Chapter 96: Interlude: Seventeen

Ninth day, Eighth Moon, 259 AC (+271 days)

"I say, let them break themselves upon our shores have they have done time and time again!"

Aegon resisted the urge to sigh as he looked around the small council chambers. At 60 years old, he was not the oldest Targaryen King to have sat on the throne but seeing the folly of youth made it seem that way.

"And what of the previous invasions? They were defeated, but they hardly broke upon our shores. You were too young to have been involved, but the blood of our good knights drowned those battlefields," his son, Duncan, replied, in his role as Master of Laws.

Aegon's Master of Coin, Lord Sunglass, blustered, "I am well aware of the good men who died on those fields! My own uncle died there, even as my father claimed glory! But to invade Essos? Many more would otherwise die, and our costs could be ruinous!"

The Master of Ships, Lord Daemon Velaryon, shook his head. "Which is why I have advised against such a course, time and time again. My proposal is not an invasion, but a strike! A strike at the heart of this foul conspiracy! Kill the Blackfyres and leave the rest of these Essosi to wither away in Essos – where they belong. The rest of the Essosi will eat their own quickly enough."

Prince Duncan frowned. "That might have been possible if these Ninepenny Kings had invaded the Stepstones, as the Master of Whispers thought they might. We could have rallied our vassals easy enough to repel such an attack – these nine may be scum and cutthroats, but they fear us and wisely so."

"We have been prepared for years in case the Blackfyres and their ilk turned our way," replied Lord Daemon. "And we have hoped that the might of the Free Cities would crush them, but that has not happened. Instead, they have conquered most of the Disputed Lands and Tyrosh."

His Master of Whispers, another Crownlander, Gormon Massey, agreed. "Indeed, they have completed that and now move to besiege Myr. They seek to secure supremacy in southwestern Essos before they look to place the Blackfyres in Westeros."

Aegon's son and heir, Jaehaerys, the Hand of the King, let out a hacking cough, before he said, "I agree. They are using their naval forces to suppress Lys, the other major naval power of the Three Daughters while depending on the pirates in the Stepstones to hamper any potential threat from us. If they conquer Myr, they gain uncontested land supremacy in southern Essos – barring intervention by Volantis."

"Which is unlikely," replied Massey. "The Elephants are in power and unlikely to involve themselves."

Jaehaerys continued, "So if they conquer Myr they can gain her wealth and hire even more sellswords. Perhaps even take over her existing contracts. Then they can turn to Lys to appease the other faction of the Nine, before looking to us. With such a power base, they can harry us for years."

Sunglass said, "If such a thing comes to pass, my lords. If. Braavos would not want such a thing to come to pass, and if the Three Daughters come together, Volantis will not sit idly by."

Daemon looked thoughtful. "Currently, the crown does have remarkably good relations with Braavos."

"And what of Lys? Where do they stand?" he asked, speaking for the first time, addressing his Master of Whispers.

"Worried, Your Grace," replied Massey. "The Band of Nine has been sowing discord in the city and doing all they can to weaken the city. Most of the magisters and nobles oppose the Nine, out of self-interest, but there are whispers that a few have been made certain promises. They may be open to negotiations to either the Nine of us."

"If Myr is besieged, they will be of little help," pointed out Sunglass.

"I fear our conversation is winding and without purpose," said Aegon, restraining himself from pinching his nose in frustration. "Our priority is ending the threat of the Blackfyres by killing the last of them – Maelys. Second, to that, is disrupting his power base so that he is no longer a threat. In that vein, what does my Small Council believe I should do?"

"We could band together with Braavos and fund Lys' efforts to turn the tide of battle," suggested Sunglass. "A simpler option than battle, and less costly besides."

Daemon frowned. "Inelegant and ineffective. And besides, I do not wish to fund slavers, and I doubt Braavos would as well. The Seven would frown on our actions."

"We need to draw attention to ourselves then," said Jaehaerys. "Bring the Blackfyre to us rather than us chasing him. I say weinvade the Stepstones and take it for ourselves."

That brought a flurry of protest around the chamber.

"Outrageous!"

"It is doomed to fail!"

"It has been conquered before!" his son protested.

