At that moment, bright sunlight poured over the courtyard of Dragonstone, illuminating three little dragons curled up together as they slept peacefully.
The sunlight also fell upon Gendry's black hair, blue eyes, and valiant features, as well as the silver-gold hair of Daenerys Targaryen.
Daenerys stood beside him with her guards, Dacey Mormont, the She-Bear, and Brienne of Tarth. The three women chatted together.
Compared with traditional court ladies, Daenerys preferred spending time with independent women like them.
"If my cousin had married a Northern girl, he wouldn't have suffered such humiliation," Dacey said bitterly.
"Bear Island is nothing like Oldtown. House Hightower has a long history, immense wealth, and an enormous amount of pride."
"Bear Island may have plenty of wild bears and timber, but we don't have jewelers, dressmakers, harpists, or excellent chefs. Compared with the prosperous lands of the south, especially Oldtown, it is too cold, too wet, too remote, and too poor."
"There are no masquerade balls on Bear Island, no mime performances, and certainly no lavish banquets. You have to wait several years just to have a singer visit the island. There isn't even a single goldsmith there."
Daenerys looked at Dacey with her violet eyes and gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Poor thing."
Brienne of Tarth had little interest in such matters.
The men who approached her were either beaten away or cursed at. Renly, the man she had admired in her youth, had gone to the Wall. By now, she was practically immune to matters of love.
"What happened afterward?" Daenerys asked curiously.
Ser Jorah had always been Gendry's trusted confidant. He was loyal and reliable, but he rarely spoke about the misfortunes of his past.
A trace of pain crossed Dacey's face.
"He paid too much to keep that Hightower woman."
"He earned money through tourneys, sold timber, and eventually accumulated so much debt that he began selling captured poachers to the Tyroshi."
"When Lord Eddard came looking for him, Jorah fled with that woman."
"Then, after they crossed the Narrow Sea, the Hightower woman abandoned him."
In the end, Jorah Mormont was like a man from a remote village who had married a noblewoman from a powerful and wealthy family. After the marriage, their lives gradually fell apart.
There was an old saying that love without material support was like a pile of loose sand.
The North was simply too poor. Luxuries and expensive goods were rare there. Even House Stark's material standard of living could hardly be considered extravagant.
Gendry sat on a tall wicker chair, listening to the women's conversation.
He was too tall for ordinary chairs, which made them uncomfortable for him.
As for Jorah's situation, his aunt, Lady Mormont, and his cousin Dacey had both pleaded on his behalf.
Jorah himself understood that he would only return after achieving something outside the North.
The Hightower woman was currently in Lys, and their reunion was not far away.
Gendry then carefully read the letter sent by Duke Stannis Baratheon from King's Landing.
«Your Royal Highness,
Everything is proceeding smoothly in King's Landing under the orderly governance of myself and my fellow ministers.
Lord Mace, Lord Yohn, Lord Selwyn, and Lord Randyll have been working tirelessly day and night, devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the preparations for your coronation and the various affairs of King's Landing.»
No wonder Stannis spoke so highly of them.
For ordinary administrative tasks, Mace and the others were more than capable.
As long as Mace was kept away from military affairs, he could actually be quite useful.
The first major task had been the renovation of King's Landing.
The Blackwater Rush had to be cleared, shipwrecks had to be salvaged, and the ruined Dragonpit and various city gates had to be cleaned and repaired.
Different people were assigned to the river and city gates, while Randyll Tarly was placed in charge of the Dragonpit.
The work progressed rapidly.
At the very least, they had managed to make the Dragonpit suitable as a semi-open venue for the coronation ceremony.
Gendry's coronation would not be held inside the Red Keep.
Instead, it would take place in the sacred King's Landing Veterans' Hall, which had been constructed upon the ruins of the Dragonpit.
The High Septon was already prepared, and messages had been sent to all the great lords, from the North to the south, from the Wall to the Arbor and the Iron Islands.
Many ravens had also been dispatched to the Westerlands.
Foreign guests would be attending as well, so security was of the utmost importance.
The Two Cities that Gendry directly ruled would also present grand gifts for the occasion.
The second major issue was grain.
The Riverlands had been devastated by war for years.
The Crownlands were in slightly better condition, but their larger population placed enormous pressure on their food supplies.
The Stormlands had only small areas of farmland and were covered largely by forests. When hunger struck, there were even people who had nothing better to do than chew on tree bark.
The North was in the worst situation of all.
They would have to wait until autumn before they could harvest another crop.
Even though House Stark traditionally maintained reserves of grain for the Long Winter, not every lord was willing to sacrifice his own food supplies for the future.
