Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

"Varys?"

"Your Majesty, Dorne, there is one more thing I would like to report to you regarding Dorne."

...

Since Prince Oberyn of Dorne was present, Varys did not bring it up in person. Instead, he waited until the Council of Kings had adjourned before quietly returning to Viserys and speaking to him privately about the matter.

"Oh?"

In the study of Maegor, Viserys listened to what Varys had said, placed his hands on the table with his fingers interlaced, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

"Such a thing actually happened."

But in reality, Viserys had long anticipated this event; it was just a matter of time. Like a bomb buried in a corner, it might go unnoticed for years, but it would eventually explode. He just hadn't expected that this bomb in Dorne would detonate at this critical juncture.

According to Varys's report, some conflicts have arisen between the nobles of the Reach and the Dornish nobles because Dornish cavalry have begun to operate frequently near the Reach, posing a great threat to the nobles around the frontier.

In fact, the two sides were sworn enemies, and the hatred could not be resolved by a short period of peace. Some of their fathers and grandfathers had died at the hands of the other. Now that the nobles of the Reach had no troops, they naturally felt a strong sense of crisis and banded together in advance, with everyone feeling insecure.

However, at that very moment, it was a group of Dornish cavalry who ignited the powder keg. They barbarically stormed into a noble fiefdom in the Reach, burned down a village, and slaughtered all the villagers.

In fact, this kind of thing is not uncommon under normal circumstances. The Dornish cavalry sent men to burn down the villages of the frontier nobles, and the frontier nobles retaliated in kind.

However, this time the Dornish cavalry seemed to be taking advantage of the fact that the frontier nobles had no military power, and they went deep into the vicinity of the castle to show off, making the nobles of the castle feel a sense of crisis.

The Dornish cavalry's move instantly ignited the fury of the Reach nobles. Although military power had been reclaimed, the frontier nobles still maintained a considerable number of private armies, and the local people were known for their fierceness, making it easy to gather an army.

The two sides confronted each other near Nightsong City, and even drew their knives, resulting in the death of a knight from the Reach.

Dorne claims they are not trying to start a war or invade the Reach, but rather to hunt down outcasts who have fled Dorne, as more and more Dornish people have recently fled their former homes to the Reach, and some villages are now almost deserted.

The nobles of Dorne were slow to realize the danger, but they did sense it, and nobles from all over the country issued orders to block ports and roads, prohibiting people from leaving their localities.

However, this still could not stop the people of Dorne from leaving, and even triggered an exodus. Enraged, the Dornish nobles chose to carry out a brutal crackdown.

They even chased these runaway commoners all the way to the river bend to hunt them down, which triggered this conflict.

Chapter 636 The Road to Survival

Karen is a boy from a village near Sky City. He has dark brown hair, bright black eyes, and fair skin, all typical features of a stoneman.

The Dornish people living south of the Red Mountains are roughly divided into three major groups. Although they are collectively called Dornish, they are actually further subdivided.

The Salt People live by the sea, primarily in the area of ​​Broken Arm Point near the Sea of ​​Dorne in the Red Mountains.

They were soft and dark-skinned, with smooth olive-colored skin and long black hair that flowed in the wind. Most of them were fishermen and sailors, and they were experienced seamen who piloted the Dorne fleet.

The Oberon and Martell families are typical examples of salt people.

The Sand People, on the other hand, live in deserts and narrow river valleys. They are even darker-skinned than the Salt People, and their faces are reddish-brown from being exposed to strong sunlight all day long.

The last major group is the Stone People, who live in the high mountains and passes of the Red Mountains. They are the most physically fit and beautiful of the three. They are descendants of the Andals and the First Men, and have brown or blond hair.

Compared to the other two major groups' rejection of the outside world, the Stone Golems are the most friendly group among the Dornish to people from the outside world, because their ancestors were also descendants of the Andals and the First Men.

However, within Dorne, due to these very obvious physical and cultural differences, the Stone Golems' faces are very similar to their enemies, almost indistinguishable. Therefore, the Stone Golems are also the most ostracized by the other two major groups within Dorne.

