Prelude to Battle

"Shut your mouth." Lord Borros Baratheon pounded the armrest of his chair, his curled beard trembling with rage. "I'm not dead yet. It's not your turn to act out of line. Guards! Guards!"

Guards clad in crowned stag livery hurried into the hall. Seeing the father and son facing off tensely, their eyes showed confusion and concern.

"Take him back to his room. He is not to leave without my permission. None of the stables are to provide him with a warhorse. Lock up his hammer and armor too!"

"Father, you can't do this!" Borros only began to panic when the guards pinned him down. "Seven above, I just want to fight the Dornish."

"Seven Hells." Only now did Lord Borros regain the use of his gout-ridden legs. Seven Hells, it hurt. "You're my son. I know exactly what's going through that head of yours. This matter had best remain limited to Prince Lonzell's faction. Enough, get out. You lot keep a close eye on this brat. If he gets away, I'll kick your heads around like balls." Enduring the pain, Lord Borros waved for the guards to drag Borros away.

Even as he was dragged off, Borros was still shouting that he wanted to fight the Dornish.

"Maester." Lord Borros beckoned to the maester waiting at the side. He took a cup of milk of the poppy from him and sipped it slowly. This was the painkiller maesters used most often. It was highly effective, but fiercely addictive. The elderly Lord Borros Baratheon could no longer live without it.

"I'll dictate. You write." Lord Borros had the maester fetch paper and pen. Unlike his illiterate son, Borros could read, but he could not shake the nobles' habit of relying on maesters. The maester spread out the paper and nodded to the lord. "My lord, you may begin."

"To His Grace the King: Civil war has broken out in Dorne. Prince Lonzell and some Borderlands nobles have also been drawn into it. To defend the kingdom's borders, I request that His Grace permit the Stormlands nobles to raise troops and reinforce the border defenses."

"Yes, my lord."

After taking the letter written by the maester and checking it for errors, Lord Borros handed it to an attendant and had him send it from Raven Tower.

"To Count Roys Caron: Order him to hold Prince's Pass. If necessary, he may support Prince Lonzell in the name of the Borderlands lords. To Count Kevin Swann of Stonehelm: Order him to coordinate with Count Lorent Grandison of Grandview, defend the southern borderlands, and be ready to receive our army at any time."

The maester swiftly finished the letters. Once they had been checked, they were sent out. Only then did Lord Borros let out a breath. He had not expected the situation to change so quickly. Dorne had actually begun fighting itself, and even the ever-cautious Prince Qoren had been unable to resist sending troops.

What exactly had Lonzell done?

"I merely lit a fire." Lonzell looked into Count Donald Tarly's eyes and smiled. "The conflicts within Dorne had always existed. No one had simply set them alight before."

"We were too hasty when we fought Dorne before." Count Tarly had naturally noticed this as well. "We gave the Martell family the chance to unite internally and present a united front against outsiders. Your Highness, what terms did you promise Lewyn Yronwood and that whelp from the Dayne family? Gold? Troops? Or a crown?"

"All of it." Lonzell nodded. Jacaerys came over carrying a glass decanter full of fruit wine and poured for Count Tarly and Lonzell. Count Tarly naturally raised his cup in salute to the prince, while Jacaerys gave a slight bow before consciously stepping aside and quietly pricking up his ears to listen to the two men.

"Verbal promises cannot move these Dornish vipers, my lord." Lonzell took a sip of fruit wine.

"I admit that." Count Tarly raised his cup. "What do we do next?"

"Our army will form ranks on the plains south of Spirits Gorge." Lonzell rose and walked to the map hanging in the center of the command tent. "The view there is wide open, and it is the only route north. Our enemies are 1,500 infantry from the Jordayne family, 400 surviving Vail family cavalry, 1,100 Toland family cavalry, and 4,000 troops from the Uller family. I will ride Vomysor to scout their deployment."

"Lord Aslan Longdell and Lord Lynn Valtaken have reinforced us with another 200 cavalry and 800 infantry. We now have your 600 cavalry and 2,000 infantry, my family's 3,000 infantry and 600 cavalry, 300 cavalry and 1,200 infantry from the Borderlands nobles, Lord Edric's 300 cavalry and 800 infantry, and Count Selmy's 350 armored soldiers. We hold the advantage in both cavalry and total numbers."

"Lord Tarly, I ask that you and Aslan command the cavalry on the left and right wings during battle. Would that be acceptable?"

"Nothing would please me more." Count Tarly grinned. "I will bring victory back to you."

"You need not worry, my lord. Valar's dragons and mine will cover our army." Seeing Jacaerys's envious expression, Lonzell smiled. "Little Jace, you need not rush either. In another year, Vermax will be able to fly into battle as well. Then you will have your chance to ride a dragon into the skies."

