Chapter 4 - Swept Aside

Edit 2: Only just realised that Aegon was born in 27BC, so that means at 14 BC in this chapter, he is only 13 years old. As such, I made edits to show that his father Aerion was still in charge.

Chapter IV: Swept Aside

14 BC

Outskirts of Ifarahoy

Wasting no time, Elanzo mobilised the Rada fleet to crush the fleets of their eastern neighbours, while Arin and Huang Xue mobilised on land to meet the eastern triumvirate's forces head-on. While better organised, equipped and supplied, this was their first battle against a feudal army - unproven and doubtful in quality - and it was no surprise some of the soldiers were doubtful of victory.

Yet this was an attack on their lands, their homes, their families. Stories of how gruesomely the men were butchered and the women defiled made their way throughout Ifarahoy, and rather than silently suffer such a fate, they chose to bear arms in defence of their home.

Like the wind they moved, and within two days they reached the battlefield ahead of the eastern triumvirate's forces, whom scouts reported were still a day's travel from the chosen battlefield.

They stopped just before a river, the surrounding area flat and clear with no obstacles within a three-league radius, save for a nearby forest with exceptionally dense foliage. It was a quiet night, and most of the troops panted heavily from the forced march.

"Young Master, this would be perfect for a fortress," Huang Xue pointed out, "If we can build one on our side of the river, we can rain arrows upon the invaders while they are bogged down crossing the water. The problem is time, though; we don't have enough time to build a wooden fort from scratch, and the enemy is just a day's travel away."

"We have time," Arin stated, "But for tonight, we ought to rest."

"I couldn't agree more, Young Master," Said Huang Xue.

Camp was set up and the men quickly had a light supper, following which they went to sleep. At the break of dawn, they rose up and went to work, unloading wagons laden with timber components which they worked with hammer and saw.

By the next morning, the enemy troops were in for the surprise of their lives.

IIOII

When the eastern triumvirate came late into the night, they saw no encampment waiting for them on the other side of the river. Feeling overconfident yet exhausted from the long march, the enemy troops set up camp and rested for the night, with only a scarce few patrols on duty.

However, that was when the Rada troops went to work; throughout the night, they hastily assembled the timber components, and because much of the initial craftsmanship was already handled days prior, it took only a single night for them to finish their work.

The next morning, alarm was raised throughout the enemy camp as right before their eyes, a wooden fort sprung up out of nowhere, occupying the other side of the river. Like a drunken mob, the enemy troops moved to attack, braving the river and a hail of arrows coming their way. The river was unusually torrential, however, and though it was still crossable it took much effort to cross all the way, leaving them exhausted with little time to rest.

Dornish troops excelled in hit-and-run warfare, but troops of eastern Dorne rarely ever sieged castles and fortresses. Furthermore, they maintained a fervent desire for a quick and easy victory. Should they fail this, not only would they be humiliated for both raiding a fellow Dornish household and breaking the Princess's Peace, they would also lose the valuable opportunity to seize House Rada's rich and fertile lands and thriving industries, allowing them to grow fat and rich beyond their wildest dreams.

"Burn down that fortress!" Ordered an enemy commander, "Burn it down, no matter what it takes!"

It was easy to say, but even if they managed to survive the hail of arrows, they had to contest with highly disciplined troops with superior armour and weaponry, and in a clash of quantity versus quality, quality proved the winner.

Some tried to retreat, but the enemy commanders simply cut them down, refusing to entertain the very notion of loss. However, once the bulk of the enemy force was across the river, wooden contraptions pulled by horses were unleashed on the unsuspecting enemy on both sides of the river. Powerful momentum created devastating impact force, and with blades on the chariot wheels, any who managed to dodge the head-on collision could simply be cut to pieces instead.

Packed infantry formations fell prey to this tactic, the enemy infantry screaming as they were crushed under horse hooves and chariot wheels. Cavalry were an effective counter to chariots, but the Dornish had no history of using and fighting against chariots, and by trapping them in a pincer on both sides, the enemy cavalry were slowly picked off by spears and arrows until the last of them fell dead.

No survivors were reported, and House Rada's troops cheered jubilantly at this victory. Two hundred losses to the enemy's six thousand, great odds for their two thousand-strong army.

"This is a great victory we scored this day, Young Master," Huang Xue happily reported, "Not only will this dispel any lingering doubts among the troops and inspire them with hope, the enemy will be likewise dispirited and easy to manipulate."

"You think you could wage this battle any better, Huang Xue?" Arin asked.

Huang Xue smirked, "I dare not say. However, I can certainly wage war far better than these overly egotistical children we fought."

