"I understand what you mean, and there's no need to act immediately. By planning ahead, it's easier to gain the initiative."
"With the development of Seaslinder, Ice Bay is bound to become lively, which will inevitably attract the attention of the Beyond the Wall Free Folk. The hatred of thousands of years is indeed not easy to resolve, but one side must make a change first for a new outcome to be possible."
"The Wall was not originally built to guard against the Wildling from Beyond the Wall. The more terrifying existence lurking in the Far North is our true enemy."
Thinking of the scene she had witnessed earlier in the Everwinter Heart, Princess Daniella still felt a pang of fear.
"The Others in the Far North are not just mythical creatures. The previous Long Night and Winter were closely related to them, and that sea dragon was merely their pawn…"
"Winter is coming, and with the Long Night and Winter come the enemies of all living beings. Before they act, whether the Beyond the Wall Free Folk become our allies or our true enemies will depend on our choices."
"Compared to those true enemies, the conflicts among the Seven Kingdoms are really nothing at all."
Mederick knew that his Princess had never been one to speak idly, so although Princess Daniella's words greatly shocked him, he did not doubt them in the slightest.
"I understand, Princess!"
"Don't worry, I will develop Seaslinder as quickly as possible. With Holy Flame Island's current financial resources and population, it can be completed in at most two years."
Princess Daniella and Mederick then spent half a day formulating a more precise plan for the development of Seaslinder.
Seaslinder would serve as the North's high-yield grain seed base and high-quality livestock breeding base, as well as Princess Daniella's private armory and the trade center for the entire western coast of the North.
After all, the North's territory accounts for more than half of the Seven Kingdoms, and its mineral resources are very abundant. However, due to the current low level of productivity, the North has always been poor and unable to develop these resources.
But Princess Daniella is not short of money now; she has more than a dozen dragons. When they mine, even the most advanced mining tools cannot compare to them.
Cailin Bay is now under Princess Daniella's name. If the Hot Spring River in Cailin Bay and the Biting Bay to the east are connected, it will directly link the eastern and western coasts of the North. This would completely integrate the entire North's trade circulation.
Princess Daniella then forged enough Dragonstone by riding her dragons, after which she departed with them. On the way, she also visited Winterfell to retrieve five juvenile Lizard Lions that had grown to about two meters long and settled them in the swamps near Cailin Bay.
Now, given their size, they would only be harmed if they encountered an adult Lizard Lion; otherwise, almost nothing could injure them. However, to be safe, Princess Daniella still took the dragons and hunted down a dozen adult Lizard Lions within a dozen kilometers of the vicinity.
This also cleared potential threats and competitors for Lizard Lion Leo and his companions. Of course, the bodies of these Lizard Lions were Princess Daniella's spoils of war.
As Princess Daniella flew over the Brightmoon Mountains on her dragons, she suddenly felt a chill down her spine, so she quickly had the dragons accelerate and leave.
Meanwhile, Marquis Frey and his group had already rendezvoused with Harold, who was stationed at High Heart. The Vale Knights, who had been pursuing the Highland Clans, had also arrived nearby. However, they happened to encounter the Noble Alliance led by the Thirteen Oaks.
"What a coincidence, Earl Royce!"
Brandon Tuck, as the brother of the Earl of Threetowers, always thought highly of himself; even Anwen Peake, the heir to Threetowers who was traveling with him, was nothing more than a child in his eyes.
"What, are you here to support Frey, that weasel? I advise you to stay put in the Vale. The Riverlands is a muddy mess that's not easy to get involved in."
The hot-tempered Earl Redwyne, seeing that he dared to be so presumptuous, immediately cursed, "You Reach coward, you'd best mind your tongue, or I don't mind cutting it off for you."
With that, he directly drew his Valyrian steel sword, Blooddrinker, looking ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
House Redfort is one of the oldest families in the Vale, and like House Royce, they also possess the blood of the First Men. Their seat is located at Redfort, their sigil is a red castle, and their words are 'Blood is Power.'
However, the seasoned and prudent Earl Royce did not want to clash with the other party. After all, the Thirteen Oaks had more men than the Vale Knights; there were already no less than a thousand cavalry, and two or three thousand infantry. Moreover, an endless stream of Poor Fellows Gathering members followed behind them.
"We are here pursuing the Wildling of the Highland Clans and have no interest in getting involved in your affairs. But I advise you all, unauthorized fighting between houses is punishable as treason."
"The Seven Kingdoms have only just managed to have these few decades of peace, and have just gone through the Long Night and Winter, I…"
But before Earl Royce could finish his sentence, an arrow suddenly shot out from nowhere and pierced his throat.
At the same time, several hundred Iron Islands longships suddenly appeared outside Oldtown. Upon discovering them, the sentinels on the Lockriver Tower immediately raised the Lockriver Iron Chain and lit the beacon fires. Oldtown, which had just recovered some vitality, was once again tragically facing an attack from the brutal sea monsters.
Upon seeing the beacon fires, Rogge, who was stationed in Oldtown, immediately organized the Oldtown Garrison to enforce a city-wide lockdown, while he himself led the elite troops to the docks.
After Princess Daniella took over Oldtown, she had the Oldtown port defenses re-fortified. In addition to strengthening and raising the two Lockriver Towers that held the iron chain, she also built a military fortress on each side of the dock. These were equipped with heavy crossbows that could easily pierce the sturdiest ship planks, specifically to defend against fleet attacks like those from the Iron Islands.
At the same time, the Dragon Guard also had Simoros and his companions forge a large amount of Dragonstone to reinforce, heighten, and thicken the Oldtown city walls. The Walls were also equipped with a large number of giant crossbows and wildfire for defense.
The excavation of the Oldtown underground maze was also largely complete, especially the passages leading to various key locations had been cleared. With the help of these underground passages, the Oldtown Garrison could appear at their desired locations at the fastest speed.
On the Hightower, which had also been renovated with a large amount of Dragonstone, green beacon fires were lit for the first time, and most of the lords of The Reach immediately became aware of the situation in Oldtown.
Meanwhile, the group led by Laena and her brother, Boros, and the Tyrone Lannister brothers, had arrived at Riverrun and met the two hundred Vale Knights escorting the Poor Fellows Gathering at the city gate.
The Green-eyed Dwarf looked at the Poor Fellows Gathering, who were tied up like cattle, and his expression immediately changed.
"Ser Bolos, it seems that although Princess Daniella is not in Westeros, the forces behind her are still serving her well!"
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