Chapter 210 The Horse That Mounts the World
Next to the Little Rhoyne, in Ghoyan Drohe, a small black city began to rise from the ruins.
Rhaegar Targaryen had the native inhabitants of Ghoyan Drohe and the escaped slaves work together to build a simple black city wall. Massive multilayered bricks measuring four meters by four meters formed two concentric rings, with stone transported from the Velvet Hills packed between them. With these two circles of walls, the natives and freed slaves living in the settlement would be much safer. There was still plenty of stone in the Velvet Hills that could be directly used for the reconstruction of Ghoyan Drohe. Rhaegar had no way to restore Ghoyan Drohe's ancient fountains and canals, as such projects required skilled craftsmen and specialized trades. For now, it was enough that people could live here. Most of Ghoyan Drohe consisted of vegetable fields, and if more people arrived, the orchards could gradually be restored as well.
At present, Ghoyan Drohe was a remote and lawless region. For the townsfolk, the greatest threat was the appearance of Dothraki Screamers. As for slavers hunting escaped slaves by ship, few had the courage to venture this far inland.
"Everything is difficult at the beginning. Although our town is small, its geographical position is extremely important. As long as the settlement develops, the manpower and wealth we need will continue to flow in," Rhaegar explained to Prince Oberyn Martell and Ser Barristan Selmy.
"Dreams are always beautiful. The key lies with our enemies. If the town can become a transportation hub linking both river and land routes, then all we need is the cooperation of several Free Cities and assurance that the Dothraki Khals do not interfere. The Free Cities are easier to deal with," Oberyn continued. "Norvos is the homeland of my brother's wife. Princess Mellario comes from one of Norvos's noble families, so we can gain the understanding of Norvos. Volantis has also been trying to win you over. I hear the prince has good relations with several Triarchs and influential magistrates. But those Khals are violent, bloodthirsty, and almost impossible to control. They are the greatest variable."
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. We need to build the town as quickly as possible. Before the Khals arrive, the walls of Ghoyan Drohe must be strong enough that they cannot overcome them!" Rhaegar said to Oberyn.
At present, there were probably fewer than ten major Khals roaming the Dothraki Sea. These Khals were unpredictable, but whenever they crossed the Rhoyne, the major Free Cities were thrown into alarm.
Ser Barristan remained silent, contemplating both the grandeur of Rhaegar's strategy and the immense difficulty of bringing it to fruition.
"What if the Dothraki Screamers attacked Braavosi dependencies by land?" Rhaegar suddenly proposed a bold idea.
To attack Braavos, his magical dragon, water magic, and a summoned force of Dothraki Screamers would undoubtedly become a nightmare for the Braavosi. It was not that he harbored any inherent hostility toward Braavos. Rather, preparing for danger in times of peace was simple prudence. Conflict was inevitable whenever interests collided. The opening of a major overland trade network would be a severe blow to maritime powers, especially since this region was not particularly far from Braavos itself.
However, Rhaegar and Braavos still shared common ground. Westeros also opposed slavery. Because of this shared position, the Braavosi would not act rashly.
Oberyn nodded. He understood the terror inspired by the Dothraki Khals.
Dorne maintained close connections with the Three Daughters, and children from noble families of Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh often visited the Water Gardens. The Dornish also possessed many friends and sources of information across the Narrow Sea. They were far from ignorant of the wider world.
In fact, the most isolated people in Westeros were probably the Starks of Winterfell. The North was a harsh land with little connection to the outside world, few ports of consequence, and even fewer foreign friends.
"After the Century of Blood, the Dothraki Khals became unstoppable!" Ser Barristan exclaimed.
Even in Westeros, tales of the Khals were widely known.
"They destroyed the kingdoms of the Tall Men and came to dominate the Dothraki Sea. If there had been a true Khal of Khals for a prolonged period, and the Dothraki had remained completely united, I believe they would have thundered westward against the Free Cities long ago!" Oberyn added.
"Indeed. The current order of the world is largely a legacy of the Century of Blood. Who knows how much change the rebirth of this town will bring?" Rhaegar said.
After the fall of the Valyrian Freehold, two famous events reshaped Essos during the Century of Blood.
The first was the failure of Volantis's grand conquest. Its military expansion was halted, the Tiger faction suffered a crushing defeat, and the Elephant faction eventually rose to dominance.
The second was the rise of the Dothraki. They conquered countless cities and civilizations in their path. The collapse of the Valyrian Freehold left behind a vast power vacuum, and the horse lords surged outward from the eastern grasslands.
