267 AC, The Vale, Arryn Valley, The Gate of the Moon.
The weather was slowly warming up. In a while, perhaps Rhaegar could also enjoy the scenery of The Eyrie.
However, Rhaegar had no desire to climb to the peak; the horns of war had already sounded.
In this operation, even if Rhaegar didn't wipe out the wildlings, he had to bring back dragon bones.
Rhaegar thought that the shepherdess Nettle probably had no wealth, but dragon bones were very valuable. Sheepstealer had a high probability of being dead.
The only thought might be Prince Daemon's legacy, but the Prince had gone to fight Aemond to the death at that time; who knew what he left for Nettle.
Regarding the wildlings of The Pale Mountains, the Eagles' Guard had also anticipated the operational objectives: mountain warfare, specifically guerrilla warfare.
The Gate of the Moon was now torn apart by arguments.
Rhaegar and his guards were growing up day by day, and the guards were also choosing war; they craved honor as much as they craved love.
Rhaegar established a separate military camp and did not allow women to enter. The guards honed their willpower and bodies every day. War is a bloody exercise, and exercise is a bloodless war.
"The prince treats war as a game, and you encourage his mischief. You abandon knightly honor like clowns." Jon, the Duke, flushed with anger, rebuked Rhaegar and his retinue. He truly looked like an enraged eagle, and no one dared to contradict him. Except for Rhaegar, the status and seniority gap between everyone else and Jon, the Duke, was too great.
Rhaegar looked at Jon, the Duke, wondering whether to call him cautious or seasoned.
Rhaegar felt that the Vale's battle plan was too conservative. The Pale Mountains protected the Vale but also restricted it; they had been fighting the Mountain Clans until now. In contrast, in the North, many Mountain Clans were already vassals of House Stark. This might also be related to ethnicity; the Vale consisted of andals, the wildlings were descendants of the first men, while the North was almost entirely descendants of the first men.
Ser Barristan the Bold, Brynden, Cesar, Ser Jeyne Arryn, and others did not object.
Because even if they said no, their authority was far less than that of Jon, the Duke. And they had confidence in Rhaegar's martial arts; having four knights as a fallback was also a guarantee. Moreover, warriors always crave honor.
The Pale Mountains bred the Mountain Clans, who for years have stood between the Vale and the outside world, burning, killing, and plundering, almost infuriating most nobles. Even Brynden Tully had relatives and friends who died at the hands of wildlings.
"No matter what, your plan cannot pass through me. Without my decree, you cannot pass through the Bloody Gate. The wildlings are all soldiers; if united, there are at least three thousand men. Even if they lack equipment and armor, they are strong and brave. Prince, have any of your guards seen blood? Your small force is like a drop of water in the ocean. If the prince is in danger, I cannot explain it to the iron throne." Jon, the Duke, was firm. Even if Prince Rhaegar had two younger brothers, they couldn't compare to him; he couldn't let Rhaegar take risks.
Rhaegar's eyes lit up when he heard the Bloody Gate decree.
Seeing Jon, the Duke's, firm attitude, everyone said nothing more.
Under the night sky at The Gate of the Moon, the aroma of fine wine, delicious food, and roasted meat filled the air. Rhaegar called Cesar, Brynden, Jeff, and others, desperately plying Jon, the Duke, with wine. Jon, the Duke, also seemed to be intoxicated; everyone was tipsy.
As night deepened, Rhaegar secretly entered Jon, the Duke's, chambers.
The Blue-Cloaked Knight at the door, seeing Prince Rhaegar, did not dare to obstruct him too much, and the guard captain was not present.
Rhaegar crept into the chambers, thought about the location of the Crescent Falcon seal, and found it smoothly. Rhaegar looked at Jon, the Duke, who was drunk and muddled.
"In the name of Jon Arryn, Duke of The Eyrie, Defender of the Vale, and Warden of the East, I command you to allow Prince Rhaegar and his guards to pass through." Rhaegar took the wax seal and stamped the Crescent Falcon onto the paper.
Rhaegar looked at this decree; with this document, he could 'steal the tally' and enter the mountains, passing through the Bloody Gate.
The Duke was also a cunning man.
Rhaegar thought for a moment, then tiptoed out of the room.
"We have the item! We must immediately leave The Gate of the Moon and strike camp!" Rhaegar said, holding the decree, to Cesar, Brynden, and others anxiously waiting in the courtyard.
Cesar, Brynden, Ser Barristan, and others also nodded. Since Rhaegar had taken this step, they could only follow Prince Rhaegar.
The few of them were excited. Since war was unavoidable, they would choose war.
Rhaegar called out, then took Barristan and the others, escaping from The Gate of the Moon and rushing to the military camp.
Jon, the Duke, watched their departing figures from the window, his eyes complex.
Ser Matt Arryn, the guard captain, appeared silently beside Jon, the Duke, watching Rhaegar and the others leave The Gate of the Moon like flying.
"Lord Jon, why didn't you stop Prince Rhaegar from using the seal just now? We still can, even now?" Ser Matt Arryn asked.
"This is the greatest support I can give Prince Rhaegar. If I were to fully support him, I couldn't face the iron throne. Rhaegar is so much younger than Elbert, yet he shows the blood of The Conqueror. And our Elbert, so much older than the prince, has no outstanding talent." Jon, the Duke, sighed.
Ser Matt stopped speaking. He was also an Arryn, but his place in the line of succession was too far down. This chaos in the Vale's succession was not something he could comment much on.
"Go and count our men. Have Joffrey Arryn keep in constant contact with us. We put him there because we thought he was cunning. Prince Rhaegar can explore The Pale Mountains, but he cannot leave our control."
Even with their high honor, House Arryn's rise to power involved shadow dancer performances. Artys Arryn had someone impersonate him in a charge while he flanked, so war always seemed connected with cunning.
In another corner of The Gate of the Moon, Elbert, the second heir of the Vale and Defender of The Gate of the Moon, was also sleepless. He had been suffering from insomnia lately, full of worries.
Elbert watched Rhaegar's departing figure. He truly envied the prince, who was spirited and like a soaring eagle; everyone loved him.
This damned fate, how could his uncle, nearly fifty, still have an heir? After that child was born, his winter had arrived.
All those sweet words, those women, merchants, and knights who swirled around him, those who called him Elbert, the Young Eagle King, the lucky one's darling. Now all had scattered.
"Ser, you are currently as precarious as melting snow; the moment the sun warms up, you will melt. According to information from King's Landing, Rennal, the heir, is very healthy, growing bigger day by day. Jon, the Duke, has left many guards for the child in King's Landing. Soon, you will no longer have this Defender position," the person hiding in the shadows whispered.
"My uncle has been Duke for decades; how can I fight him? When my younger brother Rennal grows up, I will assist him wholeheartedly." Elbert's face was full of worry, and he gritted his teeth. The sycophants around him had diminished, and those overly ambitious investors had also been cleared out by his uncle.
"Many things require an opportunity. As long as the opportunity comes, you can not only become the heir but also rule the Vale ahead of time. Currently, Prince Rhaegar is going to The Pale Mountains; isn't this the best opportunity?" The person in the shadows continued to chatter.
Elbert's face grew more uneasy. "No! No! You want me to frame the prince, to frame my uncle? This is unacceptable; we are high as honor. And once the matter gets out, I will be a kingslayer who also caused the prince's demise, and I will be hanged by the iron throne."
"They will die at the hands of wildlings; what does that have to do with you?" The voice in the shadows sounded again, seemingly tempting Elbert.
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