Arin merely smiled at that.

IIOII

News of House Rada's victory quickly spread throughout all of Dorne, and the shock of two thousand troops prevailing against six thousand drove many sceptical minds into an orgy of panic and disbelief. Even Princess Meria herself refused to believe such rumours, believing it all a mere hoax by House Rada to prop up the capabilities of its armies.

Yet time waited for no man; a few days later, Houses Mussoyne, Gargalen and Calethren were fighting each other, squabbling over land disputes and other minor infractions no one could be bothered to care about. After several days of fighting, news then came that their servants betrayed them, manipulated by some unknown third party that resulted in the complete extermination of their houses.

Blame was placed squarely on the eastern triumvirate of Houses Barra, Haro and Nasyr, and with 'irrefutable' evidence delivered to Princess Meria directly, no one could and would come to their defence, leaving them to the wolves.

Not long afterwards, the eastern triumvirate was themselves betrayed by their own servants, opportunistic nobles who sought to curry good favour with House Rada by delivering them the heads of the exterminated families. Arin did reward them for their betrayal, and their severed heads were put on display, a wooden sign detailing their horrendous crimes for the world to see.

With no surviving scions of these Houses, House Rada was quick to seize control of these lands, forcefully putting down revolts and ending the bloodshed.

Thus the lands under House Rada grew sevenfold, and its power would only continue to grow.

IIOII

Sunspear

"This is much too convenient."

Deria's opinion was shared by her mother and father, who convened in a private room with only a few trusted guards outside the door.

"House Rada's western neighbours fighting among each other is nothing new, but them being exterminated and House Rada's eastern neighbours to blame, who themselves were exterminated, and all the evidence delivered to us in surprisingly convenient timing? Now this is new," Deria finished, huffing in frustration.

"The timing is nothing short of suspicious, though what House Rada's intentions truly are, we cannot say for sure. Nevertheless, we yet remain the ruling house, and House Rada is but a grain of sand in the desert," Meria commented, the old woman's chair creaking as she shifted, "Unbowed, Unbent and Unbroken, such are our house's words since its founding, and for eternity they shall remain."

"And yet this is the first time we've faced such a blatant turnover of the status quo, Mother," Nymor stated, the old man sighing softly, "The fact that let alone a single house - six houses - were completely exterminated is a completely unprecedented event that has countless other houses demanding an explanation."

"Furthermore, the evidence delivered to us was through both official and unofficial channels, so we can't deny their authenticity," Deria added, "What really concerns me is House Rada itself; they still hold to the old ways of the Rhoynar, unlike us who cast them away. I suspect that unless we reign them in, several nobles will likely agitate for conflict with who they view as an upstart house out of fear alone."

"There is that to consider too," Meria nodded, "While I do not doubt House Rada wants power, there is nothing in our spies' reports that indicate it is preparing for rebellion, so for now we can leave them be. What we must be wary of is our own vassals, many of whom will eye House Rada far more closely in the foreseeable future."

"So what are your wishes, Grandmother?" Nymor questioned.

"For now, maintain surveillance and keep me apprised of House Rada's developments, make sure they continue to maintain their annual tithes and other obligations, and of course increase the tax accordingly the more they earn," Meria ordered, "As for our vassal houses, if any are itching for a fight, make sure to remind them who is their suzerain in the most hallowed of Dornish traditions."

Nymor and Deria smiled like little devils, the Yellow Toad's children armed with the deadliest poison.

"It will be done, Mother," Nymor answered.

IIOII

Dragonstone

Dragonstone, before being colonised by the Valyrians, had an ancient history stretching back towards the Long Night. It is said according to folklore that when the Others were driven back at great cost by the Last Alliance of Men and Children, the Children helped the locals with enchanting the deep caverns of the island, granting it an inexhaustible supply of Dragonglass which continually replenished itself no matter how many times it was mined.

Dragonglass, as a magical material, was used to great effect against the Others due to it being one of the few things that could kill these magical beings, for ordinary metal was no match against their legendary powers of frost.

Such a material eventually fell out of practice as the Andals gradually replaced the First Men as the dominant race on Westeros, and the Children went into hiding.

When House Targaryen had arrived on the island, they had made note of the Dragonglass deposits but were highly disinterested in them.

And now, they entertained a diplomat from Dorne, who wished to draw up an alliance with them.

"I am Huang Xue, styled Shuren, and I come on behalf of House Rada of Dorne to seek an alliance with House Targaryen of the Crownlands," Huang Xue greeted, bowing subserviently before Lord Aerion, Lord of his House and Dragonstone.

