Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

...

Empress Daenerys, the young queen of the Empire, led her army on an expedition to the east. She captured Yunkai and then made a brief stop there.

Then the sword was pointed at Meereen, the largest city-state in Slaver's Bay, to continue purging the worship of evil gods, including harpies, and to liberate all the slaves there.

Meereen was ruled by a group of slave owners known as the Great Lords, who had received news of Yunkai's fall long ago and made ample preparations for war.

They invited numerous mercenary groups and even offered an unimaginable price to the Dothraki from the north, going all out to face the little queen's challenge.

Thus, the shadow of war loomed over the land of the Ancient Gith Empire. In the northernmost part of Slave Bay, along the Skazardan River, tensions were high and a major battle was imminent.

This is a localized battle in Slaver's Bay, but across the entire continent of Essos, dragons from the west have ignited a raging war, and smoke and fire are rising everywhere on the continent.

This is the first major war to break out on the continent of Essos since the Long Night began. The scale and number of people involved in this war are almost comparable to the Bloody Century of hundreds of years ago.

It was precisely in the midst of a bloody century of turmoil and war that once invincible powers fell, and newly rising forces began to gradually take over the world.

But this war of faith is different from the chaos of the Bloodshed Century. This war, which has spread across the entire continent, has clearly divided into two factions, one pure and one impure.

One type is a steadfast believer in the gods, willing to charge into battle for their faith, driven by the will of the gods, in the name of holy war, even violating their own honor and morality, and naturally killing without batting an eye.

These honest and law-abiding people once dared not do certain things, but once they had the will of the gods as their endorsement, the demons in their hearts were unleashed.

On the other side was an atheistic faction mainly composed of the Valyrian Empire's army. They were either like hounds who had never believed in the gods, or they had once believed but later abandoned them.

They had no gods in their hearts, believed that every ordinary person deserved faith and respect, believed in and deeply loved this country, and were only willing to obey the imperial orders of the emperor and empress.

If His Majesty the Emperor ordered them to kill, they would kill, strictly obeying orders and maintaining strict military discipline.

However, since they have raised the slogan of overthrowing the gods, it is bound to provoke a backlash.

More and more gods have begun to deliver divine pronouncements to their followers, angrily demanding that they rise up in rebellion and destroy these arrogant mortals who want to defy and destroy the gods.

That's why these believers picked up their farming tools, shovels and hoes, and carried a pot as a shield, and they came together to form a powerful force that could not be ignored.

Therefore, although the empire swiftly destroyed many city-states and gained an absolute advantage in a short period of time.

But once it descends into a vast people's war, this struggle over beliefs is destined to be a protracted and unending conflict.

This battle will inevitably continue for a long time, and it will be difficult to determine the outcome at this time.

...

While war raged across the continent of Essos, the Valyrian Empire enjoyed peace and tranquility.

Under the rule of the empire and the cultivation of its propaganda machine over many years, most of the common people in the empire have subconsciously formed the impression that imperial power is superior to divine power, and even the archbishop of the Church of the Seven is a member of the Targaryen family.

Therefore, the empire was not greatly affected by this religious war, and production and daily life continued in a stable and orderly manner.

Even the war on the distant continent of Essos didn't garner as much attention in King's Landing as the Martial Arts Tournament.

This martial arts tournament, which was held to select the Imperial Guards, had lasted for about a month and had finally come to an end.

Now only ten knights remain to compete for the final championship. The knight who wins the championship will receive a huge reward of ten thousand gold dragons and honor.

Knight was originally a term used by the Andals and the Church of the Seven, but during the Valyrian Empire's rule, knighthood lost much of its religious connotations, and those who were knighted were no longer required to be anointed with holy oil.

Because Viserys had already separated imperial power from divine power, and had long ago established the fundamental system that imperial power was superior to divine power.

Therefore, the term "knight" today symbolizes more of a title, representing the most basic level of nobility.

