"Your Grace's fleet at Dragonstone consists of the thirty-odd ships of various sizes that Victarion Greyjoy brought from the Iron Islands to Meereen, one hundred and five warships captured after the Volantene fleet was defeated, and dozens of refitted merchant ships requisitioned from Meereen, which basically have no combat capability. Among them, because most of the Volantene warships are large vessels, we surpass the Iron Fleet in total tonnage, but we are at a disadvantage in numbers, and the quality of our personnel is uneven."
The fleet commander's representative, a middle-aged man who did not look much like a soldier, answered Aegor's question. "Most of our crew are newly trained sailors, mixed with some defected captives. They can barely handle sailing, but fighting is another matter. In a long-range naval battle they might manage, but once forced into boarding, they would have no power to resist. Dealing with the Iron Fleet alone is already difficult, let alone adding Stannis's King's Landing fleet. Although they have fewer ships, they are a regular navy, and none of them are small vessels."
As Aegor had guessed, Daenerys's so-called fleet was essentially an armed transport fleet. There was no problem transporting her Unsullied and Free Company from Meereen back to Westeros, but in terms of combat strength, it was barely better than nothing. The most capable portion might even be the "second Iron Fleet" that had originally followed Victarion. Blocking Stannis in Blackwater Bay was certainly possible, but if they truly had to fight the fleet personally led by Euron Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands, a defection in the midst of battle would not be impossible.
After clarifying this point, Aegor coughed lightly and interrupted the heated discussion in the chamber.
"Your Grace, even members of your own navy admit that our naval strength is unlikely to match the Iron Fleet," Aegor said to the solemn Daenerys. "But what I am considering now is this. Since the Iron Fleet has already arrived in Blackwater Bay, why did they not directly attack Dragonstone and wipe out your fleet in the harbor? Instead, they merely attacked one of your patrol ships and even allowed two men to return alive?"
"This is clearly a threat." Prince Oberyn leaned back in his chair, idly tapping the table with his fingers, offering his romantic speculation. "I heard Crow's Eye proposed to Your Grace and was rejected. Could it be that love has turned to hatred, and he now wishes to destroy what he cannot obtain?"
"He wants to force me to marry him? He must be dreaming." Daenerys could not suppress her anger. She and Euron had no prior enmity. She had even felt some goodwill toward the Ironborn because the Iron Fleet had sailed all the way to Meereen to assist in battle. Although she had ambitions and was unwilling to marry him, she had been open to forming a mutually beneficial alliance. Who would have thought that he would take hostile action simply because of disagreement.
This truly struck a nerve.
"He wants me? Fine. I will ride my dragon to Blackwater Bay tomorrow and let him experience the 'enthusiasm' of a Targaryen woman. I do not believe the Ironborn ships carry dragon-hunting scorpions."
"That is not what I meant," Aegor said with a wry smile, quickly stepping in. "Whether they possess dragon-hunting scorpions is uncertain, but even ordinary scorpions and trebuchets can still pose a threat. More importantly, with hundreds of ships, how long would it take for Your Grace and two dragons to burn or bomb them one by one? The possibility that he seeks to force a marriage exists, but this move appears more like a display of presence, telling us that the Iron Fleet has arrived and intends trouble. Does this resemble the behavior of pirates?"
"It does not. Pirates favor surprise attacks and swift engagements, coming with the wind and leaving with the waves. What would they plunder if they warned their prey in advance?" The fleet representative frowned. "I cannot discern their purpose either."
"Examining the movements of the Ironborn over the past two years, their intention is not hard to guess. The Reach, the Riverlands, the Westerlands, and the North, although the Iron Fleet has raided the Seven Kingdoms, they have never engaged in a decisive head-on battle with any side. The Iron Islands are sparsely populated. Though every man is a warrior, each death weakens them. Their foundation is thin, and they cannot afford heavy losses, so they avoid fighting to the death. Now they deliberately attacked a patrol ship but refrained from striking the harbor at Dragonstone. I believe this is deterrence. Euron seeks to frighten us into not daring to use our navy, without expending a single blade, forcing us to assault King's Landing solely by land. In this way, Stannis would weaken us. Even if we take King's Landing, we would be severely depleted, unable to deal with Aegon and the Reach to unify the Seven Kingdoms for a long time, let alone settle old accounts of Ironborn raids along the coast."
"Does that mean that as long as we do not use the Dragonstone fleet to attack King's Landing, Euron will not intervene?" Robb asked doubtfully.
"That is my judgment, but I cannot claim to understand a madman's mind. The fleet's alert level must still be raised."
"If a naval battle is difficult to win, then we simply attack King's Landing by land. What is the problem?" Princess Arianne did not understand why the atmosphere was so grave.
