Chapter 644: The Prince's Pass

The endeavor to conquer the Prince's Pass didn't go as smoothly as Jon had envisioned.

Leading a force of two thousand soldiers personally, along with an additional two thousand private troops scraped together by the Riverlands nobles, Jon encircled the Prince's Pass with a formidable force of four thousand men. They obstructed this crucial route through the Red Mountains in Dorne, which connected the Riverlands and the Stormlands.

As war clouds loomed over the land, the commercial caravans traveling between these regions were now forced to navigate the perilous Bone Way or opt for maritime transportation.

The Prince's Pass was Dorne's primary gateway to the outer world. Though the passage wasn't deemed impenetrable, it was still a stronghold, easy to defend yet challenging to conquer.

The Red Mountains flanking the pass served as a natural barrier. They permitted only small troops to cross due to the hazardous terrain that denied the passage of supply wagons.

Even if a large force managed to cross the Red Mountains, without food supplies, they'd be doomed. The defenders merely needed to adopt a scorched-earth strategy, evacuating nearby villages, and the besiegers would starve, or resort to gnawing on tree bark.

Jon Connington, although having served as the Hand of the King for several years, managing the kingdom's affairs, had initially earned his stripes on the battlefield. His experience in warfare was rich and extensive. He knew the defenders would show no mercy when the time came.

He was well aware of the King's ruthlessness. When the King, in a fit of rage, unleashed his wrath upon the relatives of Lord Grafton, he should have anticipated the repercussions.

The worst-case scenario was that 'Old Falcon' Franklyn Frey would be dragged to King's Landing to face the gallows or be cloaked in black.

An even graver outcome was the potential stripping of his titles, eviction from Gulltown, and the disgrace it would bring upon the Frey family.

Should this come to pass, Franklyn Frey would become the eternal disgrace of House Frey.

Therefore, if Lord Frey wished to survive and avoid becoming an eternal disgrace, he now had no choice but to drag more into this quagmire.

The honeymoon period between Dorne and the Iron Throne had ended. The domineering privileges that the Dornish enjoyed throughout the Seven Kingdoms were revoked.

Moreover, as the other regions adopted different standards which lured many Dornish common folk away, the Dornish nobles were struggling even to find tenant farmers for their lands, causing discontent among them.

Although the Dornish nobles didn't know how to articulate their frustrations, they felt ensnared from the moment they had demanded these privileges. And yet, they had walked into this trap willingly.

While the Dornish might not have had a way with words, they were adept at flexing their muscles to showcase their strength. Whenever discontent brewed within them, a rebellion would ensue, expressing their dissatisfaction until sweet concessions from the Iron Throne followed. They had become adept at this cycle of defiance and appeasement.

Thus, the proposal of Lord Franklyn Frey did have a market in Dorne.

He had been busy fending off the royal army's assault while incessantly lobbying other Dornish nobles to join his cause. The position of Sunspear was ambiguous—they expressed opposition but not vehemently.

Some noble houses seemed to waver, showing interest in joining Lord Frey in his cause, plotting a major scheme.

Of course, the lukewarm stance of Sunspear might not be a betrayal by Prince Doran of his son-in-law. Perhaps it was just a way to express discontent towards the Iron Throne.

The current state of Dorne had indeed become an issue that couldn't be ignored. If this trend continued, Dorne's independence would be jeopardized sooner or later.

Moreover, they'd be forcibly integrated into the kingdom, losing their autonomy. The indomitable House Martell would consequently lose the trust and allegiance of the Dornish nobles.

The Prince could disregard the loyalty of the common folk, but he couldn't ignore the trust of the nobility under his rule.

Having a queen from House Martell was a momentary glory. Prince Doran needed to consider the long-term position of House Martell in Dorne. This was the foundation of their house.

Otherwise, even if the future king had Martell blood, he wouldn't favor House Martell over his interests, as his name would still be Targaryen.

"Lord Jon Connington!"

"Please seek justice for me!"

"Those beasts raped and murdered my wife! They killed my son; he was only six!"

In the midst of the Red Mountains, the vast expanse of the royal encampment stretched out in front of the towering Prince's Pass. Numerous white tents, bearing various house banners, adorned this barren, rocky mountain range.

The sparse vegetation and trees swayed in the wind, and a gritty taste pervaded the air—a gift from the wild winds sweeping from the deserts south of the Red Mountains, provoking incessant coughs from those who inhaled it.

Dorne's harsh climate was particularly unforgiving on the slope where not a single tree provided shade. The royal encampment lay exposed under the blazing sun, with temperatures soaring swiftly.

Inside the central tent of the royal army, nobles from the Riverlands had gathered, led by the commander of this rebellion-quelling expedition, the Hand of the King, Jon Connington.

The tent was a cacophony of discord. Coupled with the stifling heat, the atmosphere was both physically and verbally heated, rendering those present irritable and the discussions abrasive.

At the moment, the speaker was another victim of this conflict, Lord Grafton, whose estate, Gulltown, had been ravaged by House Frey. Every member of Lord Grafton's family had been slaughtered, including the maids, guards, and even the chickens, ducks, geese, and two dogs in Gulltown. It was a merciless annihilation that left none alive.

This ruthless act had incited the ire of many Riverlands nobles who, united in their fury, rallied their private armies to besiege the Prince's Pass, seeking justice for Lord Grafton.

Their military strength had been significantly reduced as their armies were confiscated, leaving them with only private troops, the size of which depended on the extent of their lands. This reduction amounted to a scale-down of about five to tenfold.

Once capable of effortlessly amassing an army of twenty thousand, or even over a hundred thousand with concerted efforts, the Riverlands nobles now found themselves with merely a handful of troops.

If Dorne chose not to invade, all was well. However, should they attack, it would be akin to offering their necks to the blade, waiting helplessly for the death blow.

Hence, the recent atrocity had fueled collective outrage, prompting the Riverlands nobles to unite, demanding severe punishment for House Frey.

Even if the King intended to shield House Frey, he now lacked any justification to do so.