Chapter 398: Conquering Tidestone Isle

Selyse Florent and her daughter remained in the castle's dining room, their Baratheon guards replaced by the Unsullied.

When Rhaenys walked in, the mother and daughter trembled slightly. The little girl, Shireen, was crying uncontrollably, but her mother, Selyse Florent, held a semblance of the Duchess of Dragonstone's demeanor.

Upon seeing Rhaenys, she suppressed her fear, set her daughter aside, and rose from her chair to curtsy.

"Your Highness."

From the Unsullied, she had learned that the one leading the attack on Dragonstone was the 'pretender king' Viserys' niece, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, another dragon rider of House Targaryen.

Rhaenys looked at the crying girl and the woman trying to appear calm but shivering beneath her clothes, and sighed softly.

She did not mistreat the unfortunate mother and daughter. Instead, she spoke a few words, not imprisoning them but allowing them to continue living in the castle until Stannis was captured or the war ended.

The rule of not punishing the family for the sins of the individual was an unspoken rule among the nobility. There was always a way out; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many ancient families that had survived for centuries or millennia.

However, Selyse and her daughter were not allowed to leave the castle and were confined within the range of the soldiers' watch.

Rhaenys then sat on the throne of Dragonstone, issuing orders with practiced ease.

Thanks to Viserys' frequent absences, Rhaenys had gained experience in ruling in his stead. Plus, she had a good teacher, her uncle Oberyn, who was knowledgeable and wise. Despite her young age, she was already adept at handling political and military affairs.

That's why Viserys had confidently allowed Rhaenys to lead a large army to take Dragonstone.

However, Dragonstone was not the final destination of this army. Rhaenys planned to go further.

Sitting on the stone throne in the Great Hall of Dragonstone, she sought the opinions of her three commanders: Mys Toyn, commander of the Golden Company; Joffrey Bracken, commander of the Dragonstone fleet; and the Unsullied commander, Grey Worm.

Then, she received a unanimous affirmative response.

The next day, the Targaryen army made a swift attack on Dragonstone. The Dragonstone garrison surrendered without a fight. After only a day's rest, the Targaryen army set sail again, heading for another island not far from Dragonstone.

Tidestone Isle, home of House Valerion.

Joffrey Bracken, commander of the Dragonstone fleet, led part of the Golden Company to attack Tidestone Isle.

House Valerion was a distant relative of House Targaryen, both originating from the Freehold of Valyria. However, House Valerion was not one of the ancient forty families but a rising house in the Empire.

Before Aenar Targaryen led his family to migrate to Dragonstone, House Valerion had already settled on Tidestone Isle.

In the early days of the Targaryen dynasty, House Valerion held significant power within the kingdom. The first commander of the Kingsguard and the Master of Ships were both from House Valerion. For a time, only members of House Valerion were appointed as the Master of Ships, as if the position had become hereditary to them.

However, even the closest of families could not resist the passage of time and the lure of power.

When House Targaryen fell during Robert's Rebellion, House Valerion declared neutrality, only to secretly side with the usurper, betraying their distant kin.

In the end, they joined Stannis' royal fleet in a surprise attack on Dragonstone, nearly annihilating the Dragonstone fleet. Joffrey Bracken, the fleet commander, was nearly killed by an arrow to the chest, and House Targaryen lost its last territory in Westeros.

But now, House Targaryen was making a comeback, and it was time to exact revenge on the traitors.

The mighty Dragonstone fleet, carrying the soldiers of the Golden Company, set sail for Tidestone Isle. The Valerion family, who prided themselves on their 'loyalty and bravery,' was in complete chaos.

Due to the close distance, they had noticed the fall of Dragonstone to the Targaryen army that morning.

Munford Valerion, the Earl of Tidestone Isle, hastily sought help from King's Landing, hoping to get support from the royal fleet docked there. He knew he had betrayed House Targaryen on the battlefield and was unlikely to be forgiven.

Therefore, he also arranged for his wife and newborn child, Monterys, and other family members to escape.

"Go!"

"Take our child and flee to King's Landing!"

The handsome Earl Munford Valerion, clad in armor, stood at the port, kissing his wife goodbye. His golden hair fluttered in the wind.

Then the warship set sail, heading for King's Landing.

Earl Munford stood on the watchtower, watching the warship carrying his family recede into the distance, a relieved smile finally appearing on his face.

However, Earl Munford was too early to rejoice, and his plan was too late.

The Targaryen army's attack on Tidestone Isle was faster than Munford had anticipated. The Dragonstone fleet, fueled by a desire for revenge, arrived in overwhelming numbers, easily surrounding Tidestone Isle.

Boom, boom, boom—

Huge rocks flew into the sky, then fell.

The ship carrying the family of Earl Munford Valerion had just left the port and hadn't gone far when it was bombarded by the trebuchets on the Black Dread.

In an instant, the Valerion warship was shattered and sank into the sea. Earl Munford Valerion, standing at the port, witnessed the entire scene, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.

However, Tidestone Isle was then attacked by the Targaryen army. Countless soldiers of the Golden Company landed on Tidestone Isle. The soldiers of House Valerion fought to the death, but the difference in strength was too great, and they were killed one after another, their bodies strewn across the field.

"Kill!"

The flaming rocks, like cannonballs, blasted open the castle gates. Earl Munford Valerion was captured after a fierce fight in the castle and then ignominiously taken to Dragonstone.

The Blackwater Bay was broken through by the Targaryen army overnight, and the mighty army was pressing towards King's Landing.

Meanwhile, in distant Pentos.

A piece of good news suddenly arrived.

It even disturbed Oberyn, who was tirelessly training his army, preparing to land in Westeros.

He rode a fast horse and, escorted by his personal guards, rushed to Pentos overnight.

It turned out that the 'future queen,' Princess Arianne Martell, was pregnant.

According to the local doctors in Pentos, Arianne should have been pregnant for about two months.

It was right after Viserys had just returned from the Valyrian ruins, a time of passionate reunion after a long separation, that he had apparently hit the mark.