Now, Karen, a boy from a village near Tianji City, is leading the villagers to escape their ancestral homeland and venture into the outside world.

However, all roads leading to the outside world have now been sealed off by the noble lords.

This main road at Prince's Pass used to be unobstructed and was the main route to and from Dorne. It was easier to travel than Bone Road, as it had no steep cliffs.

However, the Prince's Pass is now under very strict inspection, and only caravans are allowed to enter and exit, with the number of people allowed also greatly restricted.

Therefore, Karen, along with his mother, brother, and dozens of villagers from Sky City, had no choice but to risk great danger in attempting to cross the Crimson Mountains to reach the Frontier and even the River Reach Kingdom.

The reason these Dornish people fled their homeland was not complicated; they simply couldn't make ends meet.

Traditional nobles levied very high taxes on their fiefdoms, sometimes to the point that during wartime, they were only concerned with ensuring that the land was left with enough food to survive.

However, this system has disappeared in other parts of the Seven Kingdoms, and the days when nobles could decide how much tax to pay are over.

Now, tax collectors under the Iron Throne travel to various places to collect taxes. Taxes are paid according to a certain percentage and are transparent and open. Compared with the past, taxes have decreased significantly, and the living standards of the people have also improved significantly.

This is also a chain reaction. As people's living standards improve, there are fewer bandits, bullies, and gangs. Unless they are desperate, no one will choose to take risks.

The policy changes at the Iron Throne have created a virtuous cycle.

But among these changes, Dorne, the only one in the Seven Kingdoms that remained unchanged, stood out as very conspicuous.

The Dornish initially relied on their privileges to run rampant in other parts of the Seven Kingdoms, and the local nobles and officials dared not speak out against them, after all, they had the Queen of Dorne behind them.

However, as the war ended and peace gradually returned to the Seven Kingdoms, the privileges of the Dornish people gradually became less effective.

The capital city guard of King's Landing no longer turned a blind eye to the illegal and criminal activities of the Dornish. After the Dornish caravans initially acted arrogantly and offended many of their counterparts, they also encountered a joint suppression from other caravans and were eventually forced to flee King's Landing in disgrace.

The gradual loss of privileges was one aspect, but in the end, the Dornish even found themselves frequently launching heavy attacks against others, yet their own lives were actually not as fulfilling as those of their adversaries. Considering their previous behavior, they looked like clowns.

While the living standards of people in other parts of the Seven Kingdoms are rising, Dorne is stagnating, and may even be regressing.

Moreover, many of his colleagues who participated in the first and second conquest wars were knighted, knights of property, or even lords for their military achievements.

The number of lords across the seven kingdoms experienced an explosive growth. Although most of them divided their large territories into countless smaller ones and distributed them to these meritorious generals, the generals were not dissatisfied at all. On the contrary, they were overjoyed, as they had already achieved a leap in social class.

However, the Dornish were not involved in any of this, because the king promised the Dornish a high degree of self-discipline, and the merits of the Dornish soldiers should be awarded by their noble lords. The Iron Throne would not interfere, and the Dornish nobles were naturally unwilling to give up their own lands for fiefdoms.

These complex reasons led to the inner imbalance of the earliest Dornish people, causing them to leave their homeland and develop in places such as King's Landing, Gulltown, and Lannister Harbor.

Later, more Dornish people left their homeland and embarked on the journey north, eventually forming a large-scale population. The population of many villages declined sharply, which alerted the Dornish nobles, who began to prohibit the people of their territories from leaving. But by then, it was too late.

"We'll leave here alive, won't we, Karen?"

The brown-haired boy's mother, holding her younger brother in her arms, her head wrapped in a headscarf and somewhat disheveled, spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

They were hiding in the forest of the Crimson Mountains. The young Karen, who was most familiar with the terrain, acted as their guide, leading the other villagers to escape.

Among the remaining dozens of villagers were many tall and strong warriors, some of whom had even served in the Dornish army. They held homemade spears and longswords and stood ready for battle.

