Chapter 674: Ambushed

Viserys soared back to King's Landing, while across the Narrow Sea, the visiting fleet had long since departed Myr, arriving at their next diplomatic location.

Tyroshi.

Tyroshi, a port city and one of the nine Free Trade Cities, sat isolated from the continent on a large island north of the Stepstones, making it the nearest trade city to the Westerosi continent.

"I've been to Sunspear before."

"And to Tyroshi as well, Asha."

A Ironborn, wearing loose grey-black cloth garb with no buttons fastened, a curved blade tied to his waist, strolled and conversed with Asha Greyjoy.

"Tyroshi is much larger than Sunspear."

A bustling city lay before them. The Targaryen fleet anchored at Tyroshi's port, where sailors and soldiers could briefly roam freely, procure supplies, and amidst the port stood the Weeping Tower.

Tyroshi was considerably larger than Sunspear, yet far smaller than King's Landing.

However, this island city thrived on trade. Goods from all over the world appeared here for transit or distribution, giving the bustling streets a vibrant atmosphere. Diverse people of various hair and skin colors, regional accents and attire could be seen, some in small groups, others haggling prices.

Asha and other foreigners walked boldly along the main street without attracting attention due to the city's open atmosphere.

Moreover, Tyroshi was known for its thriving slave trade, and mercenaries, slaves, and pleasure gardens were prevalent within the city.

Once a colony of the Valyrian Freehold, Tyroshi gained independence following the Doom.

"Asha Greyjoy of the Andals."

In terms of governance, the ruler of Tyroshi was referred to as the 'Archon'.

The Archon of Tyroshi was not hereditary but was elected through a series of bribes and threats, which was considered normal by the people of Tyroshi.

After all, how could a candidate who doesn't even know how to bribe expect to govern their city?

Hence, during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, mercenaries, pirates, and merchants who conquered Tyroshi supported the local wealthy merchant 'Silver-tongue' Aquido Adarys to become the ruler of Tyroshi.

But after the failure of the Ninepenny Kings' War, Aquido ruled Tyroshi for several more years before being poisoned by his wife, and the Archon system of Tyroshi was restored.

However, 'Silver-tongue' Aquido Adarys's youngest son, Orton Adarys, was not purged but gained the trust of the current Archon and later became one of the governors of Myr with the support of Tyroshi.

Now, within the Archon's palace of Tyroshi.

The present Archon of Tyroshi sat centrally in the palace, cradling a shapely female slave, gently savoring the scent emanating from her, as she sat, enchanted, in his lap, offering him a grape to taste.

Several slaves knelt beside the Archon, some holding fruit platters, some massaging his feet, and another acting as his translator.

The Valyrian spoken in Tyroshi was notably divergent, being a heavily localized variant of Valyrian, so the Archon didn't understand the Common Tongue, and Asha didn't understand this dialect.

At this moment, the Archon of Tyroshi inquired, and the translator, wearing merely a coarse cloth shirt, bare-armed, and a slave mark tattooed on his cheek, unhesitatingly addressed those below.

"Asha Greyjoy of the Andals, my king has some questions for you."

"What is the purpose of your visit this time?"

"How long do you plan to stay in Tyroshi?"

The Archon of Tyroshi's questions seemed somewhat impolite but were very straightforward.

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For a place like Tyroshi, tucked away in its own corner with no ambitions of conquest, the only slight overreach was the claim to the disputed territories.

Those lands were once prosperous during Valyrian rule but have now declined, though they still possess a significant population and mines.

Now with Myr out of the competitive sequence, only Tyroshi and Lys directly face off, mutually disdainful.

Moreover, Volantis has always been keen to meddle in the dispute over those territories.

However, considering the scale of Tyroshi and Lys, Volantis is a colossal entity, so every time Volantis shows interest in the disputed territories, the once 'Two Sisters' temporarily lay down their weapons, uniting against a common external threat.

But now, not just Volantis, another even larger colossus next to the Three Sisters Kingdom has unexpectedly cast its gaze eastward, sending a fleet on a diplomatic visit, making the world of Free Trade Cities universally tense.

The Archon of Tyroshi's question is, in a strict sense, the first time the world of Free Trade Cities has inquired about the Iron Throne's intentions.

And the fleet's first combat visit to Myr did not have this privilege; a puppet regime cannot represent the Free Trade Cities, nor can it directly converse with the Iron Throne.

"Your Majesty's decree I cannot refuse, nor can I speculate on his intentions."

"His Majesty received a plea for help from the Naathi Isles, dispatched troops to assist Valyria's vassal country in resolving the pirate crisis, and instructed me to visit the City-States along the way to convey amicable relations."

"We are friends, Archon."

And the Princess of the Iron Islands, standing at the base of the stairs with one hand on her waist-bound blade, surveyed the surroundings and spoke loudly. Her reply was neither humble nor haughty, showing no signs of stage fright.

Viserys sent Asha on this diplomatic mission precisely because he saw her capability of handling things independently.

'Asha is not like many lacy-gowned girls.'

Not long after, Asha concluded her diplomatic mission in the Archon's palace of Tyroshi.

The Archon of Tyroshi has close relations with Dorne, and the Archon himself and Prince Doran have a deeply secretive personal relationship, thus he is quite well-informed about events occurring in Westeros.

The Archon of Tyroshi also asked Asha about the reasons and intentions behind Viserys's declaration of ascension to the Emperor of Valyria and expressed worried emotions.

Because Tyroshi was once a vassal of Valyria, and besides themselves, no one wants to see this great empire return to this world.

However, Asha was unaware of this matter and appeared bewildered. The Archon of Tyroshi learned about this news in advance through covert channels.

Now, Asha and her entourage, riding warhorses, left the Archon's palace in Tyroshi and leisurely returned toward the port, taking the opportunity to appreciate Tyroshi's local customs and people.

But just as the two, riding their warhorses, passed a small alley, a group of people suddenly emerged, blockading them front and back.

"Kill her!"

Subsequently, this group of masked black-clothed individuals did not engage in any dialogue with Asha but directly drew their weapons and pounced.

The second chapter will follow shortly.