Chapter 429: Highgarden Rose

"The Sea Snake is a formidable strategist and can mount a counterattack both on land and at sea. I believe his plan is feasible," Viserys said, looking expectantly at his son.

Rhaegar did not reply immediately, contemplating the strategy. The main force of the naval counterattack would comprise the fleet led by the Sea Snake and Aegon on Sunfyre.

Dominating the sea, the fleet would navigate around southern Dorne into the Summer Sea, enter the mainland via the Greenblood River, and launch a surprise attack on Planky Town.

Planky Town, a major Dornish settlement under House Martell's control, is crucial for sea trade. Capturing it would allow the Sea Snake to control the Greenblood River crossing, effectively splitting Dorne in two.

This would isolate Sunspear, Dorne's eastern stronghold, from the western nobles' support.

Seeing his son deep in thought, Viserys refrained from pressing him. Tyland, observing the room, reported confidently, "Lord Corlys proposes we break through either the Prince's Pass or the Boneway, leading our forces straight into western Dorne to defeat the local nobles."

The Greenblood River remains a key strategic divide. If the forces from the Reach and Stormlands can carve a path, they can crush the remaining Dornish defenses with the airsuperiority of a few dragons.

Coordinated land and naval forces will overwhelm the Dorne.

Rhaegar raised an eyebrow, his tone serious, "The strategy is sound. Following this plan, takingSunspear will be straightforward."

"I agree," Viserys said, a hint of smugness in his voice. He found the Sea Snake's plan bold and direct. The success of the invasion of the Triarchy had bolstered his confidence in conquering Dorne.

Viserys I would achieve what the Conqueror had not—complete dominion over Dorne.

"I will soon go to Highgarden and raise an army of 10,000 men to attack from Prince's Pass," Rhaegar proposed, still weighing the options.

Viserys's eyes brightened as he asked, "Is the SeaSnake's proposal truly viable?"

Having experienced setbacks in the Small Council, he preferred to rely on his eldest son's judgment.

Rhaegar frowned, hesitating. "The Sea Snake's strategy is excellent, but it feels driven by a thirst for revenge."

"What do you mean?" Viserys asked.

"We can't afford to conquer Dorne."

"It's conquest."

"But after the conquest, we can't sustain it," Rhaegar replied, his tone somber. Father and son exchanged troubled glances.

Rhaegar rested his chin on his hand and sighed. "The Triarchy is not yet stable. If we conquer Dorne, the influx of tens of thousands of refugees will drain our treasury."

This is assuming the old Dornish loyalists remain faithful to the Iron Throne.

History serves as a warning. When Aegon the Conqueror launched the Dorne War, it dragged on for years. The bloody and indiscriminate "Wrath of the Dragon" scorched Dornish towns, yet even on the brink of collapse, the people of Dorne refused to surrender.

Today, Rhaegar was confident he could conquer all of Dorne and install loyal nobles.

However, Dorne is vast, with deserts and sand dunes. If the defiant Dornish retreated into the desert, history would repeat itself, creating a prolonged stalemate.

Dorne would be like a leech, draining the Targaryens' resources. The Iron Throne would have to manage Dorne and guard against constant rebellions.

Moreover, the long supply lines for the army, whether from the Reach or the Stormlands, would stretch through endless desert, making sustained occupation difficult.

Viserys, shocked, replied, "The Triarchy has already surrendered. Now is the perfect opportunity."

"We should capitalize on the morale from the Narrow Sea War and take Dorne in one decisive blow."

Rhaegar considered this. "Father, instead of prolonging the war, why not strike Dorne a decisive blow and then isolate it?"

"The Iron Throne needs to rest and recuperate. Once the Triarchy is stabilized and the Stepstones Islands are united to control sea power in the lower Narrow Sea, Dorne will be isolated and helpless."

"At that point, with the Reach and the Stormlands cutting off Dorne's land and sea links, it will be like catching a turtle in a jar."

There are multiple ways to wage war, and economic pressure can be highly effective. Viserys pondered his eldest son's strategy.

The Targaryen territories already spanned the Narrow Sea, controlling rich and contested lands.

Rather than depleting the country's resources in a protracted fight, it would be wiser to besiege Dorne economically. Dorne's grain production is low, and without maritime trade, it would slowly wither.

After a long pause, Viserys's eyes gleamed with understanding, and he nodded vigorously.

He agreed with Rhaegar's proposal.

Tyland seized the moment to raise his glass with a smile.

"To giving Dorne a hard blow!"

"Cheers!"

Highgarden.

A white marble castle, stood majestically on a flat hillside, encircled by three solid, circular walls. The outermost wall surrounded the entire base of the hill, and between it and the second wall lay a meticulously maintained botanical maze, designed for both entertainment and leisure.

Its unique architecture and lavish decoration made it renowned as the most beautiful castle in all of Westeros. Today, Highgarden welcomed two esteemed guests.

The black dragon led the way, followed closely by the light blue dragon, soaring across the endless plains towards Highgarden.

At the gate of the third wall, two young and beautiful ladies, accompanied by a group of attendants, looked up in anticipation.

"Land!" a clear, young voice rang out like a sparkling stream. Cannibal's green eyes were cold and indifferent as he circled the city walls nonchalantly, finally landing at the gate with a whoosh, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Dreamfyre landed gracefully beside him, and the rider leaned over to assist the dismounting rider. The gathered crowd moved hastily.