"With dragons, and it proved to be a drain on the finances of my House and that of Daemon Targaryen," retorted the Master of Ships.

"Only because the Triarchy allied with the Dornish," replied Jaehaerys. "With Dorne a part of the Seven Kingdoms, and Myr under siege, none could contest us – especially if we obtain agreement from Lys and Braavos. Besides, the only reason the Kingdom of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea collapsed was because Daemon eventually abandoned it to pursue other matters – to say nothing of the fact that it was not a part of the Seven Kingdoms proper."

"And you believe that this would be sufficient to attract the attention of Blackfyre?" questioned Aegon.

His son nodded enthusiastically. "He would have to; he could not afford to allow us an easy entry point to Essos, and a way to choke Tyrosh's sea trade. Besides, Nine Eyes and his Jolly Fellows have aims for the Stepstones, and completely abandoning them would threaten the Band of Nine's pact."

Lord Velaryon nodded. "Aye, it could work. The Royal Fleet would need to be expanded to accommodate the assault on the Stepstones but hopping islands to move our army would be much simpler than trying to land in Essos proper – or trying to assault Tyrosh directly."

"The Royal Fleet is not our only option," he commented.

"The Redwyne Fleet?" clarified Lord Velaryon.

"That too, but I was thinking more of the Ironborn."

Daemon's only reaction was a sharp intake of breath as he thought it over. "That could be a formidable option – and they are already familiar with the islands."

"Would they be willing?" asked Lord Sunglass. "We all know how intractable they can be; they may only provide the bare minimum and be of little help."

Aegon nodded. "Yes, they will. Lord Massey has been keeping me apprised of the situation there; Lord Greyjoy will enthusiastically support this as a chance to relieve tensions on the Iron Islands."

"Steffon and Tywin will as well!" exclaimed his grandson, Aerys, who had been sitting silently at the edge of the room.

Jaehaerys silenced him with a look. "My son is not wrong, even if he speaks when he shouldn't. Tytos is close with the throne, and generous as well, so we can count on a large force from the Westerlands. House Baratheon will support us as well, though we may have to placate some of their bannermen."

Aegon let his council continue to discuss what would be needed to convince the Stormlords since even having his daughter marry into the Baratheons had not reversed the ill-will of Duncan spurning his betrothed.

He let his thoughts drift back to the matter at hand. The North would support him, as would the Crownlands, obviously, and combined he probably would not need the other kingdoms in order to conquer the Stepstones. He tried to ignore the thought of how many smallfolk would die in the upcoming battles as the only consolation was that expanding the Seven Kingdoms for the first time since Aegon the Conqueror would probably allow him to push through reforms. Probably.

But sticking their heads into the mess that was Essos, was akin to quicksand. It never wanted to let you go.

Daemon had not been entirely correct when he said that the Stepstones were a drain on the treasury. They made coin aplenty, so much so that it is what prompted intervention from Dorne and the Triarchy. But as they sit today, they make little money as the pirates are disorganized and have no government and the islands themselves lacked in natural resources – outside of fish. If his forces conquered them, they could not set the tolls too high, or they would risk something similar. Long-term coin could be made, but we needed something more to justify it to the lords and their bannermen.

Sunglass interrupted Aegon's son and Lord Velaryon's conversation, and said, "This still does not address my original point: the costs from such an endeavor would be ruinous. Coin could be collected in the long-term if the Stepstones are conquered, but the treasury cannot bear the expense in the short-term."

"A loan, perhaps, to cover this? Either from the Lannisters or even the Iron Bank?" proposed Jaehaerys.

Aegon smiled. "A loan may not be necessary. We have good relations with the Braavosi, and I have been sitting on a few proposals from them. I believe we can come to an accord - the Braavosi do not wish for the slavers consolidate more power. We can negotiate with them on their proposals and maybe reduced tolls in the Stepstones for their ships in exchange for helping to transport our men. Perhaps even a small island if they contribute their own warships to the battle."

"That may not cover all of our needs," Sunglass continued, cautiously.

"Sack Tyrosh," replied Jaehaerys.

Duncan frowned. "Brother, Tyrosh was just sacked. Surely, they would have little gold available to them if we were to sack it again."

