Daeron returned to King's Landing and received urgent news.
The Tiger Party archon of Volantis had crushed his two Elephant Party rivals in the council, won the support of the war-hungry Volantenes, and raised a massive army now sailing straight for the Stepstones.
The Stepstones were in grave danger.
:
In the Small Council chamber, Daeron frowned as the ministers argued back and forth.
Varys rose and spoke patiently. "Your Grace, Volantis's navy is formidable. Their numbers are enormous. They have more than enough strength to seize the weakened Stepstones."
The Tiger Party archon had originally planned to attack Slaver's Bay—specifically Astapor, ho of the Unsullied—because slaver ships from the bay had been raiding the Sumr Sea and costing Volantis slaves and wealth.
But after the Battle of the Narrow Sea, the Stepstones had triggered a chain reaction.
The Tiger Party archon imdiately shifted targets, setting his sights on the Stepstones and the treasure they held.
"This is not good news."
Lord Owen's face was grim. "Volantis is not like the Triarchy. They inherited vast lands from old Valyria along the Rhoyne. Their population and territory far exceed those of their sisters."
The Triarchy was more than three Free Cities—they also held land in the Disputed Lands. But most of that land was constantly fought over and wasted.
Volantis was different.
No powerful neighbors nearby. They controlled the Sumr Sea and the Rhoyne river basin. Their mariti trade bood.
During the Bleeding Years they had nearly destroyed the Triarchy single-handedly. Only the Storm King Argilac and Aegon the Conqueror had stopped their invasion of Myr. Without those two interventions, the Triarchy might not exist today.
Of course, Volantis had declined since then. Their power was not what it once was.
That was exactly why they were desperate to change and return to their forr glory.
The ministers understood, but they didn't seem worried.
Lord Corlton spoke for them with a smile. "Volantis joining the fight will only stir up trouble for the Triarchy and the pirates. Isn't that a good thing?"
Daeron gave him a flat look and ignored the shortsighted fool.
The importance of the Stepstones needed no explanation.
Forget the rich gem veins for a mont. Their unique location alone could choke off most of Westeros's sea trade.
"Volantis's involvent forces the Iron Throne to take this seriously."
Tywin's expression was grave. "The Stepstones are vulnerable right now. If Volantis seizes them, the war will spread to Westeros."
His words settled the matter.
:
Lord Staunton warned, "My lord, the realm has only just found peace. The nobles still need ti to recover. They will not support another war."
"Who said we need to send troops?"
Tywin glanced at him calmly. "Volantis is powerful, but they are still foreigners. Do you really think the Triarchy will sit back and watch?"
After Daeron's coronation, he had set the tone for the next five years.
Rest and recovery.
The five-year plan had to be carried out—clearing King's Landing's bloated population while opening new land. Stockpiling for the Long Sumr was also critical. New royal warehouses would buy grain, dicine, and furs every year to prepare for the Long Winter a decade away.
Both efforts would run in parallel.
That ant the realm would not go to war in the short term.
But Tywin was right. The nobles of the Seven Kingdoms could stay neutral. The Triarchy could not.
Volantis attacking the Stepstones was the sa as knocking on their front door.
A little political pressure from the Iron Throne might produce surprising results.
"What if the Triarchy isn't strong enough?"
Lord Staunton muttered.
Tywin's voice turned cold. "Don't underestimate the Triarchy. They swallowed the profits from the first Stepstones war. They're fat and strong right now."
Lord Lucerys, with his broader view, suggested, "Once the Triarchy and the Volantenes start fighting, we can fish in troubled waters."
"I do not support the Iron Throne rushing into war."
Tywin vetoed the idea outright.
The Seven Kingdoms' nobles did not need another war.
The eting ended.
Daeron stayed behind alone, thinking about Ginger Island and the Golden Company.
Without the Ginger Island teleportation pillar and totems, he still hadn't gone there.
He had spent the ti clearing the Skull Cavern in the desert oasis, mining iridium and slting ingots.
