28 The Plans

We have lost exactly 32 ships and that was a great number for our normal-sized fleet. However, their fleet was decimated and we were victorious. Unfortunately, there were some casualties as Lord Rodrik Ryswell was killed by a stray arrow and a small noble from the Vale was cornered in an enemy ship by three sellswords and slain right there. Still, we had great results from this battle and with this momentum, I was planning to continue and siege Braavos.

We took all of the ships as we had many prisoners which numbered around five thousand. This was not a land battle and our battle was on the open sea so there wasn't anything they could do other than surrender to us.

However, there were still some ships that escaped from our ships' pursuit and they were sure to inform the Braavosi about our victory and what we have against them. Honestly, I had some plans for the invasion of the city but everything changed after what I had captured during the war.

What the North needed was fear... our enemies needed to fear us and I was planning to do it the old ways but I didn't need to do it that way anymore as I had something precious in my hands. There was going to be some grumbling amongst the lords but the thing they were going to witness was sure to be enough to turn a blind eye.

Just as I was contemplating a guard came in. "My lord, they are waiting for you," he said.

I nodded my head and signalled him to leave. The sea battle was over but the lords still had doubts about our mission and that was a dangerous idea because that could create dissent amongst the lords. Thus, I called for the lords to attend me in my ship to discuss our future plans.

I gathered the maps on my desk and left my personal room. As I climbed the stairs to reach the deck, I began to hear sounds of yellings. However, all sounds ceased as soon as they saw me.

All of the lords were present and they were sitting on a long table which was built by putting together several small tables. It looked like a scene from a tavern but the occupants were noble lords.

They were still murmuring to themselves as they waited for me. I did not say anything and went to the head of the table and put the maps in my hand onto the table but didn't open them.

"My lords, we have won a great victory. Essosi was crushed and as I promised, our swords were dyed with the blood but the war does not end here." I said while making eye contact with each of them.

"Aye, we have won the battle but it is impossible to conquer Braavos, Lord Stark. We should approach them for negotiations." Renly said with a big smile but I realized there were bandages on his arm. From the looks of it, he did not come out unscathed and gained his share of wounds.

"Negotiations?! They sent a fuckin' assassin to negotiate! We can't trust these Essosi cunts, they should be brought to their knees!" Greatjon slammed his fist onto the table and yelled.

The approving sounds came from the Northern lords but the Southerners were still sceptical. "Lord Umber, tell me, how are you planning to pass the mountains of Braavos? Are you going to take down the Titan or walk the long bridge?" Lord Renly mocked him but his face was one of contempt.

Greatjon tried to rise from his seat to give a brutal answer to Lord Renly but Mors held him back. If I let them they were sure to fight right here and it was obvious who would get beaten.

"Enough!" I raised my voice, "As I said earlier, the war does not end here. It is time for us to conquer Braavos."

"It is impossible, there is no way we can get through the mountains and the Titan." Brynden Tully cut my words short as he chimed in.

"Not to worry about that, my good sir, I will explain it if you let me continue," I said to which he nodded his head albeit with a little frown, "The mountains will be opened for us, you do not need to worry about that."

[You can find the invasion plans here: www.imgur.com/DpYTIJ8 ]

"Here is what I need you to do," I opened the maps on the table and the lords at the end of the table rose from their seats and gathered around the map. "According to the intelligence I have, Braavosi has a hundred warships in the city and twenty-five of them are stationed in the Arsenal against a possible invasion from the Titan. Also, another twenty-five of them is waiting at the mouth of Titan to stagger any invading force. The rest of the ships are scattered in the openings between mountains."

I pointed the red dots on the map to show them the positions of the enemy ships. I saw some faces paling as all of the ships were holding the choke points and there was no pass without losing ten men for one man.

The city was, literally, impossible to invade. Of course, if I had some dragons it was a big possibility for the city to fall rather quickly. Although we didn't have that luxury, we had our own tools for making the invasion possible. I pointed to the white dots and continued to tell my plan.

"We will wait here until the fall of the sun and the rise of the stars. When the moon reaches its highest point, the Sellagoro's Shield will be opened for us to pass." Lord Renly and Ser Brynden tried to speak against it but I raised my hand to stop them, "Don't ask how it is going to happen, all you need to know is Sellagoro's Shield will be splintered when the time comes."

"Then, we will avoid the watchtowers to the north and the south. After that, we will sail like an arrow and begin our invasion from right here," I pointed to Ragman's Harbour and slid my finger towards the north of it. "We will be split into three parts. Three thousand men at the command of Lord Bolton will cut all roads going to the South of the city from Happy port to the Bridge of Gods."

Lord Bolton nodded his head as I continued to tell my plan, "Lord Dustin will take another three hundred heavy infantry with some archers as support and guard the Bridge of Gods, lest some faceless men get through the bridge and sneak into our higher ranks."

"Meanwhile, our main purpose will be reaching the Sealord's Palace as soon as possible. So we will attack the Canal of Heroes but a group of five thousand men under the command of Lord Royce will clean out the north of the Ragman's Harbour and we will put our focus on three eastward bridges of the Canal of Heroes. Passing from them will be rather easy as it will be the giants that will lead the charge." I can already see the excited faces of Northern lords and even some Southerner lords were expecting to see the giants in action.

My plan was legit and the only thing they didn't approve of until now was getting into the shallow waters of Braavos. The Southerners didn't believe in my words about getting over the Sellagoro's Shield but a surprise was expecting them for sure.

"After passing the bridges, Lord Glover will take five hundred men and guard the entrance to the temples. If the soldiers desecrate them, our cause would be damaged. We will press towards the Sealord's Palace and when we reach the Iron Bank, Ser Brynden will take ten thousand men to clean out the southern part of the island and secure the bridges." I spoke without raising my head and the lords listened to me with pure silence.

"Those prickly sellswords and Braavosi won't pass from the bridges, you can be sure of that." Ser Brynden said.

I nodded my head and continued, "We need to enclose the Iron Bank as those with high rank may escape to them for safety. Especially, we must reach the Sealord before he can escape to the northern seas or to the Iron Bank. If it comes to that, we will force their doors to open but until then, I don't want any mishap to happen."

"If done so the political reparation of it would be dire. We should avoid them at all costs." Lord Renly said.

I nodded my head and looked at him with a hard face and asked, "May I trust you on guarding the bank, my lord?"

Lord Renly thumped his chest and said, "Aye, leave it to me!"

"I remember there is a big wall just before the entrance of Sealord's Palace, my lord. May I ask, how do you plan to pass from it? Getting over it will require siege engines." Lord Royce asked with a thoughtful face.

"That, my lord, will be the job of the giants." I spoke with a wide smirk on my face as the Northern lords followed my example, "You surely do remember the giant steel pickaxes we brought on the ships, the giants will crush the walls with them and with their thick steel armours, no arrows or swords will harm them."

Lord Royce's eyes grew wide as he realized the reason why we brought such giant tools. However, I could see similar faces on every Southerner. They, probably, didn't realize the potential of the giants because any wall of a city was just a fence for a giant.

"Anyway, after taking the Sealord as a prisoner, we will slowly spread towards the rest of the city and while we are doing this, our fleet will attack their ships and take control of the Arsenal and the watchtowers. The city will be ours by the first light." I grinned at my perfect plans. Increasing the martial attribute points was not for nothing, after all.

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If you were Eddard Stark, how would you have invaded Braavos with what you have?