Hearing his mother's words, the brown-haired boy turned to look at her and his younger brother in her arms, and then nodded silently.

"Ok!"

"It definitely will."

Karen was already starting to regret running away. Although life in Dorne wasn't great, she wasn't starving, and it was her hometown.

However, now that they had escaped, there was no chance of turning back. The village chief had discovered that the families had fled and had probably already reported it to Count Franklin Fowler.

The 'Old Falcon' of Tianji City had already issued an order, which spread throughout the surrounding villages: anyone who dared to leave their home without permission and not return would be sentenced to death if caught.

In other words, once Karen and the others reached Prince's Pass, there was no turning back.

Chapter 637 Escalation of Conflict

Under the scorching sun overhead, the trees on the Crimson Mountain Range were not lush; most of the terrain consisted of bare rocks, and the land was desolate.

Behind them lay the desert, while ahead lay the oasis.

As the group walked along the ridge, they could see a towering stone tower on a small hill below the slope.

"That's the Tower of Bliss over there."

The young Karen, who was acting as our guide, began to introduce the trip.

"It is said that Eddard Stark led six knights against three Kingsguard: Geralt Hightower, Arthur Dayne, and Oswell Hoan."

"It was a disgraceful battle; they outnumbered them."

The boy spoke indignantly, saying that his dream was to become an outstanding swordsman like the Dawn Swordsman, roaming the world with his sword and upholding honor.

However, just then, they heard the sound of horses' hooves and shouts of "Stop!" coming from far behind them.

"stop!"

A squad of Dornish cavalrymen, dressed in sand-yellow robes and white turbans, were patrolling the mountains near the Tower of Joy.

During their patrol, they discovered this group of traitors trying to escape north. They immediately drew their gleaming scimitars and, like eagles spotting their prey, spurred their horses toward them.

"Oops!"

Upon witnessing this scene, the dozens of villagers who were preparing to flee panicked. Apart from a few able-bodied men, most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled. How could they possibly resist the menacing cavalry?

Fortunately, the Crimson Mountain Range offered an unobstructed view, allowing the other side to see them from afar, though they were actually still quite far apart.

"quick!"

"Run away!"

The brown-haired boy, Karen, saw this and his expression changed drastically. He then hurriedly waved his hand and told everyone to run away into the complex terrain on the other side.

The area was full of jagged rocks, with occasional trees, making it difficult for cavalrymen on horseback to pursue.

...

A few days later.

On the road leading to Centree Beach, a group of disheveled and ragged Dornish appeared; they were none other than Karen, the young boy who had escaped from the Red Mountains.

Using the complex mountainous terrain, they outmaneuvered the Dornish cavalry and eventually escaped from the mountains, even managing to kill several Dornish cavalrymen in the process.

However, the price paid was that of the dozens of villagers who had come on the way, fewer than ten remained. The old, weak, sick, and disabled had all died at the hands of their own people, including young Karen's mother and younger brother. In return, the Dornish cavalry intensified their pursuit.

Is it... worth it?

Seeing that there were less than ten familiar faces left, Karen's tears flowed involuntarily, and her body trembled slightly.

Many people present lowered their heads and secretly wiped away their tears. In fact, many people already regretted it. It's better to live a miserable life than to die. If they had known it would turn out this way, they would not have chosen this risky path.

Unfortunately, there's no going back; everyone has to take responsibility for their choices.

Rumbling--

However, just as the group of defecting Dornish were resting on the road, the thunder of hooves sounded again from behind them.

"how is this possible?"

"They couldn't have tracked us all the way here, could they?"

They had reached the Reach, but no one could answer his question. All the surviving Dornish were like startled birds, including the young Cullen, who hurriedly got up and gripped their swords and spears tightly.

However, fate was unkind. At the far end of the road leading to Censhu Beach, the familiar banners of the Fowler family of Tianji City fluttered.

The Dornish cavalrymen wore white turbans and sand-yellow robes, riding slender but incredibly stamina-laden desert horses.