Still, he guessed the island was no longer secret. Outsiders would find it.
The Golden Company seed to have located Ginger Island.
That was easy to guess.
The Golden Company had broken their contract with Myr and sailed for the Stepstones instead.
But for weeks they had stayed quiet, simply searching for sothing.
:
Besides the gem veins, the most valuable thing in the Stepstones was Ginger Island.
"The Golden Company will almost certainly refuse to negotiate."
Daeron did not trust sellswords—especially the Golden Company, which supported Blackfyre heirs.
He would likely have to intervene in the Stepstones, strike the Golden Company, and seize part of the islands to keep Ginger Island's location hidden.
Volantis's regular army would stir the pot nicely.
Daeron had already spoken with Lord Lucerys. The royal fleet stood ready.
He did not need the Seven Kingdoms' nobles. House Targaryen and House Velaryon were enough.
Just then Tywin returned.
"Let guess—you want to attack the Stepstones?"
Tywin got straight to the point.
Daeron nodded. "The waters around the Stepstones need to be muddied."
"The Stepstones are a treasure chest. Whoever holds them gets rich. Your ambition isn't surprising."
Tywin remained calm. "But repeated attacks on the Stepstones will bring serious backlash."
The Free Cities were not fools.
Daeron striking again and again would eventually provoke those profit-driven bastards into retaliation.
Besides, relations between the two continents were already tense.
Daeron was not afraid of consequences. He invited, "War is coming eventually. What does House Lannister think?"
"If you were planning to invade the eastern continent, I might consider it. But attacking the Stepstones? I have no ti for that."
Tywin studied his star pupil, trying to read his true ambitions.
Daeron shook his head. "Not yet."
Tywin watched him for a long mont and decided he was telling the truth.
Honestly, compared to the relatively poor Stepstones, Tywin wanted land in the Disputed Lands far more.
Daeron had brothers. Tywin had several strong arms of his own.
Unfortunately, the king had other plans.
Tywin's voice was firm. "If you decide to move, House Lannister will serve. But you must be prepared to offer generous rewards."
"The lion opens its mouth wide?"
Daeron asked evenly.
"Call it what you like."
Tywin's face showed no sha. "Lannisters always pay their debts."
:
Cersei stord into the Hand's Tower, ready to demand answers from her father.
She found Tyrion instead.
Tyrion looked up from his ledger. "Sister. What a pleasant surprise."
Cersei ignored the sarcasm. "Where is Father?"
"Busy. As always."
Cersei's eyes narrowed. "I need to know where the king is."
Tyrion sighed. "I can't tell you that. It would be treason."
Cersei kicked him hard in the stomach. Tyrion doubled over, gasping.
"I will marry the king!" she hissed. "Do you hear ?"
Tyrion wheezed. "The king is already betrothed. To his own sister. You're wasting your ti."
Cersei grabbed his collar. "Then help change his mind. Tell what he likes. What he wants. Everything."
Tyrion stared at her in disbelief. "You're insane."
Cersei smiled sweetly and patted his cheek. "If you don't help , I'll have your cock cut off and feed you to the dogs. Understand?"
Tyrion went pale. "I… I can tell you what he likes. But the rest is up to you."
Cersei released him and straightened. "Good."
:
Daeron left his chambers and nearly ran into a beautifully dressed Cersei.
"Your Grace, what a coincidence!"
Cersei lifted her red skirts and curtsied, flashing a bright smile.
Daeron looked left and right, suddenly wary. "Do you need sothing?"
She was giving him the distinct feeling she might try to drug him.
"I made you a special dessert. I hope you'll try it."
Cersei lifted a covered plate from a nearby chair.
Daeron smiled politely and stepped back. "Not today. I have work."
"Your Grace—!"
Cersei started forward, but Daeron was already walking away.
He had no intention of giving Tywin any excuse to cause trouble.
