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Chapter 53 - War Preparations
🕑 Added 2025-10-10 23:23:07 +0000 UTCAsgard
Tyrion and Davos were inside the solar, working to return the city to order after the scare of the failed Ironborn attack. Slifer, who had returned just in time, had done so to carry the letter sent by Robert to Tyrion.
“What does Lord Robert say?” Davos still didn’t know how to read properly, and his lessons had been on hold for some time now.
Tyrion sighed, looking far older than his age would suggest, and it wasn’t because of the Ironborn. “He is bringing giants and the Children of the Forest to Asgard as citizens. He orders new houses for them, twice the size of what would be necessary for men.”
The dwarf did not know what to do with the news handed to him and just chose to follow the orders for his sanity.
“Giants? The Children of the Forest?” The idea sounded ridiculous and unbelievable to Davos before he remembered who it was they were talking about. “The people will not like it.”
“He wants me to tell the people in advance to avoid any unrest.” Causing unrest in Robert Baratheon’s city, under the watch of his dragons, with the corpse of a demon hanging on a cliff as a warning, was a fool’s errand, but the world had no shortage of it.
“And the Faith?” They had lauded Robert as the Chosen of the Warrior for defeating the demon, but conspiring with creatures of magic, such as the Children of the Forest, would not endear him to the faithful.
Tyrion put down the letter and left his seat. “I wish them good luck, because Lord Robert certainly won’t need it.” Maegor the Cruel had defanged the Faith long ago, and while Robert wasn’t cruel, he preferred to crush his problems permanently.
Like he would no doubt do to the Ironborn.
“Regardless, they are not our greatest concern. We need to ready ships and men, because Lord Robert won’t let the Ironborn off the hook.” Admittedly, the easy solution would be for Robert to take his dragons and burn the Iron Islands to the ground, but if they could somehow repeat the magic used on Ra, then it would be bad.
“I’ll see how many men we can gather, and if it isn’t enough, hire sellswords.” It would take time, but the Ironborn were in no position to stage any assault.
Hell, the shore was littered with the corpses of the Ironborn, and the fishermen were getting tired of finding their nets full of dead reavers. The Ironborn would need at least two generations to be able to fight again.
“We have enough ships to sail five thousand at most with supplies. More if we seize the trade fleet for the war effort.” Their trade fleet was making headway in breaking into the markets of the Free Cities, but if they stopped now, it would take too much gold and time to regain their losses.
“Three dragons, two if Ra does not recover, will most likely do the heavy fighting. Men will be necessary for other purposes.” Keeping the prisoners in check, garrisoning the keeps, and whatever menial tasks were needed for war were not something the dragons could do.
Davos nodded. He would not complain about not having to put his life in danger. “Then we best be ready for when he arrives.” Because when Robert arrived and learned his dragon’s condition, he would demand blood.
“One more thing, that man we arrested for trying to study the demon, is he still in the dungeons?” An archmaester of all people had been attempting to take pieces from the corpse in the dead of the night but had been captured when the guards saw him tangled in the ropes the man had used to climb down onto the corpse.
“I believe so.” They had no time to free him, and no one had come searching for the man, despite his assertions of being a member of the Citadel.
Tyrion only hoped that an archmaester called the Mage knew a way of subduing a creature like a White Walker. “Have him brought here. Lord Robert has also captured a White Walker and intends to imprison her.”
Davos sat down, his knees weak. “A White Walker? And a female?”
“Aye.”
—
North - Riverlands Border
It would take a human host around two weeks to march from Winterfell to the border of the Riverlands, but the giants, as long as properly supplied, made that journey in ten days, while assisting the humans and the Children of the Forest.
The Neck was full of swamps and bogs, making the journey much harder than it had to be, and Robert was sure the Crannogmen were tailing the host, but they didn’t try anything, so neither did he.
Finally, they were in the Riverlands, away from the bugs, alligators (lizard lions), and mosquitos.
His next destination was Harroway to cross the Green Fork via ferries. The town itself was on the western bank, so he would go ahead to prepare the ships in advance. Sailing well over five hundred giants would take time, but he did not have any pressing matters right now.
—
Stormlands
Storm’s End
“My lord, you can see the child today. She is healthy enough to receive visitors.” Korryn informed the Lord of Storm’s End.
