Chapter 109: Three Victories in One Day
The small islands of the Stepstones are mostly rocky and dusty, ravaged by storms, where not even birds lay eggs.
However, the Stepstones lie between the Cape of the Broken Arm and the Disputed Lands, connecting the two continents of Westeros and Essos, from Dorne to the Free Cities. This area's geographical location is simply too crucial, and conflict has never ceased here.
Against the backdrop of black smoke, firelight, and floating corpses along the shore, the combined armies of The Reach and Dorne had completely occupied this small island south of the Stepstones. A considerable fleet was moored along the coast, and the soldiers, primarily Reachmen, began setting up tents, leveling the ground, building roads, and constructing basic defenses to establish this place as a landing base. Nearby pirates, now demoralized, dared not harass the Redwyne Fleet again.
Rhaegar followed Ser Mace and Prince Lewyn as they inspected the temporary military camp. The physique, appearance, and equipment of The Reach soldiers and the Dorne soldiers were distinctly different.
Rhaegar could see quite a few suits of plate armor among The Reach forces, but the Dornish spearmen were almost exclusively clad in scale armor. Dornishmen typically used metal round shields, and their light cavalry was famous, armed with lances, javelins, or recurve bows. Dornish armor was lighter and less durable than the metal armor used elsewhere in the Seven Kingdoms, let alone the most luxurious plate armor. Some spearmen even added copper pieces to their meager scale armor, stitching them onto leather to resemble scales. This was partly to adapt to the hot climate, and partly because Dorne was sparsely populated and poor, meaning they couldn't afford the 'iron fist' charges of The Reach.
People often believe courage determines war, but Rhaegar believed courage, logistics, equipment, and decisiveness were all indispensable links in the chain of war. Looking at the gear of the Dornish spearmen and light cavalry, it was clear they were better suited for skirmishes and harassment warfare. The Dornish had worn down countless enemies relying on guerrilla warfare and 'blunting the edge' tactics. Climate was the greatest advantage for both The North and Dorne.
"Since we have won here, this island should be called Triumph Island! true dragon, rose, and spear together!" declared the exaggerated Fat Flower Mace Tyrell. When you follow the right person, victory is easily obtained.
Ser Mace's purpose for this trip was purely to gild his reputation, and he felt great! He was in high spirits, like an inflated fish.
"Triumph Island is too crude. We should call it Prince's Island, since Prince Rhaegar led us in the landing!" said Prince Lewyn.
"Prince's Island, that is a good name!" Rhaegar remarked. This might be the third named island in the Stepstones.
After the laughter, The Reach cooks provided a feast for everyone. The silver-haired Prince Rhaegar, the brown-haired Fat Flower Mace, and the dark-haired Prince Lewyn were undoubtedly the center of the banquet.
Side dishes included pears, sweet corn, and peas, while the main courses were delicious small fish fried crisp in salt, high-quality sea fish, capons stuffed with onions and mushrooms, and cured beef. Desserts included lemon cake, honey biscuits, blackberry tarts, apple crisp, and butter cheese. Drinks were light beer, light wine, and mint juice. During wartime, only moderate drinking was permitted. However, the Dornish might find this food slightly unfamiliar, as their diet favored spiciness, and they even ate roasted snake meat, setting them apart from other regions.
Rhaegar felt keenly today how abundant the produce of The Reach was. Good logistics and good food were necessary for combat effectiveness.
Dedicated servants were feeding Rhaegar's young dragons with cattle and sheep. The young dragons had also soared across the battlefield today, having performed great deeds and achieved brilliant results in both the east and the west.
Rhaegar and Ser Mace ate their fill. Ser Mace said casually, "It's a pity we don't have singers and jugglers performing to cheer up Prince Rhaegar! But our Reach cooks are certainly presentable."
Prince Lewyn glanced contemptuously at Ser Mace. Reachmen were simply rich, well-supplied, luxurious, and knew how to enjoy themselves. Dornishmen, however, had rarely fought wealthy wars; war was not a game.
"I leave this place to the two of you! Absolutely do not fight reckless battles, hold the position firmly, and wait for my message!" Rhaegar instructed. Prince Lewyn was steady, and Mace, though dull, was generally obedient. Combined with their advantages in equipment and personnel, Rhaegar felt quite reassured entrusting the command to them. As the coalition's sole air force, Rhaegar now served as fire support and messenger, communicating between the iron throne's main camp and the Tyrell and Dornish armies. After securing the southern position, Rhaegar still needed to return to the iron throne's main camp.
The young dragons recovered their energy, and Rhaegar mounted the Silver Emperor, soaring high into the sky from Prince's Island. The dragon circled and flew higher, eventually becoming a tiny black speck.
