Chapter 673: Raven to Sunspear

The rebellion of Skyreach Castle finally met its fiery end beneath the roar of dragon flames. A fortress and three ancient Dornish families were forever erased from the annals of history.

The royal army, carrying the coffin of Jon Clinton, slowly retreated along the road toward Prince's Pass.

The surrounding Dornish families were as quiet as winter crickets. House Blackmont of Blackmont Castle had narrowly evaded disaster.

Not long ago, Lady Larra, after much persuasion, had chosen to send her troops to Skyreach. However, the Blackmonts were left with only women and children. Her daughter, Joneysa, and young son, Penrose, were too young to lead. They merely sent a symbolic force of a few hundred soldiers under the command of their house knights.

Fortunately, Viserys did not retaliate against the Blackmonts.

House Manwoody of Kingsgrave acted similarly, supporting the Fowler family during the Battle of Prince's Pass. Although they did not send troops, they supplied many resources to help the Fowlers defend the pass. But Dicken Manwoody, the younger son of the Earl of Kingsgrave, was captured by the royal army during the battle. Using him, the royal forces managed to deceitfully open the gates. Thus, Dicken was credited for his reluctant service.

Upon entering the pass, Jon Clinton honored the promise made to Dicken by the fifty warriors, pardoning House Manwoody and releasing him.

Thus, House Manwoody of Kingsgrave also narrowly escaped doom.

Viserys did not accompany the retreating army. Instead, he escorted Jon Clinton's coffin and penned a letter en route. The letter was brief. Once written, he sealed it with dark red wax, impressing it with the Targaryen dragon sigil from his cloak pin, and handed it to a maester accompanying the army.

"Maester Yvlyn," he commanded, "Send this to Sunspear."

A maester, clad in gray robes with a chain of knowledge around his neck and graying hair, stepped forward, bowing slightly. "As you wish."

Although Maester Yvlyn could not save Jon Clinton, Viserys did not blame him. In this age, the survival of the wounded was rare. Many suffered only to die.

Viserys's letter was simple, demanding an explanation from his estranged father-in-law in Sunspear, who had not left the Water Gardens in decades, for the events that transpired.

Initially, Viserys had promised Arianne that he wouldn't make such demands, but Jon Clinton's death had ignited his fury. He could no longer turn a blind eye to Sunspear's tacit approval of the rebellion.

Viserys, with his knowledge of history and the world's trajectory, understood Dorne's situation all too well. Prince Doran's tactics were brilliant; he had a firm grip on Dorne.

In other words, without Sunspear's silent consent, the rebellion in Skyreach would not have erupted. Even if Old Falcon instigated the rebellion to escape justice, other families wouldn't have had the courage to join without Sunspear's tacit approval.

House Martell of Sunspear, his unseen father-in-law, perhaps intended to express discontent towards the Iron Throne through this, cleverly distancing themselves and letting 'pawns' take the brunt.

But an infuriated Viserys responded by annihilating the 'pawns' sent by Prince Doran with the might of dragons, sending a strong message.

From a strategic perspective, Prince Doran's moves might not have been erroneous. Viserys's approach to Dorne was a transparent strategy, making Dorne an easy target.

Yet Doran's mistake was underestimating Viserys's resolve to address the Dornish issue and misjudging the timing of the dragon's deployment.

Who could've foreseen that even before the war in Skyreach began, a dragon, precisely timing its flight, would soar from King's Landing to Dorne?

After all, Viserys possessed the 'third eye,' while Prince Doran was but a mortal. This chess match was inherently unfair.

Neither player, Viserys nor Doran, could've predicted the unexpected move by the heir of House Qorgyle of Sandstone, Gulian Qorgyle, who, seeking vengeance for his brother, fired an arrow that pierced Jon Clinton's heart. This unforeseen act, leading to the death of the Hand of the King leading the expedition, incensed Viserys.

These events were beyond the predictions of both Viserys and Doran.

As a result, Viserys, in his fury, razed Skyreach, exterminating House Qorgyle of Sandstone, House Uller of Hellholt, and the 'Guardians of the Pass,' House Fowler of Skyreach.

Doran now faced two choices:

First, instigate a larger rebellion, risking his children in King's Landing but winning the loyalty of Dornish nobles.

Or second, heed Viserys's command, humble himself, and explain his actions to the court in King's Landing. This would ensure the safety of his children and Dorne, but at the cost of the loyalty of the Dornish nobles.

Dorne would inevitably be forced to reform and truly become part of the empire, rather than maintaining a semi-independent status.

After dispatching the letter, Viserys, escorting Jon Clinton's coffin, mounted his dragon and flew directly to King's Landing.