Margaery's eyes lit up, her red lips curving into a radiant smile as she stepped forward. "Dear prince and princess, welcome to Highgarden," she greeted warmly, ignoring her maid's attempts to stop her as she took Helaena's hand.

The two girls shook hands and approached the crouching Dreamfyre, whose sulfurous dragon stench was palpable. Helaena wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled back.

At this moment, Rhaegar dismounted from his dragon. An older, equally beautiful woman walked over and bowed. "Prince Rhaegar Targaryens, I bring you my husband's greetings. It is an honor to have you here." Rhaegar glanced at her briefly, pretending not to recognize her.

Margaery and Helaena stood side by side, smiling as Margaery introduced, "This is Alyssa Redwyne, my father's new wife and the new Lady of Highgarden." Alyssa bowed again, her tone polite. "My father fought alongside you. He sends his regards."

"You're welcome, Lady," Rhaegar replied with a smile. Alyssa, probably in her early twenties, was the daughter of House Redwyne and had been chosen to marry the half-century-old Tyrell. She was known to be a woman of strong opinions.

Margaery, ever cheerful, said, "The sun is fierce. Please, enter the castle. The servants have prepared chilled sweet wine."

Rhaegar nodded, "The guest follows the host."

The Targaryen siblings entered Highgarden under the hospitality of Margaery and her mother. Margaery kindly instructed the guards to feed the dragons with sheep and cattle. Helaena thanked her, and the two girls chatted animatedly as they walked hand in hand.

Rhaegar, though not very engaged in the conversation, enjoyed the view of Highgarden. Despite having visited many times, the castle's beauty never ceased to amaze him. It was like a green paradise, with flowers blooming everywhere, and gardens, pools, and artificial waterfalls adorning the entire castle.

Rare flowers and plants from all over the world flourished in every corner, with stone sculptures, fountains, and marble columns draped in vines and grapevines. Everything was so beautiful and full of life.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Lady Alyssa asked softly. Realizing she was speaking to him, Rhaegar smiled faintly but said nothing. Lady Alyssa picked a petal off a flower and said, "As the Tyrell motto says, 'Growing Strong.'"

Rhaegar, surprised, nodded in agreement. "That's right." Lady Alyssa smiled and continued chatting for a while, maintaining her elegant demeanor.

Rhaegar glanced at Margaery and Helaena ahead of them, then at Lady Alyssa, who stood alone, thinking to himself, "No stepmother has an easy role." Especially if she planned to have children to carry on the family legacy.

...

As they walked and talked, they clarified a lot of information. Old Tyrell was not in Highgarden but was instead in Oldtown, recruiting soldiers on behalf of the Iron Throne. Upon receiving Rhaegar's invitation to visit, he hurried back.

Margaery, with her big, watery eyes, said coquettishly, "Father isn't here, so please stay for two more days."

Rhaegar found her poor acting skills amusing and agreed without much comment.

After leaving Blackhaven, he passed through Prince's Pass and inspected it. Compared to the steep Boneway, Prince's Pass was overwhelmed with refugees, stretching endlessly even from a dragon's vantage point.

With the current garrison, stopping tens of thousands of desperate refugees without reinforcements from The Reach would be difficult. However, there was no immediate cause for concern. Highgarden was not far from Nightsong in a straight line, and its fortress was not easy to breach. Waiting a day or two would be fine.

Rhaegar asked, "How many troops can we recruit this time?"

Margaery blinked and thought for a moment. "With the help of House Rowan, Caswell, Tarly, and others, we should be able to recruit about 10,000 men, mostly infantry."

Rhaegar nodded, reflecting on The Reach's wealth. During the Narrow Sea War, The Reach had provided 20,000 reinforcements, in addition to a fleet of 10,000 allied troops from Hightower, Redwyne, and the Shield Islands.

However, these troops were not very strong. They had been evenly distributed between Tyrosh and Lys, with the two major battles consuming most of them.

As he considered this, Rhaegar shook his head, dispelling the grim thoughts. The invasion campaign against the Triarchy had resulted in over 50,000 casualties for Westeros, while the Triarchy's losses were estimated at no less than 100,000.

Of those, at least 30,000 were burned to death by Rhaegar himself. The sheer number of deaths weighed heavily on him, contributing to his reluctance to attack Dorne and increase the casualties further.

War affects the human spirit. Not only did the Iron Throne need a respite, but Rhaegar also desired a break.

...

Soon, a feast was held in the sacred forest of Highgarden. Servants spread a shade cloth and set up a banquet by the pool.

Rhaegar and Helaena freshened up, changed out of their dragon-scented clothes, and joined the welcoming party.

"Come this way. There are plenty of ice buckets to cool off," Margaery said, squeezing between the siblings and leading the way with her arms folded.

It was August, and the weather in The Reach was stiflingly hot. Despite the black sunshade laid over the garden, the scorching sun was still difficult to bear. To ensure the guests' comfort, the waiters provided an ice bucket at each table to help beat the summer heat.

Rhaegar, freeing himself from the soft touch beneath his gauze shirt, picked up a red grape and put it in his mouth, admiring the scene. "It's no wonder Highgarden is so wealthy," he remarked.

The sheer number of ice buckets and the generous portions were impressive. The Red Keep's ice cellar was not even one-tenth as well stocked as Highgarden's.

(Word count: 1,892)