The doctor was tired, with black circles around his eyes, having been giving round-the-clock care for the early-born baby, and his efforts had finally succeeded.
The sole daughter of House Baratheon of Storm’s End was finally up to proper weight, her breathing was normal, and she was healthy overall.
Steffon burst into movement, forgetting his breakfast, and rushed with all haste to his wife’s room. His mother, sons, and good-daughter followed him, with Stannis holding Rhaelle’s arm to support her. His grandmother had healed well, but her age slowed the process, and she had to use a cane for now.
Doctor Korryn’s calls for him to slow down did not deter the Baratheon patriarch, and he almost knocked a servant down when slamming the door open, scaring his daughter, who started to cry.
“Well done, husband; I had just calmed her down too.” His wife looked radiant in the sunlight creeping through the window. Cassana’s prim and proper look had given way to a loose gown, and her hair fell loose past her shoulders, but she was smiling as she rocked their daughter to soothe her cries.
“Gods.” Steffon, slower this time to not disturb the baby again, kneeled next to his wife, looking at his daughter with tears in his eyes. Nightmares had plagued him for days, but finally, it was all over.
“She is beautiful.” Talizorah, as they had named her after Robert’s suggestion, had the known Baratheon looks, a tuft of black hair, and was larger than babes of her own age.
Except for the purple eyes, which she had inherited straight from her grandmother.
Cassana beamed. “That she is. How is Mother doing?” While she was fighting in the birthing bed and confined to her chambers for over a month, the Lady of Storm’s End was not aware of the goings-on outside.
“I am well; it is you who we should be worrying about.” The said woman called out from the door, the cane marking her arrival.
“Mother, boys, come meet Tali.” The said girl had been calmed down again, and thankfully, the rest of her family was careful enough not to wake her up again.
Rhaelle, who had seen her fourth grandchild, and a granddaughter this time, gently rubbed the babe’s cheek. “She is completely healthy?” Early births did not live long in Westeros, but perhaps things were changing.
“Yes, we both are.”
Stannis, completely enamored by his little sister, looked at the infant with shining eyes. “We should write to Oldtown and summon a doctor for Storm’s End.”
“Later. We should be grateful for this moment.” Delena stopped her husband from leaving immediately to send ravens.
“Where is Robert?” She was only missing her eldest son, and then everything would be perfect.
Her family suddenly looked very nervous, except for Renly, who was just watching Tali, not interested in the discussion.
“He said this was Bloodraven’s work and went beyond the Wall to kill him.” Stannis blurted out, choosing blunt honesty over honeyed words.
“Bloodraven?” Cassana looked puzzled; the name was familiar, but she could not remember it.
“Brynden Rivers, Aegon the Unworthy’s bastard son from Melissa Blackwood.” Rhaelle explained. Even decades later, Aegon IV Targaryen’s choices affected the Seven Kingdoms deeply.
Cassana stopped rocking her daughter. “He is alive?” How was that even possible?
“Robert believes so.” Stannis did not care, as long as the bastard responsible for almost killing his grandmother paid the price.
Steffon put his hand on his wife’s shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I am sure he will be fine, dear; you should not worry.”
“Aye, he seems to enjoy teasing the Stranger.” Cassana’s heart was hammering as she had watched her son save Rhaelle by catching her in the air and cushioning her fall to the Shipbreaker Bay.
She could not help but wonder if her eldest had lost his sense of danger.
Alas, their happy family moment was interrupted as a messenger called out from the door, not daring to go in.
“My lord, news from Asgard.”
“Has Robert returned?” Cassana asked. Perhaps he could come and see his sister now.
“No, but he has sent letters.”
“Give it here.” The Lady of Storm’s End ordered, but her husband stopped her with a stern look.
“No, you need rest, and I am sure whatever Robert is doing will not help that.”
Cassana gave up, knowing her husband was right, but still wanted to know what Robert was up to. “Fine, but let me know if everything is well.”
“We shall.”
—
“Fuck this.” Steffon shouted and threw the letter away, grumbling about Robert. Rhaelle took the letter, each line making her grin, before she burst into full-blown laughter, so much so that she held her belly as it ached.
She took deep breaths to control her laughter. “God damn it.”
