An Empire in the Making

With the capture of Pentos Thornir has effectively put the world on notice. Informing them that the Free Folk people are no longer weak like before but now they are the strongest in the world.

While it did not have the power to be called an Empire, it was on it's way to achieving that.

A few weeks after Pentos had fallen under the control of the Free Folk Kingdom, the other Free cities had found out what happened to both Braavos and Pentos and they didn't like it at all.

So just like in history the Free Cities had joined together to fight against this threat to their independence.

But the Free City of Volantis didn't join the other Free cities as they didn't want to get involved in a war that wouldn't effect them.

They had already figured out what was going on and as long as they stayed out of the war then they would not be attacked by the Free Folk Kingdom.

Thornir on the other hand didn't plan on attacking any of the other free cities since he only attacked Pentos because they sent an army to Braavos to take advantage of the situation that was going on there.

It would be the same if any of the other free cities attacked, He will destroy their army then take their city.

But their was a major problem that he had right now. His forces are currently stretched to thin between Braavos and Pentos.

Leaving him with less than 10k soldier's to counter attack or invade any other cities. 

And there was a solution for this, He could go and try to get the Dothraki hordes on his side by offering them something, or he could become the Khal of one of the Hordes by defeating their current Khal in battle or forcing them to follow him.

Thornir knew that the Dothraki hordes were a powerful force, and if he could rally them to his cause, he would have a much better chance of holding onto his newly acquired territories if the other Free Cities decided to attack him in the coming months.

For now he would come up with a plan on dealing with the Dothraki.

Meanwhile in Westeros Stannis Baratheon had finished all his preparations for the siege on Kingslanding.

He had more than 600 ship ready to invade while the Royal Fleet of Kingslanding had around 300 or less.

The Fleet of House Lannister was busy on the other side of the Continent dealing with the other rebellious Houses and Lords.

Stannis knew that the siege on Kingslanding would not be easy, but he was determined to take the throne that was rightfully his. He had the support of the Lord of Light and his army was ready to fight for him until the end. As he stood on the deck of his flagship, he could feel the sea breeze whipping through his hair and the anticipation of the battle to come boiling in his blood.

He turned to his trusted advisor, Davos Seaworth, and asked, "How long until we reach Kingslanding?"

Davos looked at the horizon and replied, "Another day at most, Your Grace. Our scouts have reported that the city is heavily fortified and well defended, but our army is prepared for any challenge."

Stannis nodded, his eyes never leaving the distant city. "Good. We will attack at dawn. I want our ships to break through their defenses and land our troops on their shores. We will take Kingslanding and end this war once and for all"

As the night fell, Stannis retreated to his chambers to rest before the big day. However, his mind was racing with thoughts of his past and his future. He had come a long way to claim his rightful place on the Iron Throne, and he was not going to let anyone stand in his way.

As he lay down on his bed, he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. That is when he heard a knock on his door. He got up and opened the door to find Melisandre, the Red Priestess, standing there.

"Your Grace, may I have a word with you?" she asked.

Stannis nodded and let her in. She walked over to the table and picked up a bowl of water, then gazed into it.

"What do you see?" Stannis asked.

"I see fire and blood, Your Grace," she replied. "The battle to come will be fierce, but victory is within our grasp. The Lord of Light has blessed us and will guide us to victory."

Stannis looked at her with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. He knew that Melisandre's visions were often accurate, but he also wondered if her loyalty to the Lord of Light was stronger than her loyalty to him.

"Are you sure we will win?" Stannis asked.

Melisandre turned to him with a smile on her face. "Yes, Your Grace. Our victory is certain. But there is something else you should know. The Lord of Light has shown me a way to strengthen our army and ensure our victory."

Stannis leaned forward in intrigue. "What is it?"

Melisandre put down the bowl and turned to face him. "We must make a sacrifice. A great sacrifice to please the Lord of Light and ensure his favor in the coming battle."

Stannis felt a shiver run down his spine. He had heard of the Red Priestesses' sacrifices before and knew that they were often gruesome and barbaric. But if it meant victory in the battle to come, he would do whatever it takes.

"What kind of sacrifice?" he asked, steeling himself.

Melisandre's eyes glinted in the candlelight. "A sacrifice of royal blood. The blood of a king."

Stannis felt his heart skip a beat. He knew what she was implying. "You mean..."

"Yes, Your Grace. The blood of your nephew, King Joffrey Baratheon."

Stannis closed his eyes thinking about what he just heard.

And he agreed since he was already going to hang the boy for being an off breed of that bitch Cersei and her brother Jaime.

After making that decision Stannis Baratheon laid down for the night to prepare for the long and bloody battle that will happen tomorrow.