"A bunch of useless fools!"
Viserys cursed under his breath and waved his hand dismissively. "Lord Laenor, your family also resides in the Riverlands. You will handle this matter."
Laenor hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement. "I will act as the king's envoy and do my best to persuade both families."
House Strong had been granted the famous Harrenhal and was one of the major lords of the Riverlands.
However, both House Blackwood and House Bracken had lineages spanning over a thousand years, making them two of the most prestigious noble families in the region.
Moreover, they were sworn enemies, constantly seeking to destroy each other.
A few years ago, during Rhaenyra's tour of the continent, the Earl of House Bracken sought to win her favor by challenging the Blackwood children to a duel.
The result? He was slain by the young Samwell Blackwood.
House Bracken was forced to appoint a new lord, further deepening the animosity between the two families.
With each troublesome matter addressed one by one, Viserys felt a sense of relief. He then asked, "What about the Vale? The mountain clans are nothing but a group of uncivilized savages."
The mountain clans had long been a plague upon the Vale.
The previous Duke of the Eyrie, Lady Jeyne's father and brother, were ambushed and killed by the Stone Crows on their way home.
The incident had caused a great uproar at the time.
"This..."
Laenor opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
The other ministers also fell into deep thought.
The mountain clans were well-versed in the terrain of the Vale. Once they rebelled, they became elusive and difficult to suppress.
**Creak—**
The doors of the council chamber opened from the outside as Corlys and Rhaenys entered hand in hand.
"Lords and ladies, forgive my tardiness."
Corlys walked in with his head held high, greeting the room with composure.
He had been heavily plied with wine the previous night. After waking, he dressed in full regalia to attend the long-overdue Small Council meeting.
"Lord Corlys, Princess Rhaenys..."
Having worked together for years, the council members were all familiar with one another and exchanged greetings.
Corlys nodded in response and led his wife to an empty seat. Before sitting, he turned to Viserys and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for reserving a seat for me, Your Grace."
"You are now an ally of the realm. I wouldn't dare neglect you."
Viserys chuckled and gestured for them to be seated.
Without hesitation, Corlys pulled out a chair for his wife before sitting down himself. He then took a black stone sphere from the tray and placed it in the designated slot on the table.
Seeing this, the other council members followed suit, each taking their respective stone spheres and setting them in place.
The meeting officially commenced.
As the focal point of this session, Corlys was the first to speak. "Your Grace, the pirates of the Three Daughters have begun raiding merchant ships along our trade routes. We must act swiftly."
"We were just discussing the costs of war and troop deployments," Viserys replied with a slight smile. "The kingdom will retaliate without hesitation against the incursions of the Three Daughters. Naturally, we will need the full support of your house."
With that, he cast a glance at Laenor.
Laenor subtly nodded in response before producing a royal decree. With great solemnity, he announced:
"Lord Corlys, in recognition of your illustrious achievements and experience in combating the Three Daughters, His Grace appoints you as Lord Admiral and supreme commander of the Stepstones campaign."
Corlys glanced at Viserys, who was smiling at him, before accepting the decree with a composed expression. "I appreciate Your Grace's trust. I shall serve with utmost dedication."
This appointment had been prearranged.
No one else was more suited for the role of Lord Admiral than Corlys Velaryon.
After a brief pause, Corlys asked, "Your Grace, my house will fully support the war effort. May I ask how many troops the kingdom intends to commit?"
This war for the Stepstones had royal backing.
He did not wish for his house to suffer heavy losses as they had in the past.
"The exact number is still under discussion, but a conservative estimate would be three thousand men and one hundred warships from the Crownlands."
Viserys had roughly calculated this figure based on the wealth of the Crownlands' nobles.
The Crownlands were directly under Targaryen rule, and every vassal was fiercely loyal.
"Forgive my bluntness, but that is far from enough to sustain a prolonged war," Corlys remarked with a frown, clearly dissatisfied.
During the previous Stepstones campaign, aside from his house's fleet and Daemon's sellsword company, they had hired more than three thousand mercenaries from the Free Cities alone.
"The lords of the other regions have yet to be informed of the war in the Stepstones. We will need some time," Laenor explained.
**"That should be as soon as possible, Your Grace."**
Corlys spoke calmly and steadily, "Storm's End is the closest to the Stepstones, and Lord Borros Baratheon is a supporter of the crown. He will surely aid in this war."
As a coastal city, Storm's End also accumulates wealth through port taxes, making House Baratheon naturally aligned with their cause.
Grand Maester Mellos spoke slowly, "No problem. Once this meeting concludes, ravens will be sent across the Seven Kingdoms."
Next, they discussed a series of defensive measures based on the kingdom's financial reserves.
Watchtowers would be built on the Stepstones, garrisons stationed, and the fleet would patrol the waters.
Each of these required a considerable amount of gold.
Every time Corlys proposed a new defensive measure, Lord Lyman, the Master of Coin, flinched, his eyelids twitching.
He closed his eyes in distress.
Finally, Corlys addressed the most crucial issue.
"Your Majesty, dragons provide an aerial advantage in war. How many should our two houses send?"
Corlys's expression was grave—this was of utmost importance to him.
Viserys did not answer immediately. His gaze swept over Rhaegar and Rhaenyra, filled with hesitation.
The royal family had three dragonriders.
Rhaenyra was a woman—she could barely hold a sword, let alone fight on a battlefield.
Rhaegar was his eldest son and heir; keeping him in the Red Keep was the safest choice.
As for his second son, Aegon—there was no need to even consider him.
A useless, pleasure-seeking son, Viserys had no hope that he would ride a dragon into battle.
Personal feelings clouded his judgment—he did not want any of his children on the battlefield.
Blades and arrows held no mercy in war. It wasn't just open combat; assassins and stray arrows could claim lives at any moment.
His uncle, Prince Aemon Targaryen, the most outstanding son of King Jaehaerys and his chosen heir to the Iron Throne, had met such a fate.
During a previous war in the Stepstones, Aemon rode his dragon, Caraxes the Blood Wyrm, into battle.
Ironically, he did not die at the hands of enemy soldiers but was assassinated in his own tent.
Corlys locked eyes with Viserys, immediately recognizing the hesitation in the king's gaze.
It displeased him greatly.
The war in the Stepstones was not solely House Velaryon's burden to bear.
If the royal family refused to send dragonriders, was he expected to bring his wife and children into battle instead?
Just as he was about to press the matter further, Rhaegar spoke up.
"Father, this war is led by the crown. We cannot retreat."
Rhaegar stood, his expression calm. "When the war begins, I will ride Vermax into battle. I have already discussed this with Lord Corlys."
"Rhaegar, when did you make this decision?"
Viserys was deeply displeased by his son's declaration.
He would rather entrust Aegon to Corlys than send Rhaegar to the battlefield.
"Father, the crown must set an example. If House Targaryen's dragonriders refuse to fight, who else will fully support us?"
War was the path to honor and power.
**(End of Chapter)**