Sleeping with the teacher's daughter required the teacher's approval first.
Taking her without warning would only bring headaches.
A man had to protect himself out here.
:
The Sumr Sea.
The sun blazed. Temperatures stayed above 104°F year-round. Thick clouds hung low. The air was thick, salty, and suffocating.
A massive warship cut through the waves. Its sails bore a snarling blue tiger's head—fierce and unstoppable.
Trumpeters blew long blasts that echoed across the water.
Behind the flagship, more than two hundred warships sailed in perfect formation, covering the sea like a dark storm cloud and heading straight for the Stepstones.
Volantis's navy.
Following the signal horns, the fleet smashed through the Triarchy's sea defenses. Lys pulled back in panic, terrified their city would be next.
But the Volantene fleet sailed right past Lys and made for Grey Gallows.
Boom!
Catapults on the warships fired in sequence, pounding the pirate ships around Grey Gallows.
"Attack!"
The order rang out in pure High Valyrian. Longships rushed the shore. Soldiers poured onto the island.
The Lysene and Myr garrison fought desperately but could not match Volantis's disciplined regulars. They broke and fled back to their ships.
The Volantene navy moved with precision. They secured Grey Gallows, raised new defenses, set up patrols, supply routes, and watch posts.
A snarling tiger banner was planted on the beach.
Volantis's sudden arrival shattered the fragile peace the Stepstones had enjoyed and left every faction on edge.
Lys. Governor's Palace.
Tregar Ormollen looked ready to explode. "Gods damn it! First Rhaegar Targaryen, now the Volantene Tiger archon. Everything we built in the Stepstones is gone!"
The Stepstones had two major islands—Bloodstone and Grey Gallows.
Bloodstone was a pirate nest originally controlled by Tyroshi, Slaver's Bay, and Sumr Islands pirates. Lys had tried several tis to gain a foothold and failed.
Rhaegar had been a madman. He had sworn to help Lys clear the pirates in exchange for a dragon egg, then quietly moved his wife and child out of Lys and attacked Grey Gallows.
If Lys hadn't secretly reinforced the island, he would have succeeded.
Now Volantis had arrived.
In one stroke they crushed the Lys-Myr garrison and took Grey Gallows.
"Every month Grey Gallows's gem mines produce over a hundred special gems—enough to arm an entire gem-sequence unit. And now it's lost."
Natalya was equally devastated. She held a ten-percent share and received ten special gems every month to train her slave warriors.
Valarr's forehead veins bulged, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Rhaegar and the Volantenes will shatter the peace in the Disputed Lands. We must prepare for war."
The words sounded strong, but reality was harsh.
When the Triarchy stood united, they feared no one.
Now Myr had grown fat from its alliance with Pentos and the Iron Throne. Tyrosh was in chaos—more than a dozen candidates were poisoning and betraying one another in the race for the position of Triarch.
"Myr can still be brought back to the table," Tregar Ormollen said, forcing his anger down.
Myr had also been struck by Volantis. They would not let this go.
"Tyrosh too," Valarr added. "Our enemies have grown stronger."
Rhaegar had the Iron Throne and House Martell behind him.
Volantis was enormous—its army stronger than Lys, Myr, or Tyrosh alone.
And there were still thousands of pirates, slavers, and smugglers.
One wrong move and the Triarchy could be overwheld.
Volantis was at the peak of its power.
The Triarchy had lost control of the Stepstones and made many enemies over the years. Plenty of people would happily kick them while they were down.
"We don't have enough n to call on all of Lys," Valarr said darkly. "Send word. We're expanding the Council of Governors. Choose more archons."
"What?"
Natalya started to object.
Tregar wanted to argue too, but the mory of the ships lost at Grey Gallows made him swallow his words.
The other two rchant governors exchanged glances. Opposition was pointless.
Knock knock knock!
The doors burst open.
Fredo Rogare rushed in, breathless. "My lords—the Volantene fleet is sailing for Bloodstone!"
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