"Then we sack Myr instead," said Jaehaerys.

"Myr has done us no wrong in this – the Nine are invading them."

"No wrong in this singular instance – but I don't doubt that Myr had a hand in funding the Nine and simply hoped that they would attack and weaken their rivals instead."

"The Nine did obtain gold from all over Essos," said Massey. "But little of it was official."

"Sack them anyways. Take from the slavers their ill-gotten gains. Accuse them of funding the Nine, and if any ask, the only reason the Nine are invading them is that Myr tried to betray them," replied Jaehaerys.

Daemon shook his head. "If we were to invade Myr, we would be entering a three-way war. It would be folly."

"Not if Myr was to fall before we arrived. In their weakened state, we could sweep up the remains of the Nine and Myr."

Aegon leaned forward and said, "I think you underestimate the Essosi, my son. Tyrosh and Myr will not be easy conquests – regardless of their recently sacked circumstances. And Tyrosh wasn't truly sacked, though I am sure that many of their exiled nobles would disagree."

"And there are many tributary cities in the lands between each city – many of them walled," said Massey.

"We will not attack Myr," Aegon proclaimed. "We will need their goodwill if we wish to keep the Stepstones. We shall come as their saviors."

"And what of Tyrosh?" asked Jaehaerys eagerly.

Aegon looked to his old friend, Lord Commander Duncan the Tall, who had remained silent so far, as is his wont, and asked, "What do you think? Is the conquest of Tyrosh possible?"

"If the all the Kingdoms fight? Mayhaps, but it'll be bloody, Y'Grace – if we can land. If we can beat their navy, there is room on the island for us to land and assault the city. The assault would be difficult – the walls of Tyrosh are high, it is a veritable fortress city and the inner walls are made of black dragonstone, and I have no idea how they hold up to a siege."

Aegon looked to the empty seat with a frown. The Grand Maester was missing, as Ellendor had died only a month past, and his replacement Merion had died on the road to King's Landing. The replacement's replacement, Pycelle, was on the road still. "Of all the times to be without a Grand Maester. Hopefully, he shall be here within the week, but in the meantime, I will task some of the maesters here to begin a search for that information."

"We can look to the siege of Myr as it unfolds for inspiration, but they lack the black dragonstone walls of Tyrosh and Volantis," continued Duncan. "Lord Massey, can you keep a close eye on the situation and report back any military progress?"

Massey nodded. "I can, I have a few connections already reporting, but I can expand my contacts. Perhaps a few retired mercenaries to give the proper context."

Aegon drummed his fingers on the table as he looked over the large map that was unrolled on its surface. "So, we sweep into the Stepstones and start pushing west to east, conquering as we go, eventually cutting off Tyrosh and letting them start to wither on the vine before we move in."

His old friend nodded as did Lord Velaryon. "But the numbers may be against us for such a thing," said Velaryon. "Massey, do we have an accurate grasp on their numbers?"

"Not entirely, though I am continually receiving more information. The Band of Nine has the Golden Company that numbers roughly 16,000 men, which makes up the most elite, and mobile, core of their forces. Before this nastiness, Tyrosh could lay claim to just over 50,000 men – a mix of local forces, mercenaries, and slave soldiers. I know there have been skirmishes and battles during the Nine's takeover, but I know not of the casualty figures. They may have also lost some of the mercenary contracts, but that could have been offset by hiring others – which I can confirm they are doing."

"So, at worst, we face 66,000 men?" asked Prince Duncan.

"Doubtful," replied Massey. "The Nine would be fighting on three fronts, and some of those forces, mainly the local forces, are garrison only. At most, I would figure maybe half of that could be diverted to face us if they choose to lessen their assaults on the other fronts."

"Provided they don't hire more mercenaries, which we can't ignore since they now control so much of the Disputed Lands and receive the taxes from such," said Jaehaerys.

"And what of the number of ships we can expect to face?" asked Prince Duncan.

"Tyrosh is said to have 300 warships before this – how many remain is uncertain. Additionally, the Nine had ships to add to that number – likely around eighty or ninety. How many sellsails they have recruited is unknown, as is the number of pirates we would have to face in the Stepstones," replied Massey.