The kingdoms of the Ifequevron, the Kingdom of Sarnor, the Ibbenese colonies, and Essaria were all conquered and destroyed. To the south, independent Ghiscari cities and even some Qartheen outposts were overwhelmed by the barbarians.
The Dothraki advance continued triumphantly until it met catastrophe outside Qohor, where the Unsullied's legendary stand finally checked their momentum.
"Have you heard that prophecy?" Rhaegar suddenly asked Oberyn and Barristan.
"The Khal of Khals. The Khal who shall rule the world. He shall become the Stallion Who Mounts the World! His horse will run swifter than the wind. His khalasar will spread across the earth without number. His arakh will be as sharp as razor grass. The Khal will be mighty as a storm, and his enemies will fall tangled before him. Their wives will weep tears of blood and break their hearts in sorrow. The bells in his hair will sing of his coming, and the milk men who dwell in stone tents will tremble at his name."
"Isn't that a joke?" Oberyn laughed loudly. "You don't actually believe such prophecies, do you?
"Those barbarians are warlike creatures who would fight to the death over a woman or a horse. Their loyalty exists only beneath the shadow of swords and spears. Like beasts, they fight for power and women, slaughtering one another without end.
"It's not as though Khals capable of uniting the grasslands have never appeared before. Most of them were simply murdered by their own people. Then everything splintered apart once again.
"Khal Hrolo lived during the Century of Blood. He was the last Khal to lead a truly great Dothraki alliance. Hrolo slew Khal Moro and seized control of his khalasar. He also married Moro's daughter, who had previously been wed to King Gornath as part of an alliance between Gornath and Moro.
"Later, she came to despise the weakness of the Tall Men and personally killed King Gornath before becoming Hrolo's wife.
"Three years after destroying Gornath's kingdom, Hrolo himself was killed by a rival. His enormous khalasar fragmented into twelve smaller khalasars. Since then, there has been no Khal of Khals and no great alliance among the Dothraki."
Oberyn possessed at least two remarkable qualities.
The first was his vast knowledge. The Red Viper was no mere warrior. He was well educated, cultured, and always eager to learn.
The second was his devotion to family. Whether it was his brother, his sister, or his daughters, Oberyn cared deeply for his kin. He could easily have coveted power in Dorne, yet he remained loyal to Prince Doran Martell and showed little ambition for rulership.
Even regarding his bastard daughters, few men displayed the same degree of affection. In this regard, he stood in sharp contrast to Robert Baratheon, who usually abandoned his bastards after the momentary passion that had created them.
"Prophecies can also reflect the hopes and desires of a people. Perhaps such a Khal will appear someday," Rhaegar said.
"But all we need to do is extinguish the spark before it becomes a fire. Then the Dothraki will never see such a day."
Rhaegar knew that in another timeline, his sister Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo would hear this prophecy in Vaes Dothrak. The dosh khaleen would proclaim that their son, Rhaego, was the prophesied Stallion Who Mounts the World.
Yet Rhaego died in his mother's womb before the prophecy could ever be fulfilled.
As far as Rhaegar was concerned, Dothraki prophecies were worth less than a passing fart.
In truth, most prophecies were much the same. No one could force uncertain possibilities into reality.
"Then we must accelerate our efforts," Oberyn said. "Otherwise, once the Dothraki discover this place, they will destroy it by any means necessary."
He looked at Rhaegar.
The prince truly was ruthless enough to crush superstition with brute force.
Whether that was arrogance or confidence, Oberyn could not say.
But one thing was certain. Once Ghoyan Drohe was rebuilt, it would inevitably provoke the wrath of the Dothraki Khals. War would be unavoidable.
The Dothraki believed the earth was their mother. They despised axes, sickles, and shovels cutting into the soil. Whenever they discovered settlements, they sought to destroy them and return the land to open grassland.
"We have dragons and strong walls. That's more than enough to withstand a Khal for a time," Rhaegar replied. "As long as we defeat a Khal's army in open battle, the other Khals will no longer dare cross the Rhoyne."
Rhaegar already had his own plans.
To protect the town, one Khal would have to be defeated decisively.
The key was securing reinforcements, something that needed preparation in advance.
With dragonfire and elite royal guards, the current population of natives and freed slaves was still far too small. More manpower would have to be recruited.
They could continue gathering escaped slaves along the Rhoyne. Prince Oberyn could also recruit willing men from Dorne.
Rhaegar already possessed a complete strategy.
He would never allow the Stallion Who Mounts the World to appear.
Nor would he allow a true Khal of Khals to rise.
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