Chapter 396: Landing on Dragonstone

The Battle of the Green Fork had ended.

The allied forces of the Seven Kingdoms paid a heavy price for this battle, suffering the most severe casualties since the start of the war. Tens of thousands of soldiers died on the battlefield, and countless more were injured.

The allied forces launched a desperate charge against the army of the dead, at one point falling into a dire situation. However, with the unexpected aid of a dragon from the heavens, they managed to repel the attack of the White Walkers.

The army of the dead retreated back into the Neck to recover their strength.

Meanwhile, the humans achieved their most glorious victory since the start of the war - successfully repelling an attack from the White Walkers. But the price they paid for this victory was, of course, immense.

The Battle of the Green Fork also set a new record for the highest-ranking noble casualty in the war against the White Walkers.

Walder Frey, Lord of the Crossing, committed suicide by jumping into the river, surpassing the previous records set by the Earls of Golden Tooth and Hearth.

This record-breaking method was not particularly honorable, but it became an interesting trivia in the war against the White Walkers.

The historic and significant meeting between Viserys and Robert Baratheon yielded some results.

They reached a series of verbal agreements, such as cooperation in fighting the White Walkers. As for what would happen after the war against the White Walkers was over, it went without saying.

After the meeting, Viserys mounted his dragon and left the battlefield of the Green Fork, flying back to White Harbor across the Neck.

His main force, consisting of twenty thousand Dothraki horsemen, remained in White Harbor.

The war here had temporarily ended, but the turmoil in Westeros was far from over.

Prince Doran Martell remained in Sunspear, but the Dornish army began to mobilize, amassing a large force at the Prince's Pass, posing a serious threat to the border nobles.

The Tyrells of Highgarden were on high alert, calling their vassals to discuss countermeasures and seeking help from Storm's End, hoping for assistance from the Stormlands if war broke out between the Riverlands and Dorne.

Unfortunately, the Tyrells' plea for help fell on deaf ears in Storm's End.

Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden, was extremely anxious. At this time, he suddenly missed his beloved commander, Randyll Tarly, the Earl of Horn Hill.

If the famous southern general Randyll Tarly were here, Dorne would surely not be so brazen. At the same time, he harbored resentment towards Lord Renly of Storm's End.

The Tyrell family had already formed an alliance with the Baratheons. Once 'the Little Rose of Highgarden', his daughter Margaery Tyrell, had her first period, she could marry Joffrey, the prince of the Baratheon family.

The two powerful families should have supported each other in times of crisis, but Lord Mace did not expect Renly to be so weak, hiding behind closed doors out of fear of Dorne.

However, a few days later, news from King's Landing reached Highgarden, and Mace Tyrell understood what had happened that made Storm's End unable to help.

It turned out that a fleet traveling between Westeros and Essos brought explosive news.

Viserys Targaryen III, the 'pretender king' in Pentos across the Narrow Sea, had decided to send troops to Westeros.

Tens of thousands of troops setting sail from the port of Pentos could not be concealed, especially with two dragons. Therefore, the news had spread to King's Landing before the army even arrived in Westeros.

The arrival of an army from another continent caused panic in King's Landing.

However, by this time, the news of the death of Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, could no longer be concealed, and the one sitting on the Iron Throne was Queen Regent Cersei.

There were even rumors in the city that Queen Cersei had sent someone to kill the Hand of the King, claiming that Jon Arryn had found evidence of incest between the queen and her brother.

Cersei ordered the news of the Targaryen army's crossing to be suppressed and not leaked. At the same time, the city gates were closed, only to be opened at specific times, a curfew was enforced, the spread of rumors was prohibited, and those who violated the ban were all hanged on the city walls and left to die in the sun.

Under the orders of the Queen Regent, King's Landing had become a turtle hiding in its shell, ignoring the source of the news and not sending out any ships to investigate the sea.

Meanwhile, on Dragonstone.

It was an ordinary morning, with a gentle breeze and bright sunshine.

The rushing waves constantly washed over the rocks on the island. The majestic castle, entirely made of black stone, stood on Dragonstone.

This castle, built entirely of black stone, was a product of Valyrian stonemasonry, a technique now lost, making it different from the castles on Westeros.

The banner of House Baratheon fluttered above the main keep of Dragonstone, a black stag crowned on a field of gold.

This was the domain of Stannis Baratheon, a branch of House Baratheon, who was ennobled as the Duke of Dragonstone after the Usurper's War.

Stannis had responded to his elder brother's call to fight the White Walkers and had been away from Dragonstone for a long time.

His four-year-old daughter, Shireen, had even forgotten what her father looked like.

Now, Shireen Baratheon was having breakfast in the dining room with her mother, Selyse Florent.

However, at this moment.

The melodious and desolate sound of a horn suddenly echoed from the sea, followed by the dense alarm bells and horn sounds from Dragonstone Castle.

A Baratheon guard rushed into the dining room, startling Selyse and her daughter who were having breakfast.

"My lady, something terrible has happened!"

Selyse Florent's face showed a hint of displeasure, but as the Duchess of Dragonstone, she had excellent noble manners.

She had heard the warning horns and knew something had happened, so she didn't blame the guard. Instead, she put down her spoon and patiently asked.

"What's going on?"

"Why is there such a fuss?"

However, before the guard could explain.

At that moment.

A loud noise suddenly came from above the dining room.

It was as if a massive object had landed on the castle, causing dust to fall from the ceiling and startling everyone in the castle.

The four-year-old Shireen Baratheon was immediately frightened into tears, and her mother, Selyse Florent, was also startled, her face pale and somewhat panicked.

"What's happening?"

"What's going on?"

And on the sea.

The entire sea was filled with warships as far as the eye could see.

Each ship was flying the banner of House Targaryen and the emblem of the Golden Company.

Rhaenys Targaryen, the eldest princess of the new dynasty, personally rode the green dragon, Rhaegal, and landed on Dragonstone.

The dragon landed on the castle, letting out a deafening roar.

The guards of Dragonstone were trembling with fear, and then they all dropped their weapons and knelt to surrender.