"It is not that simple." The Unsullied deputy commander, Alligator Turtle, explained to the Princess of Dorne. "The city walls of King's Landing facing the water are low and weak, but those facing the plains are high and thick. If we abandon naval cooperation, Stannis's fleet will anchor their warships near the shore outside the Steel Gate or sail into the Blackwater Rush to assist in defending the Mud Gate. We would then be forced to attack the stronger side. We have many soldiers, and by extending the front line we can use that advantage. If we lay siege only from the west and north, thirty thousand men cannot be fully engaged at once. A large number of siege engines captured from the Reach would also be difficult to deploy. The defenders could concentrate their forces, and many defensive machines originally positioned on the eastern and southern walls, as well as in the royal fleet's harbor, could be relocated to reinforce the threatened sections. Although the front line would be shorter, the intensity of the siege would greatly increase, and our casualties would likely double."
"If the difficulty merely doubled, we might endure it. But attacking only from the west and north brings another problem. The battle could devolve into street fighting. The Red Keep lies in the southeastern corner of the city. Originally, by attacking from all sides at once, once the city was breached our troops would pour in through all seven gates, and the defenders, beset on every side, could not organize effective resistance. But if we break through from only two directions, they can erect barricades facing west and north, withdraw toward the Red Keep, establish layered defenses, and retreat step by step. In chaotic street fighting, where our advantages in equipment and numbers are difficult to exploit, our casualties could rise into the thousands."
"Moreover, if the enemy gains sufficient time to retreat into the Red Keep, we will face a strong fortress atop Aegon's High Hill, defended by thousands."
"There are many more battles ahead. I cannot afford to lose too many soldiers in the fight for King's Landing," Daenerys interrupted. "I need a solution now."
The chamber fell into murmurs, but no clear answer emerged. Gradually the voices quieted, and all eyes turned to Aegor.
Why are they all looking at me? I know nothing about naval warfare.
Aegor felt a headache coming on.
Prestige begins with ability, builds upon victory, and eventually ferments into near superstition. Everyone seemed to believe he should have a solution to break the deadlock. Yet the Gift Army had been trained by his own hand, and powder weapons developed under his guidance. He had come this far through caution and a bit of advantage. Faced with Euron's straightforward yet troublesome strategy, what could he devise so quickly?
Of course, the trust and respect of others benefited him. He would not undermine his own authority by claiming ignorance. He could only pretend to ponder deeply. After a moment, he presented his thoughts.
"There are two possible approaches. One is compromise. We abandon the original plan of advancing by both land and sea. We order the Dragonstone fleet to contract its line and remain near the harbor for self-preservation, while we seek other ways to reduce casualties in a purely land assault. The second approach is to enhance the combat strength of the Dragonstone fleet in a short time. Since we will become enemies sooner or later, we might as well act decisively, wage war on two fronts, retake King's Landing, and at the same time deal with the Iron Fleet to restore peace to the seas."
The first option was not truly a solution, merely a placeholder. As for the second, it sounded straightforward, but without practical measures it meant little. After a brief pause, he continued.
"At present, methods to strengthen the fleet include transferring soldiers from the North and Riverlands who are familiar with water to fill the fleet's ranks, mounting cannons on ships to enhance long-range naval firepower, accelerating the production of explosive bombs to compensate for weaknesses in boarding, and having Your Grace provide aerial support with the dragons during battle."
"There are many methods, but each requires preparation time. If Your Grace chooses this course, the general assault on King's Landing must be postponed. Although the army of the Reach has temporarily retreated, their strength remains intact. If we delay too long, unforeseen changes may occur. The advantages and disadvantages must be weighed and decided by Your Grace."
He was not shirking responsibility. He truly could not reach a quick conclusion.
Transferring soldiers who can swim is simple, but cannons and trained gunners are limited. If assigned to the navy, the army loses them. As for explosive bombs, they are simple to produce and easy to use, but still require time. Most importantly, the Dragonstone fleet's foundation is weak. Even with manpower and equipment, they might not defeat seasoned pirates like the Iron Fleet.
On the other hand, abandoning the joint land and sea assault and attacking King's Landing directly by land might seem like conceding, leading to heavier casualties. Yet the main force of the siege would ultimately be Daenerys's direct troops and the Dornish. The Gift Army had already taken the lead against the Golden Company. Logically, it would not be their turn to bear the brunt of the siege. Thus Aegor had no need to take an extreme position.
All eyes returned to Daenerys. Clear hesitation appeared on her smooth face. Emotionally, she wished to retaliate immediately against those who dared offend her. But she was the Queen. Every decision carried far-reaching consequences, and she was wary of acting on impulse. For a moment, she could not decide.
Just as everyone expected her to announce a decision, Missandei, standing behind her, spoke softly.
"Your Grace, this matter is important, but there is no need to rush. You do not have to decide immediately. Today our army achieved a great victory. Why not adjourn the meeting for now, allow the lords to relax and celebrate, and let Your Grace rest and consider the matter carefully. We can discuss it again tomorrow."
(To be continued.)