Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

The old sergeant still commands the Targaryen fleet, guarding the coastline and the Dragonstone.

Ser Geoffrey also manages many affairs on Dragonstone, making him the undisputed second most powerful figure in the Targaryen family's sphere of influence.

With his power and status firmly established, even Prince Oberon, who is equally distinguished in Andalus, would find it impossible to challenge the old knight's position.

However, Andalus was still a long way from the coastline, and Viserys had not expected the old lord to suddenly come from the port or Dragonstone. Something important must have happened.

That's why Viserys rushed over.

"His Majesty."

However, when Viserys arrived at the castle's main hall, the white-haired and white-bearded Ser Geoffrey was already waiting there, wearing a golden badge on his chest and looking exceptionally spirited.

"His Majesty."

"His Majesty."

Prince Oberyn, who was in charge of guarding the city-state and commanding two thousand guards, and Maester Gunther of Dragonstone were also seated here.

This is the highest-level conference lineup Andalus currently hosts.

"Lord Jeffrey, it's been a long time."

"You still look as charming as ever."

After taking his seat, Viserys first greeted the old man.

The commander-in-chief of the Dragonstone fleet, who is now nominally the 'Hand of the King' and the Secretary of the Navy, is not only a guiding light in his life but also a figure like a strict father.

Because of the great distance between them, Sir Geoffrey also had to return to Dragonstone from time to time to handle business, and the two of them had not seen each other for more than half a year.

However, the old knight remained loyal and unwavering.

"Your Majesty, it has indeed been a long time."

The old man with gray hair sat in the nearest chair to Viserys' left, his slightly yellowed old eyes looking at the increasingly sharp-witted young man before him, and the last bit of worry in his heart vanished.

Viserys was able to manage the city well on his own, and did not become arrogant and decadent because he was out of control.

Then the old gentleman leaned forward, his expression straightened slightly, his smile faded, and he got down to business.

"His Majesty."

"The usurper's new fleet is complete."

Chapter 97 Burning

"Is it finished yet?"

Viserys' expression turned slightly serious upon hearing the old man's words, but he did not appear particularly shocked.

Because the Iron Throne has been gathering intelligence on Andalus, and Andalus also has many 'insiders' in Westeros.

Viserys has established himself on the continent of Essos, and by now more than a dozen nobles have contacted him to express their wishes for the king's good health and their hope for the early return of the royal army.

These noble families were those who suffered losses or unfair distribution of spoils after Baratheon seized the Iron Throne.

After all, Robert had ascended the Iron Throne, and he had to reward the vast majority of the spoils to the families who had followed him in the rebellion—supposedly the original spoils of the families who later surrendered.

This will cause those who benefit from the situation to cheer, while others will naturally harbor resentment.

This is the growing pain that is unavoidable during a power transition, and it takes time for them to adjust and get used to the distribution of benefits in the post-Targaryen era.

Unfortunately, the embers of the Targaryens were not completely extinguished. First, they staged a desperate counterattack on Dragonstone, inflicting a heavy blow on Baratheon, and then they regained their foothold on Essos, showing a strong momentum to make a comeback.

Because of Viserys's presence, Robert, or rather his adoptive father Jon Arryn, the First Hand, had his efforts to resolve the issue of unequal distribution of domestic interests greatly prolonged.

Now they need more time to make the various factions in the country completely forget about the Targaryens and adapt to the distribution of interests in the new era.

This may also be one of the reasons why the First Hand finally agreed to the new fleet plan, and why Robert was determined to eliminate the remaining Targaryen forces.

Several months before Viserys was about to set off for Pentos, he had already received news that Baratheon's new royal fleet had been completed.

However, it was unexpected that it would be delayed for several more months. It seems that Stannis has made full preparations this time and is being very careful.

They even released a lot of false information in an attempt to mislead the enemy across the Narrow Sea, but the Targaryens did not fall for it this time.

After all, the previous raid had many favorable factors, such as timing, location, and support, which ultimately led to such a brilliant victory, and it is almost impossible to replicate it again.

If they were to launch another surprise attack on Stannis's royal fleet, they would likely fall into the enemy's trap and suffer heavy losses instead.

Having commanded the Dragonstone fleet for so many years, the old knight had naturally become thoroughly versed in naval warfare, making his tactics even more composed and steady.

He rushed over from Dragonstone to discuss countermeasures with Viserys.

"To fight, or to retreat?"

A silver-haired boy dressed in a plain cloth shirt and riding breeches sat in the center of the main hall of Andalus Castle, one hand supporting his cheek, his gaze fixed on a pen on the table, seemingly lost in thought.

In fact, Dragonstone was already part of Viserys' early plans.

That is to first retreat to the Andas Plains, then establish a castle there to gain a foothold, and if Baratheon attacks Dragonstone again one day, then voluntarily avoid battle and hand over Dragonstone to them.

This allows for the maximum recovery of the battle lines, consolidating one's strength into a single, powerful fist, ready to deliver a devastating blow when the enemy once again reaches the continent of Essos.

However, plans are plans, when it came time to give up Dragonstone, Viserys felt a little reluctant.