The oaths they took were pledges of loyalty to Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress, not the previous vows of justice, courage, protection of the weak, and protection of women.

Among the ten remaining knights, many had already shown impressive performances in the first round of the team competition.

Among them are Dickon Tully, the younger brother of Samwell Tarly, the patriarch of House Tully, and Beryl Dondarrion, the Earl of Black Harbor, as well as his former squire, who has now become a rising star.

He is none other than Edric Dane, the new generation sword saint known as the "Dawn Sword," who amazed the audience in the first round of the tournament, making them stand up and applaud.

The remaining members include Artis the Giant, Brienne of Tarth, Gendry the son of Robert, Arya Stark the Wolf Girl, and three other exceptionally powerful knights.

Chapter 956 Final

"Hey, Heros."

"Where is the Empress Dowager?"

Meanwhile, in the stands of the martial arts tournament, Diana shifted slightly in her seat, then turned around and asked a question.

Her mother, Queen Arianne, sat upright in the main seat, protected by Unsullied soldiers and the female knight Mia. It was clear that Diana was asking about Heros's mother, Queen Renes.

"do not know."

The brown-haired boy, who was sitting on the VIP table with his eyes closed, opened his eyes slightly upon hearing his sister's words. He then glanced at her, shook his head, and spoke.

"Mother may have gone to Dragonstone to be with Father."

Renis did not attend the tournament today, as usual.

In reality, Rhaenys didn't take the tournament to heart. Compared to Viserys' other two wives, Arianne and Daenerys, Rhaenys was the one who despised power the most.

She was naturally lively and romantic, and often rode her dragons out for leisure when she had nothing to do. Most of the time, she would go to Dragonstone and stay there for half a month before flying back to King's Landing to see her son.

"Oh."

Diana's face showed a slight disappointment upon hearing her brother's words.

She was quite eager to meet Queen Renis; she had recently practiced a sword technique and wanted to spar with her.

Meanwhile, the final round of the martial arts tournament is underway, and some of the ticketed audience members are betting their coins on the contestants they favor.

The VIP seats were filled with nobles from all walks of life in the empire. Only nobles who had reached the rank of count were qualified to sit in the VIP seats and have close contact with members of the imperial family and some important ministers of the Imperial Council.

The VIP seats were in high demand and short supply. The empire was vast, and there were countless feudal nobles. There were even a few weak nobles from afar who had no friends in the capital or the court and did not even have the right to enter the VIP seats.

"Thank you, thank you, Lord Baelish."

A nobleman from the north bowed repeatedly to Lord Petyr Baelish, the governor of the Vale who had brought them in.

His arrival in King's Landing from the North was like a country bumpkin entering the city. He thought he would be able to enter the VIP section, but little did he know that there were many earls in King's Landing with their own fiefdoms and small castles. In fact, the pungent smell on him made the guards hold their noses and give him a hard time, and he almost embarrassed himself in front of Her Majesty the Queen.

Fortunately, Lord Petyr Baelish, the governor of the Vale, happened to pass by at that moment and came to his rescue; otherwise, he would have been utterly humiliated.

However, Petyr didn't say much in response to the other party's gratitude, only offering a humble smile. He then exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party, while his gaze remained fixed on the Targaryen royal family members not far away.

He then politely apologized to the northern nobleman and walked over, just in time to overhear Princess Diana and Prince Holos's conversation.

"Your Highness wishes to go to Dragonstone?"

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Petyr Baelish has a few gray hairs showing at his temples, but he still dresses very cleanly and appropriately, and his manners, actions and tone are just right.

“I have brought a fleet with me to King’s Landing. If Your Highness does not mind, I can send my fleet to Dragonstone.”

Petyr Baelish smiled and spoke to Princess Diana Targaryen, and the silver-haired girl turned around upon hearing his voice, saw Littlefinger, and paused slightly in surprise.

Of course she recognized him.

