Robert's Rebellion and Vaes Dothrak

While Maximus marched off to conquer the rest of the Dothraki and finally end the war, he had tasked 20 Warmongers to assist Faraday with the plans he had set up in Westeros. Already things were being set in motion.

In the Vale, Jon Arryn had faced a problem as Lord Marq Grafton had gathered the loyalist of the crown to keep Jon Arryn from entering the port of Gulltown. But, with the help of Robert Baratheon he had defeated Lord Grafton and taken Gulltown with Robert killing Lord Grafton during the battle.

After that Robert returned to Storm's End and called his banners but faced similar problems as Jon Arryn did.

Robert Baratheon had called his banners to Storm's End but not all sided with him. Particularly Lords Grandison, Cafferen, and Fell who had gathered their hosts and planned to join forces at Summerhall to march on Storm's End.

But thanks to a member of the Shadowhand, Robert was warned about the converging forces. In response he rode with his knights and squires to Summerhall, where he attacked each host in turn.

Lord Cafferen and Grandison were taken prisoner, while Lord Fell was killed during his battle with Robert and his son also taken captive. The three prisoners were taken back to Storm's End leaving Robert free to gather his forces and march North, to join up with Jon Arryn and the northmen.

While Robert had gathered his forces and began his march towards the North, Jon Arryn was able to consolidate his forces, marching southwards from Gulltown, capturing holdfasts and towns loyal to the crown.

He knew that they needed to gather as much support as possible before crossing blades with the House Targaryen as they had a much greater support behind them considering the fact that they had ruled Kingslanding for many years.

In Essos, Maximus was busy with other matters leaving everything within Faraday's control. He knew Faraday would get the job done and make the right decisions.

On the other hand, the Dothraki and Uruk-Hai were restless, filled with a ferocious desire for battle. Over the course of 8 months, they had made great progress through the Dothraki Sea, increasing the size of Maximus's Khalasar, and were finally about to head to Vaes Dothrak for the final battle that would unite the Dothraki under Maximus.

The towering crags of the mother of Mountains loomed in sight, and next to them rose the horse-heart shaped city of Vaes Dothrak. This was the place where all Khals were considered equal, where no blood could be shed under penalty of death. But Maximus knew well that these sacred laws would not stop the other Khals from challenging his rule.

Maximus stood in front of the city, his eyes scanning the horizon where he knew the remaining Khals and their bloodriders would soon appear for the final showdown. He had already won over the majority of the Dothraki making his vast Khalasar stretch for miles with hundreds of thousands of people eagerly following him.

But the remaining Khals continued to resist him and that was fine for him as all he needed to do was crush them and prove his strength in battle.

———

In Heaven's Reach, construction was well underway. Alexander had led his men to join the building effort, contributing to the rapid development of a strong infrastructure. The outer walls were about 30% completed with about 40% of the inner city being completed. The foundations for towers were being dug out which would stretch for miles considering the size of the city.

While in modern times, building such a city would be hard if not for a massive economical backing and willing workers. In medieval times people would work as long as they were provided with their basic necessities, while pay was a secondary concern. Maximus was using this as well as his high influence amongst the Dothraki to be able to have almost hundred thousand people actively building the city every day for around 12 hours.

They were provided with food and housing as well as a sense of security, while being rewarded with gold and coins that they could use to buy previous and luxury things from passing traders until the economy of the city got running.

However, the reaction from the surrounding Free cities was not great at all. In Qohor the city closest to Heaven's Reach, the Great Masters had called Heaven's Reach a city of savages and had refused to trade or recognize the sovereignty of the city.

Tensions were escalating, especially after a few violent encounters at the borders.

The Lords of Qohor sent missives to their allies, condemning Maximus and his followers. These letters painted a picture of blatant savagery, hoping to turn public opinion against Heaven's Reach and thus starve them into submission. Little did they know Heaven's Reach was far from dependent on their meager resources.

In Norvos the second city near Heaven's Reach the reaction was a bit more tempered. The Norvoshi were a pragmatic people, keen on trade and mercantile success. They saw the rise of Heaven's Reach not as a threat to stability, but as an opportunity for profit. They sent envoys bearing gifts of silk and spices, curious to explore the possibilities that the new city had to offer.

They saw this as a great opportunity to stop the Dothraki raids against the Free cities.

Despite their contrasting sentiments, neither Qohor nor Norvos would dare to take military action without the support of greater powers. In Essos, that always meant the Free City of Volantis, the oldest and grandest of them all, where slaver nobility ruled over an empire built on chains. Their response would ultimately shape the region's stance towards Heaven's Reach.

For now, things were calm, but given enough time, especially when Heaven's Reach finish construction, the other Free cities will start to get involved and see it as a threat. But only time would tell which of the Free cities would resort to war or other methods.