"That is not as bad as I feared," said Jaehaerys. "The Royal Fleet alone numbers almost 300. Throw in another 350 from the Reach, and we definitely outnumber them – and that is without the Ironborn."

Lord Velaryon frowned. "It is not that simple. To start, the Reach would never strip their coasts bare, but we might be able to call 200 to 250 to us. But that ignores that the Nine could hire sellsails in large numbers or press their merchant ships into service."

"We have our own merchants," countered Jaehaerys.

"True," conceded Lord Velaryon. "Depending on alliances, we could be reinforced further. The Braavosi are said to have 300 warships of their own, plus their large merchant fleet, Lys has 400, and Myr is said to have 200, though I doubt the Myrish they could be of assistance to us."

The Lord Commander scratched his cheek as he thought. "And what kind of army can we expect from our potential allies?"

Massey shrugged. "The exact numbers, of course, are unknown. Lys was able to pull back most of their forces as the Nine took over the Disputed Lands, so probably close to 50,000 – perhaps a few thousand less? Myr has been hit hard, and I wouldn't care to wager a guess. Braavos is said to keep 30,000 men at all times but could afford to hire more if they go to war."

Jaehaerys banged his fist on the table excitedly. "We can take them, Father! If we can gain these alliances, we can crush the Blackfyres and teach the slavers a lesson at the same time!"

Prince Duncan looked thoughtful. "The numbers are not very favorable to us on the sea, but I would take a knight over five mercenary horsemen any day. If we can land with our forces intact, I believe we can win. The trick is the landing part."

"The Braavosi Arsenal is said to put out a ship a day," commented Lord Velaryon. "It will take us moons to assemble and ready ourselves for this. It is possible that the Braavosi could have another hundred ships to add to our cause."

"That is assuming that the Braavosi are even willing to join us," protested Sunglass. "The Essosi have never wanted a unified Stepstones, and I doubt that will change. Taking their agreement for granted is a mistake, my lords."

Aegon nodded. "Wise words, Lord Sunglass. Still, it will require work – politics and expanding our own fleets, as well as pressing merchant ships into service, but I believe we can see this done."

"We will have to make landing in the Disputed Lands a priority then, Your Grace. We will need the raids to help sustain our efforts, preferably with mounted knights."

"They are an incohesive group as well," said Duncan. "The more pressure they face, the more likely they shall fracture and abandon each other."

"Very well, my lords," he said. "Let us put all of our efforts toward this. You know your duties – please leave my sons and grandson with me."

The assembled lords, and his old friend, all bowed and exited the room, leaving Aegon with his family.

Once they had cleared the room, Jaehaerys admonished his son, "Aerys, I know you are anxious with your wife in labor, but I was clear you were not to speak during this meeting. You were invited only to observe."

"I just wanted to help!" protested Aerys, pouting.

Aegon cut off his son's further remonstration. "And you did have a point, but it is important for the royal family to behave with decorum."

"I promise I will do better, grandfather."

"I trust you will," he said. "Now, onto the matter of this war. Jaehaerys, as heir you must remain here."

His son nodded. "I understand, Father. Besides, I am no warrior."

"Duncan, you will be the face of the family in this – as I am too old to go on campaign, especially one such as this. Ormund Baratheon will likely take overall command, but I will ensure that you put in a place of honor – preferably where you can fight with distinction."

"Of course, Father, I will make you proud."

Aegon sighed. "I am already proud of all my children," he said. "And grandchildren," he added. "You don't need to be the Warrior-incarnate to earn what you already have – even if you vex me."

"Thanks, Father," said Duncan, drily.

"Thanks, Grandfather!" exclaimed Aerys, a bit more enthusiastically. "Can I go as well?" he asked, a little uncertain.

Aegon nodded. "You will be. If you perform well, you will even be knighted. Now- "

He was interrupted by rapid knocking on the door. "Your Grace, Your Grace!"

"Enter!"

A harried-looking servant entered the room and bowed. "Your Grace! Princess Rhaella has given birth to a boy!"

Aerys' back straightened. "Is the babe healthy?"

"Yes, my Prince."

"Well," Aegon said, drily. "This calls for a celebration."

A/N: Huzzah! A stray butterfly!