Aerion Targaryen was an aged and weathered man, intimidating and imposing with an air of arrogance tempered by wisdom, who sat comfortably on the throne like a guardian giant staring down an intrepid and daring adventurer.

Aegon and his sisters stood to the side, the young children similarly arrogant and beautiful as befitting their Valyrian heritage, their silver hair shining like snow and their purple eyes like polished gems cut to perfection. They stood to the side, watching Huang Xue intently with the eyes of curious predators.

When the Targaryens first arrived on Dragonstone from Valyria, they had spent enormous amounts of capital and time to develop the island and neighbouring Driftmark and Claw Isle, promoting larger families and immigration of Valyrian-blooded migrants from Essos. A century later, the Targaryen domain has since become the greatest economic and technologically advanced power capable of exerting enormous influence on Blackwater Bay.

Blackwater Bay, in particular, had played host to countless merchants offering high-quality goods from swords to armour, rich tapestries of velvet and dresses of silk. Houses like Darklyn, Sunglass, Wendwater and Rosby depend on this trade, which made them filthy rich despite attracting their neighbours like vultures.

"I am Aerion Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, and I receive you and offer you due guest right, Huang Xue," Aegon nodded, "Tell me, what does House Rada seek of Dragonstone?"

"To trade, Lord Aerion," Huang Xue stated.

Aegon and his sisters raised an eyebrow in contemplation, and Aerion asked, "You came all this way, just to trade? Tell me Ser, what sort of trade could House Rada possibly offer me, I wonder? Our furnaces churn out superior steel by the crateful in but two hours, our dragons are the prime power of House Targaryen unrivalled by all, and our construction techniques are inherently superior to all that other houses could offer."

"Indeed, we are aware, Your Lordship," Huang Xue affirmed, "We in House Rada however, do believe that there is opportunity and profit nonetheless that we might mutually find in deepening our trade relationship. House Rada produces much that Dragonstone might not have access to: Dried fruits and pickles, Dornish lemons, strong grape wine, exquisite porcelains, textiles of many colours and textures, fine crystal clear glass and much more. We hope to build a mutually beneficial trade relationship, one that might deepen in time and bear fruit as a friendship, perhaps even alliance."

Aerion furrowed his brows.

"Say, why would a vassal of House Martell, descendants of the Rhoynar, seek out trade, friendship, and alliance with the last scions of Valyria? The very same Valyria that destroyed the Rhoynar homeland?"

Visenya Targaryen, the older of Aegon's sisters and rider of the dragon Vhagar, fixed a stern and unforgiving gaze upon Huang Xue, who unflappably bore it head-on without flinching a single bit. Aerion flashed Visenya a gaze, and she nodded at him and stepped back, though her scrutinising gaze never relented.

"As I said, we hope to seek out great profits and trade opportunities. As you yourself said Lord Aerion, the steel foundries and construction methods of House Targaryen are famed far and wife, and while House Rada has much to gain, so too does it have much to offer," Huang Xue answered flawlessly, "And if I may be so bold, I believe you might find that House Martell is not quite the defender of the Rhoynar that they claim to be. House Rada however keeps to the old ways, and my lieges have no grudge against House Targaryen for what Valyria did. Much like Nymeria, they believe it wise to not antagonise the dragons. Alas, Nymeria's own house has discarded her traditions and outlawed her language, and would sooner defy the dragons for the sake of their pride alone. What else that Nymeria practised, might they have done away with?"

"Bold words Ser, one might even call them treason toward Princess Meria," Rhaenys Targaryen uttered mischievously.

"No treason, merely criticism," Huang Xue smiled, "And if Princess Meria takes issue with them, well, I am only a servant, not Lord Rada."

The Targaryens looked at him, staring through him, as if they could sense the implications in his words.

"It should not be treason to wish to protect your culture in a continent that wishes to destroy it. It's a rather admirable sentiment, I feel," Rhaenys said softly, full of compassion.

The younger of Aegon's sisters was a rather delightful contradiction; known for her compassion yet also possessing a streak for mischief, passion and impulsiveness.

"Still, we have spoken too much of Princess Meria and culture; I have come to offer a trade deal. What say you, My Lord?" Huang Xue asked.

Father and children exchanged glances of wariness and thoughtfulness, weighing their options and their benefits and demerits in unspoken communication.

Then as one they nodded to each other, and by his father's beckoning Aegon stepped forward, his gait uncompromising and steely.

"We will most certainly be open to discussing this trade deal further. Might we invite you to stay for the night? We could discuss the details over dinner," Aegon invited.

"Many gracious thanks, Master Aegon," Huang Xue bowed, "I humbly accept."