Starvation was therefore inevitable.
The Vale still had some grain reserves, but even they would eventually have to rely on the Reach.
The docks no longer exported grain.
Instead, grain had to be secretly imported.
The various "grain lords" also began playing their respective roles.
These great lords controlled the docks and major grain-producing regions. They were the foundation upon which the realm would survive the coming famine.
They set an example by cooperating with the Iron Throne's demands for regional grain allocation while also reducing unnecessary consumption.
However, the enormous stockpiles of grain had already attracted considerable attention.
To prevent panic and market turmoil, everything had to be handled carefully.
Finally, there was the issue of suppressing the Wights and bandits.
Now that the overall situation across the Seven Kingdoms had stabilized somewhat, each region had begun dealing with the remaining threats.
The Riverlands and Crownlands, which had suffered the greatest devastation during the wars, received particular attention.
Roose Bolton and Ser Jak Crakehall each led five hundred cavalrymen in clearing Wights and bandits from the Crownlands and along the Kingsroad.
There were even more Wights in the Riverlands.
Fortunately, with the Brotherhood Without Banners and many of the Riverlords returning home, they had also begun actively suppressing them.
Meanwhile, the unruly ruffians of King's Landing were enrolled in what Randyll Tarly called a "training class."
The results had been surprisingly effective.
Randyll had even managed to blend into the group of ruffians and personally oversee their training.
Lords from other regions quickly learned from King's Landing's example and began using similar methods to deal with Wights and local troublemakers.
Gendry picked up his pen and wrote a reply to Stannis.
«Thank you and your esteemed ministers for your diligent governance of King's Landing.
Before the Long Winter arrives, the three matters requiring the greatest attention are grain, construction, and war.
I also hope you will pay close attention to extremist religious fanatics and false prophets. Those who cause trouble may be sent to the "Knight Training Class" or dealt with appropriately.
Aegon brought King's Landing to the people.
Maegor built the Red Keep and the Dragonpit, with the latter being one of his greatest contributions.
Jaehaerys gave us the Kingsroad and the aqueducts.
Baelor gave us the Great Sept of Baelor.
King Daeron left us Summerhall.
My late father, King Robert, gave the realm countless tourneys, a long summer, and endless laughter.
As for me, I am determined to build the sacred King's Landing Veterans' Hall.
Its banner and sigil shall be my golden quartered war banner.
I have also added new honors to House Baratheon: Dragon King, World Liberator, and Commander of the Wolf Pack Company. These titles also represent my dominion over the Triarchy and the Disputed Lands.
As for the new family name, it shall bear the title "The Liberator" as a suffix, or simply Gendry T. B. Liberator.
The existing family names of the other Baratheon branches shall remain unchanged.»
Gendry's signature had already changed.
Gendry Targaryen Baratheon Liberator.
Gendry thought for a moment.
He deliberately did not mention in the letter his decision to unite the Stormlands, Dragonstone, and the Crownlands.
Renly's rebellion was still fresh in everyone's memory, and although the matter was urgent, it would be better to discuss it personally.
There was also the matter of Harrenhal.
Gendry's new name represented the birth of a new house.
There would now be House Liberator of King's Landing, while the other branches would remain House Baratheon.
This distinction would separate the royal line from the other branches of the family.
Mya and Edric would remain Baratheons, while the King's descendants would carry two additional surnames.
The King's Landing Veterans' Hall was only the first step.
Gendry had also considered building a great library city and a magnificent theater.
But those projects would have to wait.
First, his enemies had to be defeated.
Oldtown.
The Iron Islands.
The Lannisters.
And, most importantly, the evil Euron Greyjoy and the Wights of the North.
"Is the coronation ceremony about to begin?" Ser Barristan asked.
The other squires also looked expectant.
Dragonstone was certainly impressive, but compared with King's Landing, it could sometimes feel rather dull, with little more than traces of dragons and volcanoes to admire.
"Yes."
Gendry raised the letter in his hand.
"A coronation is both a glory and a threat."
"I have chosen the Veterans' Hall in the Dragonpit as the location."
Ser Barristan glanced at Lothor, Robar, and Anguy.
"We have enough manpower, but we cannot afford to become complacent."
Ser Barristan had participated in many coronations.
He knew that no matter how grand the ceremony was, the basic procedures were always the same.
Gendry nodded.
"I'm afraid those who hate me won't be able to sleep tonight."
The Conqueror had faced countless assassination attempts because of his blood feud with Dorne.
Gendry was no different.
Under his command, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood had already been accumulated.
Therefore, a grand coronation attended by countless nobles and commoners, with thousands of loose tongues and countless opportunities for infiltration, was bound to attract strange assassins.