“Giants?” Stannis was confused.
“The Children of the Forest?!” Stannis was stunned.
“He captured a White Walker?!!” Stannis shouted, baffled beyond belief.
“And of course, the Ironborn fools had to do something and attack Asgard.” Compared to his brother’s usual antics, this was almost ordinary.
Stannis, after taking a moment to calm down, spoke again. “What do we do?”
“The first three? I’ll have nothing to do with Robert’s plans.” Steffon shook his head, adamant on not dealing with his eldest son’s antics. “As for the Ironborn, they have attacked one of our own, and we will respond in kind. We will gather men and ships and put an end to those reavers.” While they had not suffered any Ironborn attack, the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands did not have any love for the pirates that were a part of the Seven Kingdoms and would gladly see them fall.
“I agree. I shall write letters and call the banners.” Stannis wanted to go back to his little sister, but there was duty to be carried out, and Doctor Korryn had said that the visiting time was over.
“Do so.”
—
Heart’s Home
After weeks of putting it off, Donnel had finally ordered his men to check the place Lord Robert had spoken of after finding a miner and cursed himself for not doing it sooner.
There was a great silver vein near the spring, one that was right under their nose for thousands of years, and none had discovered it.
House Corbray was poor, but perhaps it was time their fortunes turned around.
—
The Twins
“You better be speaking the truth, boy, or there will be trouble.” Walder Frey, Lord of the Twins, warned Walder Rivers, his bastard son. News of Robert Baratheon’s stay at Harroway’s Town had reached his ears, and the old lord had sent someone to see what the reason was.
“I am, my lord. Rhydan Roote is looking to build a bridge on his lands.” The first time he had said it, the generations of Freys gathered in the hall had laughed, but not the second time.
“Roote doesn’t have the coin for it; he barely keeps his family fed.” While that wasn’t entirely correct, Walder Frey didn’t care enough to correct himself.
Walder the bastard nodded. “It is true; that is why Robert Baratheon is paying for it.”
“Do you expect me to believe a fool like Rhydan somehow convinced Robert Baratheon to pay for a bridge?”
“He says Lord Robert offered it first.” If a bridge was built on Harroway, everyone in the hall knew what it meant.
The end of House Frey’s undisputed control over who crossed the Green Fork and their greatest source of coin.
Walder sneered at his bastard. “Then it must be a lie. Even one as rich as Robert Baratheon does not offer to build a bridge, not when the Trident could overflow and flood Harroway’s town.” Almost every spring and heavy rain brought floods to Harroway’s town, which stopped the place from ever rivaling the Twins.
It would change if Robert Baratheon’s enormous wealth would support the town.
“He gathers engineers and laborers and talks with quarries to buy stone.” Bastard Walder did not think anyone would do something so foolish, just to be embarrassed if everything was a lie.
“Why would Robert Baratheon do something like this out of nowhere?” Stevron Frey, heir to the Twins, asked, but it went unanswered.
—
The Ironborn Fleet
Of the five hundred ships brought together to raid Asgard, only a paltry sum of one hundred and twenty-four were left sailing, only by the grace of the crimson dragon caring more about his brother.
Euron Greyjoy, the one who had been the foremost champion of the raid, a man who was exiled long ago, only to return with claims of having a way to tame the dragons, had abandoned his ship, the Silence, and taken command of another vessel after its captain had slipped and fallen into the sea.
There were a lot of angry eyes watching the Crow’s Eye, but none dared to act. They had seen how the first dragon, Ra, was sent limping away and were afraid of the clear sign of sorcery.
It had only gotten worse when someone made the mistake of questioning Euron, and the madman had gouged the sailor’s eyes with his thumbs before throwing the blind man overboard.
The fleet had sailed past the Stepstones, with no sign of any other pirate ships due to Robert Baratheon’s warnings, and turned their route to the west, having barely left the Dornish waters behind, following the coast to return home and prepare.
Robert would bring the fury of his dragons on the Iron Islands, and they had to be ready either to fight to the end or to run.
Euron still had the will to fight, with one last idea on his mind, unknown to all else but him. It wasn’t a plan of victory, but one that would take Robert Baratheon down with them.
He just had to prepare and wait for the right time.
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