Petyr Baelish surrendered the Vale, allowing her father to conquer it without firing a shot, and was thus appointed governor of the Vale. Diana had heard this story many times as a child, and she had also met him at several large court assemblies.

But so many years have passed since the Long Night, and the other party seems to have rarely come to King's Landing. Why did they suddenly come at this time?

Although surprised, Diana frowned slightly, shook her head, and spoke.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Petyr."

"However, I want to visit my mother at Dragonstone. I can ride a dragon there myself."

Diana didn't like Littlefinger very much; the story of him betraying his master made her dislike him intensely.

Many people have heard the story of Petyr Baelish's rise from a 'little finger' to a renowned governor of the Vale, and find it very inspiring.

But Diana wasn't like that; she was straightforward and outspoken, which simply meant the two of them were incompatible.

So the silver-haired princess exchanged a few pleasantries with Petyr, and then walked over to her other younger brother, Little Imon.

“Hey, Eamon.”

Compared to these scheming adults, my younger brother is much more fun.

Diana has also noticed that Heros is starting to act like an adult.

It wasn't that Heros had deceived her in any way, but this subtle sense of distance still made Diana, his older sister who had grown up with him, feel somewhat uncomfortable.

With Princess Diana gone, only Herod the Targaryen and Petyr Baelish remained.

Littlefinger's gaze fell on His Highness the Prince, then he composed himself and put on a smile again.

He then sat down in the seat next to Heros, glanced at the two knights below who were already ready, and asked in a casual tone.

"I wonder which one Your Highness favors more?"

...

The first match is between Brienne Tarth, the 'Star of Twilight' from House Tarth of Twilight Hall.

She encountered a one-eyed knight named Philip Ford, a knight who had been knighted for his meritorious service in the war of conquest.

Philip Ford was the first warrior to scale the walls of the Bronze Gate during the Battle of the Bronze Gate, which was personally commanded by Emperor Viserys.

In that battle, he was shot in the left eye, but he roared and pulled the arrow out despite the pain. Then, wielding his sword and shield, he was the first to charge onto the city wall.

Because of Philip Ford's valiant performance in this battle, he was knighted by Viserys after the war, and his fief was located in a village not far from Bronze Gate, allowing him to build his own castle independently.

He was knighted by His Majesty the Emperor himself, who patted him on the shoulder and praised his bravery. As a result, Sir Philip later became famous in the surrounding area.

He arrived at the tournament in King's Landing full of confidence, relying on his ferocious, wolf-like style to eventually make it into the final ten.

Chapter 957 The Result Was Predestined

Who is better, the Knight of Philip Ford or Miss Brienne of Tass?

This is indeed a good question. The two have very different fighting styles. The One-Eyed Knight's fighting style is mostly like that of a madman, with wide-ranging and powerful attacks, even at the cost of injury, which frightens away his opponents.

This is a fighting style that Philip Ford summarized from his battles: as long as you are more ruthless than your enemy, you can scare them away, and then seize the opportunity to win directly when they are in a panic.

He was of humble birth from Essos, and later came to Westeros as a mercenary knight, where he was employed by Lord Tywin Lannister, Warden of the West.

However, after the Battle of Riverrun, the Seven Kingdoms coalition led by Lord Tywin Lannister was defeated. Lord Tywin himself fled back to the Westerlands by boat and into the woods. Therefore, after this battle, he surrendered to the Targaryen family. He made contributions during the attack on Stormlands and was knighted, thus becoming a nobleman and having his own fief.

Philip's humble origins meant he never received systematic training in knightly combat; his fighting style was entirely developed through countless brushes with death in order to survive.

But Brienne of Tuss, the rival of Knight Philip Ford, was different from him.

Brienne of Tarth was born into the ancient and noble Tarth family. Her father was the Earl of Twilighthill, who later died in the Battle of the Green Fork, a battle between humans and White Walkers.