The pirates of the Stepstones lost track of the dragon, but the dragon had already gifted them two huge scars, one on the left and one on the right, reminding the pirates of the danger.
"War is volatile and extremely taxing on both physical and mental energy. No wonder many famous generals suffer physically! If I had to fight seventeen or eighteen battles in rotation in a single day, I really couldn't handle it." Rhaegar steered the dragon high in the air. In his hand, blue flames slowly condensed into the shape of a tree, using the flame to drive the Rune of the Tree—an eternally green tree—sweeping away fatigue and bringing vitality.
Rhaegar channeled the blue flame to the other young dragons. The Silver Emperor, Balerion, and Balerion also shed some fatigue and became lively again.
Rhaegar thought of the vibrant, eternally youthful tree. Alys Rivers, having only ordinary blood, could not perfectly utilize this rune; merely using it to maintain an ageless appearance was a terrible waste. Perhaps, in addition to the rune, she also used sacrifices involving blood and dark magic, which might explain the rumors of stillbirths and miscarriages.
Rhaegar steered the dragon, observing the Stepstones below. The sea barrier was still solid, limiting the waterways. The iron throne armies had captured one island each in the south and The North, but a direct frontal push would likely result in heavy casualties. Especially on Bloodstone, which was packed with messy wooden and stone fortresses, with Lysene fugitives hiding in the caves.
Rhaegar had already devised a method to defeat the enemy, but first, he needed to reach the iron throne's main army camp.
Rhaegar's subordinates, led by Corlys and Barristan, had already joined the main iron throne army. The iron throne forces, commanded by Aerys, Lord Tywin, and Ser Steffon, had occupied a northern island, establishing it as the Royal Army's base.
When the silhouettes of the three dragons swept across the camp, the soldiers and attendants knew that Prince Rhaegar had arrived.
The soldiers all believed Prince Rhaegar was charismatic; the Prince was handsome and amiable, yet on the battlefield, he was unstoppable, like The Conqueror himself.
Rhaegar jumped down from the dragon, removed his black dragon helmet, and revealed his handsome face with silver hair and purple eyes. Rhaegar was clad in black scale armor, wore the shadow cleaver at his waist, and strode forward with a tall, imposing posture. Barristan, Ser Brynden, Ser Thalassar, and others were already waiting for him.
The large tents of Crown Prince Aerys and the other two were close together. The trio also formed the highest command structure for this operation, their tents erected on a temporarily reinforced platform overlooking the entire camp.
Rhaegar passed through the river of multi-colored armor and banners, moving past gazes of admiration or flattery, and arrived at the central command tent.
"Add a new chair for my son, Prince Rhaegar, the hero of the Stepstones! It's a pity my son's current blade isn't good enough; you ought to be equipped with dark sister," Crown Prince Aerys said, exaggerating and beaming with excitement. There was nothing wrong with a father basking in his son's glory.
Speaking of the disappearance of the valyrian steel blade dark sister, it was an incident that struck a painful blow to three families. The Targaryen Family lost two swords, the Lannisters lost one, and the Baratheons, having never owned one, were arguably worse off.
A folding long table in the main tent held a map of the Stepstones. Rhaegar walked up to examine the previous troop deployment.
Lord Tywin, Ser Steffon, and Rhaegar were all quite familiar with the father and son pair, but they all sensed that although Aerys and Rhaegar looked similar, their temperaments were vastly different. One was a spoiled playboy, charismatic but not exceptionally talented. The other was a born warrior, possessing the soul of Aegon the Conqueror.
Crown Prince Aerys had long silver hair and a handsome face, but he was self-important, fickle, and prone to anger. His martial skill was only mediocre; he had not inherited the warrior legend of the Dragonlord family, which produced many fighters, including exceptional ones. The short-haired Rhaegar appeared more handsome and clear-cut, possessing formidable martial arts. The Prince's prowess and valor on the battlefield were already renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and he carried a fiery, intense aura.
"Now that Prince Rhaegar has joined us, and with the Redwyne Fleet pushing in from behind the Stepstones, attacking from front and rear, the scales of victory will soon tip in our favor!" said Lord Tywin.
"My Lords, besides just leading the assault, I have a bigger idea!"
"When besieging the islands, someone is needed to strike at reinforcements. My troops are perfect for that, and since I ride a dragon, I can also provide frontal support if needed!" Rhaegar explained his idea.
The highest decision-makers of the war debated in the tent until night began to fall, and Rhaegar returned to his own pitched military tent.
For some reason, he felt a strange sense of danger. Beneath the rising flames, in the darkness, he saw a fleet displayed in a vision, heading toward them!
"This is the third battle of the day," Rhaegar thought. "Then let me sound the victory song for the third time."
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