Chapter 78: An Encounter

"What? Ulrick was defeated?"

"Yes… he was…"

"That's impossible! How did he lose?"

"Fire! They used fire… there was fire everywhere! Our brothers… sob… they were all burned alive…"

"And the warhammer… that burning warhammer… that Reach lord was swinging a hammer on fire… with a single strike, he would smash someone into a burst of embers…"

"It was terrifying… they're demons straight out of hell! Horrifying!"

...

Inside the great hall of Starfall Castle, a few soldiers who had narrowly escaped from Cape Wrath were incoherently recounting the defeat.

Alf, the castle's steward, stood there, listening to their panicked, disjointed stories, trying to piece together the truth of what happened.

But the truth he was hearing was difficult to believe.

A battle they thought was foolproof had ended in failure.

How could the Dayne family's elite forces be defeated by a mere pioneer knight who hadn't even finished building his castle?

Though Ulrick hadn't commanded all of the Dayne forces due to his lower standing, Alf had never imagined they'd lose to such a remote outpost.

By the Seven, it was beyond reason.

The soldiers continued their frantic, exaggerated retellings of their terrifying experience at Eagle point, but Alf no longer cared to listen.

All he could think about now was how to deal with this.

Ulrick Sand, a mere bastard, could be lost without consequence, but Starfall could not remain leaderless.

They had to establish a successor to the title, or risk the people losing faith, leaving them vulnerable to an enemy attack.

That was it!

Alf stood abruptly and turned to a guard at his side, giving instructions, "Gather our forces immediately and fortify the harbor, to prevent the Reach from launching an assault…"

But before he could finish, a servant came rushing in, announcing:

"Lord Alf, the princess… the princess has arrived!"

"The princess?" Alf was momentarily stunned. "Which princess?"

"Princess Arianne."

What would bring her to Starfall?

Alf didn't have time to think it over and rushed out to greet her.

At the castle's entrance, sure enough, the princess and her entourage had already passed through the iron gates and were being served water and towels by the attendants.

Alf hurried forward, bowing deeply. "Welcome to Starfall, Your Highness."

Arianne was handing a silk handkerchief back to her maid. She smiled graciously and said, "I apologize for the sudden visit without prior notice; I hope it doesn't inconvenience you."

"Not at all, Your Highness. The gates of Starfall are always open to you."

"Where is Ser Ulrick?"

Alf's face fell, clearly uncomfortable with the question.

Daemon Sand noticed the expression and frowned. "Has he already gone to attack Eagle's Point?"

"Yes… Ser Ulrick departed yesterday morning…"

"Then he may not have taken it yet." Daemon looked hopeful. "Perhaps we can still reach him in time."

Alf gave a dry cough before he reluctantly spoke the truth. "Your Highness, Ser Daemon, Ser Ulrick has already been defeated."

"Victory was swift…" Daemon began, but then paused, realizing what had just been said. He turned to Alf, eyes wide. "Did you just say… Ulrick was defeated?"

Arianne's expression hardened as her dark, obsidian-like eyes bore into Alf.

"Yes, Your Highness. I wouldn't dare deceive you. We have soldiers who managed to escape Eagle's Nest. They're in the hall, and you can question them yourself."

"Ulrick is a disgrace to Dorne!" Daemon spat, angrily cursing him.

Arianne's face remained composed. She removed her headscarf, letting her dark, silken hair fall over her shoulders. "I will question these deserters personally, Alf. Please, lead the way."

"This way, Your Highness."

The group entered the hall, where Arianne listened intently as the traumatized soldiers recounted their tale.

In the end, the unbelievable truth became clear: Ulrick had indeed lost. And it was a disastrous defeat.

"Could that Reach knight be some kind of fire sorcerer?" Daemon could think of no other explanation, though he was barely able to disguise his fear.

Arianne remained calm. She ordered Alf to dismiss the soldiers before speaking again.

"Deserters are hardly reliable sources. To evade punishment or seem less incompetent, they often exaggerate the enemy's power."

Daemon nodded, but added cautiously, "But Ulrick does appear to have lost."

"I know." Arianne took a pomegranate from a tray on the table, carefully peeling it. "Alf, how many soldiers did Ullerick take to attack Eagle Point?"

"Approximately two thousand, Your Highness."

"And how many knights?"

"Twelve knights accompanied him."

Arianne popped a few pomegranate seeds into her mouth, thinking, then asked, "The Daynes have more than that number of sworn knights, don't they?"

Alf glanced at the princess, sensing her implications. "Yes, Your Highness. Including the branch at High Hermitage, House Dayne has thirty-five knights in total."

Less than half had joined Ulrick—clearly, his influence was limited.

Still, even if the Dayne family had not sent their full force, losing to a frontier knight whose castle wasn't even finished was difficult to comprehend.

With her mind made up, Arianne turned to Alf. "Send word to every knight in House Dayne who didn't join the expedition. Inform them that I have arrived in Starfall, and that I wish to see them at once."

"Yes, Your Highness." Alf hesitated. "Should I inform them of Ulrick's defeat?"

"Tell them everything."

"Understood."

After Alf departed, Daemon asked, "Your Highness, why summon all the knights? Are you planning to march on Eagle Point again?"

"That's right."

"But—"

"Are you afraid?" Arianne arched an eyebrow, cutting him off.

With the Dornish princess's gaze fixed on him, Daemon straightened his back and declared, "Of course not!"

---

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

Samwell helped Natalie down from the boat, smiling. "With me here, no one in Starfall will dare harm you."

"Okay." Natalie nodded, clinging to his sleeve tightly.

The Dornish on the docks looked on in curiosity and wariness at this sudden appearance of Reachmen and wildlings.

Fortunately, Hughes Dayne and a few familiar faces were among them. Otherwise, even if there was no open conflict, someone would have surely run to Starfall to alert them.

Samwell called Hughes over, giving him clear instructions.

"Take some men and go to Starfall. Tell House Dayne that Lady Natalie has returned and request they come to the docks to welcome her. If they refuse, take control of the castle gates and report back to me. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

After Hughes and his men departed, Samwell remained on the dock, waiting for the rest of his soldiers to disembark.

Though Natalie was now the first heir of House Dayne, Samwell knew better than to think he could simply stroll into Starfall with a young girl and expect submission.

Strength was the ultimate source of authority, always.

If House Dayne refused to submit, he was prepared to fight again.

Following their recent defeat, they would hardly be able to muster much resistance now. Besides, they wouldn't have had time to gather additional forces.

After about half an hour, Hughes returned, his expression oddly tense.

"Lord Caesar, Lady Natalie, Princess Arianne is currently in Starfall."

"Who?" Samwell was caught off guard.

"Princess Arianne Martell." Hughes hesitated before adding, "Her Highness requests that you and Lady Natalie go to Starfall to pay your respects."

(End of Chapter)