Chapter 66

"Good evening, honorable Triachs. I bring a scroll that has just arrived. I thought it important that you learn of it as soon as possible," the civil servant said as he stepped forward and handed the scroll to Triach Jorvas.

"Thank you. You may go," Jorvas replied curtly, dismissing the official with a dismissive wave of his hand. Then he reached for a knife and broke the seal on the scroll.

Triach Valyro leaned back in his chair and took a deep gulp of the expensive whiskey that filled his glass. It was the most expensive whiskey on the market, with a price of 40 gold coins per barrel. But the taste, the rich aroma and the rarity of this drink more than justified the price for Valyro.

Although he, along with Triach Jorvas and Triach Seprys, had written off House Baelaeron as heirs to Valyria some time ago and did not recognize them as rightful successors, he had to admit that the whiskey of House Baelaeron was the best alcoholic drink he had ever tasted.

He was lucky that his family had stored dozens of barrels.

They waited anxiously as Triach Jorvas read the scroll.

No emotion could be seen on his face, but when he had finished the last word, he laid the scroll down on the table in front of him with a deep sigh.

"Is it as we suspected?" Triach Sepry asked calmly.

Since the report that their fleet had been completely destroyed in Lys, they had already had a hunch as to who might be behind the attack.

The Westerosi were a possibility, but they had dismissed that notion quickly. The kings of Westeros rarely meddled in the affairs beyond their shores, unless it was a matter of piracy or their livelihood. For millennia, they had been far too busy fighting their own wars, sparked by the smallest of feuds and border disputes. Their lands were mired in endless conflict, and it was hard to imagine that they would want to become embroiled in yet another.

Possible? Yes. But unlikely.

Lys and Myr had little resources or ability to wipe out their fleet so thoroughly without them getting wind of it. No word, no ship, no messenger had arrived, and they were left entirely in the dark.

Finally, their suspicions fell on House Baelaeron. They had the dragons to wreak havoc on that scale. Dragonfire could incinerate entire fleets without warning and leave no survivors.

They had also heard rumors that warships had been sighted when they left the port of Azorath. Where to, that remained the question. But it was quite possible that they had set course for Lys.

"Yes. He wants us to join the Eternal Empire and swear allegiance to him, signed by Emperor Kaelarys Baelaeron, Emperor of the Eternal Empire, Remnant of the First Flame, Voice of the Undying and so on and so forth," Jorvas said, while Triach Seprys picked up the scroll himself and read it aloud.

"The world has changed much, honored triarchs," Seprys began. "Chaos reigns in Essos, unwashed savages roam free in the Great Grass Sea, and wars flare across the continent as the daughters of Valyria prepare to fight each other to gain the upper hand. I will restore order and fight for it with all means necessary. I will excuse your presumptuousness and consider it a minor slip should the eldest daughter of Valyria choose to serve the dragon once more."

They, like everyone else in the world, had heard of the rise of the New Empire. The news that Kaelarys Baelaeron, the rider of the mighty Ancalagon, was still alive, along with his entire family, spread like wildfire. What many had thought impossible, Kaelarys Baelaeron had made a reality.

They believed that House Baelaeron, much like House Targaryen, lacked the means to restore the ancient Valyrian Empire and hold its own against its countless enemies, but as it turned out, this was not true.

House Baelaeron had numerous adult dragons and an army that was apparently strong enough to wage war with them.

"The question now is, what do we do? Do we choose peace or war?" Triach Valyro asked, his eyes scanning the faces of his fellow Triachs.

For Valyro, the decision had long since been made. Unlike Triach Jorvas, who was guided by pride and emotions, he thought pragmatically and rationally. He looked at things like a scale – and he always sided with the side that gave him the greatest personal advantage. For him, it only mattered to choose the side from which he profited the most.

"What is there left to consider? Emperor Kaelarys Baelaeron is surrounded by loyalists who would follow him to his death. He has enough dragons to incinerate any army we put up. And apparently he also has an army large enough to win any war, even without dragons," Triach Seprys explained with bitter truth.

"The people are not blind. As soon as they hear that Kaelarys Baelaeron is still alive, many will defect to him. He is a legend!" Valyro added.

He was sure that many of the high-ranking officials in Volantis would not hesitate to betray them if Kaelarys promised them a place at his side. The emperor had much to offer.

For a price, the loyalty of almost any man could be bought.

"Even so," Triach Jorvas scoffed, "just as many will go to him because they want his secret. He will have more enemies than allies. It is foolish of him to think he can usurp Essos while the eyes of the whole world are on Azorath!' he said emphatically.

"No," Valyro replied after a moment's thought. "He has had more years to plan than the three of us have lived combined. I have never met him myself, but I doubt he would undertake such a thing without careful consideration."

"Are you saying he will succeed?' Jorvas asked skeptically.

"I don't just think it," Valyro replied. "I'm fairly certain that no matter what we throw at him, he'll already know it. He probably knows Volantis better than we know it ourselves. He's been walking these halls since before our grandparents were even born. We shouldn't make the mistake of underestimating him."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Triach Seprys said approvingly, before turning to Triach Jorvas. "Besides, nothing has happened yet. Neither in the East nor in the West. It's possible that he will lose, but little will change for us."

"Oh, yeah? And why would that be?' asked Jorvas after thinking for a moment.

"It's quite simple," Valyro explained in an almost cheerful tone. "Our fleet has already been destroyed, and by the time we rebuild it, we'll know more about the situation. If Westeros or Yi Ti interferes, that will turn the tide anyway. By then, we'll be wiser than before. Not to mention that Lys seems to already be on his side, at least unofficially."

Jorvas fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking the one question Valyro had at the back of his mind. "What if they don't intend to let us remain as Triarchs?"

Valyro folded his arms across his chest and gave Jorvas a sharp look. "It's certainly possible," he admitted. "But what choice do we have? They could easily block trade across the sea, both to the east over the Jade Sea and to the west through the Narrow Sea. And there is too much unrest on land for us to hope for alternatives."

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave the other two Triarchs a dark look.

"Very well," he began. "You've already made your decision. You want peace, surrender... or whatever you want to call it." He set the cup down on the table with a loud clang. "But remember what I said!"

Three days had passed since the heated discussion in the hall of the Triarchs.

It began with a scream from the city walls. Guards and commoners flocked to the scene as the first dragon loomed over the skies of Volantis, its mighty wings casting shadows over the ancient streets and tall spires of the city. The rumble of its flight was deep and thunderous, and the heat radiating from its body was palpable in the air.

But it was not just one. Two more dragons soon followed, then three.

The Triarchs, who had spent the last few days weighing their options, had made a decision.

That same afternoon, the heralds announced the news that everyone had already suspected: Volantis had joined the Eternal Empire. In a formal ceremony, the Triarchs swore allegiance to Emperor Kaelarys Baelaeron.

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Men scroll

Men see

Men smile

Men gifts Stones

Men leaves Review

Men leaves happily.

Yours,

Jasonenrick!