Fugitives from Volantis.
Enemies from the Triarchy.
Defeated forces from Slaver's Bay.
Even disappointed guests from Qarth.
"All the great lords and their heirs may attend," Ser Barristan continued.
"With so many people gathered together, the situation will inevitably become chaotic."
"Royal security will be under my control."
"As for King's Landing itself, Lord Randyll, Ser Boggs, and Ser Lothor should be sufficient."
The lords attending the ceremony certainly would not come alone.
Some might bring five or six hundred men simply to display their wealth and power.
Stable boys and squires would drink too much, get into fights, and occasionally turn drunken brawls into murders.
Gendry looked at the old knight.
Ser Barristan truly was the embodiment of everything a knight should be.
But when it came to the Wights, Gendry still had to rely on himself and the Red Priestess.
"I will meet many guests," Gendry said.
"Some will welcome me warmly. Others will greet me with cold smiles."
"But as long as they are guests, they must be treated properly."
He stroked the rounded pommel of Orphan-Maker at his waist.
The sword still seemed to carry the faint scent of blood.
King's Landing was now a grand stage.
So…
Which fish would take the bait?
While the group was talking, Ser Yassell hurried into the courtyard.
Behind him was the travel-worn Onion Knight.
"Prince Gendry, Princess Daenerys."
The Onion Knight bowed.
"I have brought the remaining fleet back to Dragonstone."
The Onion Knight had taken a long detour, successfully completing his mission of luring the enemy away.
He had also managed to bring the surviving ships back.
However, the fleet had suffered heavy losses at sea.
"The Gods praise your courage and wisdom," Gendry said quickly.
He had also found a new Master of Ships.
"Did you encounter anything unusual at sea?"
"No."
The Onion Knight shook his head.
Then he hesitated.
"There was one strange thing."
"After crossing the Stepstones on our return journey, we encountered enormous winds and waves."
"It was terrible. Steering the ships became extremely difficult."
"It was very unusual."
"We slowly made our way forward by taking shelter near Tarth and other coastal islands, which allowed us to avoid excessive damage to the fleet."
"Bad weather is common," Gendry said, motioning for the Onion Knight to rise.
But deep down, Gendry already understood what had happened.
It was the aftereffect of magic.
The Red Priest Vaqiro had helped Marajo perform a blood sacrifice to alter the winds.
After they had passed through the area, the sea had become stormy.
Other ships were now suffering because of the unnatural weather.
And unless more sacrifices were made, the storms would continue.
More blood.
More storms.
A vicious cycle.
Daenerys also looked at the plain-looking knight.
"You are the Onion Knight?"
The Onion Knight looked at the beautiful girl in the purple dress.
"Do you remember me, Princess?"
He was visibly flattered.
Her silver hair and violet eyes, combined with the protection of two tall female guards, made her identity obvious.
She was the last True Dragon.
"It was Gendry," Daenerys said with a smile.
"Jen told me that you are one of the best captains and sailors."
"I am truly unworthy of such praise."
Davos smiled warmly.
"Your Highness's words honor me greatly."
It was indeed something he could be proud of.
He had risen through his own ability rather than through bloodline or noble birth.
As they continued talking, their voices eventually woke the sleeping dragons.
The three dragons slowly unfolded their curled-up bodies.
Their wings stretched outward as they shook themselves awake.
The air was filled with a faint scent of dust and the unmistakable smell of fire.
Dragons could sense the presence of strangers.
They could recognize unfamiliar voices, shapes, and even the fire burning within another living creature.
"Clap!"
Balerion spread his enormous black wings and slowly flew toward Gendry.
His eyes remained fixed on the Onion Knight, carrying a trace of vigilance.
The white dragon slowly followed behind the black dragon.
Fortunately, the dragons were in a good mood.
They did not breathe mist or roar.
Gendry reached out and stroked the black dragon's horn.
Balerion's scales were as dark as eternal night.
Yet his eyes, horns, and back spines were blood-red, giving him an overwhelmingly powerful and terrifying appearance.
"These are…"
The Onion Knight stared at the creatures in disbelief.
"Dragons?"
He looked again.
And again.
There was not just one.
There were three.
If he had not seen them with his own eyes, he would never have believed that dragons had truly returned to the world.
"Dragons have three heads, Ser," Vhagar said as she circled around Daenerys.
"The dragons are right in front of you," Gendry said with a chuckle.
He motioned for Davos to touch Balerion.
The Onion Knight looked at the enormous black dragon.
Then he slowly withdrew his hand.
He simply did not dare to touch it.
________________________________________
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