyrion managing well there?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Before I set out, the confrontational situation in Rees has improved a lot." The captain replied immediately.

Hearing the captain's reply, Gavin couldn't help but think to himself: "Bring Tyrion to Slaver's Bay, Boris can take care of Lys as well. After all, the Stepstones are not far from Lys. There are three cities in Slaver's Bay, which are several times larger in area and population than Lys. Without a good manager, the bigger the place, the more trouble it will cause."

Thinking of this, Gavin couldn't help but sigh. Although his power spanned both sides of the narrow sea, the only talents he could bring out for domestic affairs besides Boris were Tyrion, and perhaps Maester Qyburn could do it, but he had a more important task, otherwise after so long, Gavin would not have only had three regents.

"I must hurry up to train talents, otherwise after I seize Tyrosh, Myr, and even Volantis, management talents will become increasingly scarce. Jalal is good, and I can train him well." Gavin thought secretly. He knew that if he wanted to truly rule this land, talents were the key. Only by training more outstanding managers could his power continue to grow and his rule become more stable.

Gavin looked at the captain who had just given him advice, smiled sincerely, and said, "I really appreciate your advice." That smile was like the warm sunshine in spring, which made the captain feel warm in his heart.

Then, he glanced at everyone again and said in a steady voice, "You have done a good job taking over Meereen in times of crisis, and everyone will be rewarded. Each captain can go to the treasury to claim property or gold dragons worth one thousand gold dragons, and all soldiers will receive five times their salary during this time."

When the captains heard such a generous reward, they immediately smiled brightly.

They all straightened their bodies and saluted Gavin with the most respectful attitude. They said in unison with uniform and loud voices: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity! It is our honor to serve Your Majesty." Their words echoed in the hall.

Gavin nodded slightly and said, "I will bring Tyrion here in a while, but Meereen still needs to be cleared up by force. No matter what, we must respond to the activities of the Sons of the Harpy, otherwise their behavior will become more rampant. You must immediately take over the barracks in my name and recruit more people from inside. Any soldier who disobeys orders will be executed directly." His words were as cold as the wind, making people feel his decisiveness and determination.

"As you command, Your Majesty." The captains answered in unison. Their voices were like thunder, booming in the hall. Then, they turned and left the hall, ready to carry out Gavin's order.

After the captains left the hall, they immediately took over the military camp in the name of Gavin. They were followed by their trusted followers and poured into the military camp in a mighty manner.

As soon as they entered the barracks, they felt a tense and oppressive atmosphere. The captains quickly summoned all officers to read Gavin's orders.

"Your Majesty has ordered that from now on, the fleet will take over the military camp. Anyone who disobeys orders will be killed without mercy!" A captain's eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and his sharp eyes swept across every officer present like lightning. That look seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts and make people shudder.

The officers were a little upset when they heard this, but they soon calmed down. They knew the chaos in Meereen very well, and they were mentally prepared for such a situation.

Moreover, the Blazing Shadow's roar that resounded through the sky not long ago had already announced Gavin's return, so there was no doubt about the source of the order. So, they handed over the command without hesitation.

The heavy gates of Meereen slowly closed, and a large-scale search for the Sons of the Harpy swept across the city.

The carved doors of several wise lord families were violently knocked open, making dull and frightening noises. Countless wise lords who were once high and mighty were arrested and interrogated like frightened birds. Under torture, these wise lords who lived in luxury could not even hold out for half a day, and confessed their crimes like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.

Gavin was merciless, he ordered the punishment of these families, confiscated their property, and imprisoned some family members. And those wise leaders who participated in it were directly sentenced to death as a warning to others.

Afterwards, Gavin's soldiers searched every corner of the city. They carefully checked every house, and those Sons of the Harpy hiding in the dark were caught one by one. Some of them tried to resist stubbornly, but in the face of powerful force, their resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree, and they seemed so vulnerable.

After more than ten days of brutal cleansing, the streets of Meereen were filled with a tense atmosphere as heavy as lead. Citizens were like frightened birds, keeping their doors shut and not daring to go out easily.

Gavin also keenly realized that this tense atmosphere could not be allowed to shroud Meereen for long.

Now that most of the Sons of the Harpy had been captured, the remaining ones wouldn't be able to cause any trouble in the short term, so he stopped the cleanup operation.

Following Gavin's orders, Meereen's tense nerves finally began to relax.

(End of this chapter)