Although so many years have passed, he has already thoroughly scoured Dragonstone Island, moving everything that could be moved over.

It even included some dragon bones, dragon crystals, or what was called obsidian, as well as some stones that looked like dragon eggs. However, after carefully taking them out, they turned out to be just stones.

"Are we really going to give up Dragonstone?"

Viserys felt a little reluctant and hesitant at the same time.

Meanwhile, Prince Oberyn, who was sitting in the first seat to Viserys' right, was crossing his legs and fiddling with his fingers. Hearing Viserys' words, he looked up and gazed at the young king with his dark eyes.

"If you are unwilling to give up even a small amount of benefit, you may very well disrupt the whole situation."

Prince Oberyn's words made a lot of sense. Although the man had dark skin, messy hair, and a beard, making him look somewhat unkempt, he was still presentable.

However, Oberyn is not someone to be underestimated. He is actually the most knowledgeable person present, a truly rare genius.

Oberyn studied at the Citadel in his youth and created six maester chains, symbolizing that he had reached the level of maester in six fields.

The Maester Gunther, who was present and wore a grey maester's robe, even had to call Oberyn "senior," because he only had three maester's chains in total.

"The usurpers' navy is not as elite as ours, yet their ships are far more robust and larger."

At this moment, Maester Gunther, who was sitting next to the old knight, also spoke up.

During his time as a maester on Dragonstone, he helped the old sergeant manage affairs on Dragonstone, and also went to Andalus to assist Viserys.

Even Maester Gunther was busier than them, frequently traveling back and forth between the two places, but fortunately he trained apprentices who could help with the normal collection and dispatch of ravens on both sides.

"I understand."

Viserys heard that all three members of the royal council agreed that the original plan should not be disrupted, and that they should continue to conserve their strength and wait for the right opportunity to join forces with Dorne to return to Westeros. He then nodded slightly.

"In that case, let's wait until Stannis's fleet arrives and then abandon Dragonstone and retreat."

Viserys made the final decision on this matter, withdrawing all his forces to continue quietly conserving his strength.

"Ah."

The old knight nodded slightly, and the matter was considered closed.

However, the grey-robed scholar sitting next to him then organized the intelligence in his hands and raised his head again.

"Your Majesty, there is one more small matter."

Viserys's gaze immediately fell on the maester.

"what?"

Then, Maester Gunther handed a piece of intelligence to Viserys.

"This happened not long ago in the Iron Islands..."

“A sanctuary dedicated to the seven gods was accidentally burned down, but many people believe that it may not have been an accident.”

Chapter 98 Iron Seed

"The great drowning god has given us courage, will, and strength."

Meanwhile, on the distant Iron Islands, a long-planned carnival seems to be unfolding.

A man dressed in linen clothing is bare-chested, holding a blazing torch, and chanting words full of fervor and piety.

They then burned the seven-gods' temple in front of them to the ground.

"These false gods and heretics are all part of the Storm God's conspiracy. Get them out of the Drowning God's territory!"

According to legend, the Storm God is the eternal enemy of the Drowning God. The Storm God resides in a palace in the clouds, while the Drowning God resides in a palace of flowing water at the bottom of the sea. When they fight, the sea will be filled with raging storms and towering waves.

However, like the Drowned God, no one except the Ironborn believed in the existence of the Storm God.

Call ~

The fire was raging, billowing thick smoke rising and flickering flames. The monks and nuns inside the sanctuary were crying out in despair. Some fled in panic, only to be hacked to death by the Ironborn waiting outside, their screams echoing through the air.

Others remained inside the church, kneeling before the Father and praying loudly, as if their loud voices could strengthen their faith and suppress the fear stirring within them.

They hoped that the seven gods would unleash their divine power and destroy these sinners who blasphemed the gods.

Actually, there were some signs of this happening a month ago.

Although the number of people is relatively small, some of the Ironborn still believe in the Seven Gods. However, a month ago, these Ironborn who believe in the Seven Gods frequently encountered bad things.

Either their house burned down while they were away, or they were burgled with their doors wide open.

Later on, some people even deliberately targeted the houses of these Iron People, throwing stones at them regardless of whether they were home or not. There were also a series of incidents where Iron People who believed in the Seven Gods were beaten or even killed in the streets.

Spreading the teachings of the Seven Gods in the Iron Islands was an extremely difficult task in itself. However, despite these arduous challenges, the monks of the Sanctuary did not give up and continued to persevere.

But they never imagined it would turn out like this.

A group of fanatical followers of the Drowning God first burned down the Seven Holy Church on Great Wick Island, and then the church on Old Wick Island was also besieged. All the monks were killed, and the nuns also suffered cruel treatment.

The situation suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse, becoming uncontrollable at an unexpected speed.

On Pyke Isle, the most prosperous island in the Iron Islands, monks who worshipped the Seven Gods sought refuge with House Greyjoy in the name of the Archbishop of King's Landing, requesting that the Greyjoys send troops to suppress the rebellion and protect the sanctuary from attack.

However, Pike City drove these monks out of the city, telling them that this was not a rebellion, but simply the choice of the Ironborn.