Late at night.

The princes' tent.

This fairly well-decorated tent had been prepared by Lonzell for Jacaerys and Lucerys. It was much cleaner than the tents occupied by the other nobles, and Unsullied guards stood outside. However, the two boys had refused special treatment on the grounds that they were Lonzell and Valar's attendants and needed to serve them at all times. Aside from changing clothes and such, they usually stayed beside Lonzell and Valar's tents.

The two boys were helping each other put on armor.

"Little Jace, Lonzell..." Lucerys paused. Unable to find a suitable term of respect, he finally gave in. "Did Great-Uncle say when the battle will begin?"

Jacaerys glanced around and covered his brother's mouth. "That's military intelligence. You can't just say things like that."

"Great-Uncle Valar said the same thing." Lucerys immediately realized he had asked something he should not have, but he still said somewhat aggrievedly, "If our dragons could fight, Great-Uncle Lonzell would definitely tell us when the battle was starting."

"Even Silverwing could eat our dragons one bite at a time." Jacaerys knew there was a vast difference between dragons. The scales of their dragons could not even block larger arrows yet, much less send them onto a battlefield. They would have to wait at least another year or two before they could safely burn people. "We can't go wrong following Great-Uncle and the others into war. When we return to Dragonstone, Mother will be proud of us too." He fastened the straps on his brother's armor. Lucerys gestured for his brother to turn around, then tugged hard and secured Jacaerys's straps as well.

"I want to see Joffrey's expression too." Lucerys smiled. "Hehe, all his brothers are on the battlefield, while he's still playing with toys. Hehe."

"Your Highnesses." Golden-eyed Hofa Lawkeeper stood at the tent entrance. He was now Lonzell's chief attendant, and he and his younger brother Adams Lawkeeper were responsible for Lonzell's personal safety. "It is time for us to prepare to depart."

"Understood. We'll be right out." Jacaerys hurriedly fastened his bracers and led his brother out of the tent. Hofa held his Valyrian steel lance, Lawkeeper, and stared sternly at the brothers. "Your Highnesses, His Highness has ordered that you remain with me in the center."

"Weren't we supposed to leave with the cavalry on the left wing?" Jacaerys was somewhat disappointed.

"Lynn is fooling around." Hofa said angrily. "You are not old enough yet. The cavalry bear heavier responsibilities. If they must look after you as well, that would be taboo on the battlefield. Enough, come with me."

"Understood. Thank you."

Hofa nodded to the two princes and motioned for them to follow.

Under cover of night, the army slowly marched toward the designated battlefield.

At the same time.

The Yronwood family encampment.

Count Lewyn Yronwood narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired young man before him, Tigaro Dagarion. This youth skilled in poisons had made a deep impression on him from the very beginning. He had never seen anyone dare to drink wine mixed with scorpion venom and poisonous mushroom juice in one gulp, nor had he seen an apothecary immediately identify the poison's ingredients and administer such precise treatment.

This test had forced him to take this envoy from the Valaerys family seriously.

"You mean the Martell main force is currently stationed near the Great Sand Dune?"

"This is information Prince Valar brought back on dragonback." Tigaro looked into Count Lewyn's eyes and smiled. "This is your chance. Prince Qoren's army has only just been assembled, and it must pass through the complex terrain of the Great Sand Dune. If you defeat the Sunspear at this time, then no one will question the right of the blood royal to reclaim the crown of High King of Dorne."

"Does Prince Lonzell's promise still stand?"

"Of course." Tigaro continued smiling at Count Lewyn. "A crown made of gold is merely the first investment. The prince will crush the noble coalition of East Dorne, and as long as you defeat Prince Martell's army, the Yronwood family will be free to expand its lands through Central Dorne and East Dorne for at least ten years. Prince Lonzell will also establish trade with the High King of Dorne. After all, it was Martell, not Yronwood, who launched the great invasion before."

"What about the Fowler family? What if they interfere with our retreat?"

"You may send out as many scouts as you wish." Tigaro still wore that smiling expression. "Prince's Pass does not belong to the Fowler family alone."

"I understand. Envoy, go back and tell your little prince not to place his hopes in Dornish honor, but to trust Dornish spears. Yronwood thanks the Valaerys family for its support, and we will certainly make that Martell who relies on women pay the price. But remember this: do not think a few favors can buy Dornish spears and loyalty. Dornish spears and loyalty belong only to ourselves."

"If that day truly comes." Tigaro smiled and spread his arms. "We will be ready at any time."

The plain at dawn remained so arid that only scattered desert vegetation grew there. Borderlands knights slowly moved onto the high ground and looked down upon the northbound Dornish.

Unarmored or lightly armored militiamen carrying spears appeared first within sight, followed by desert warriors in armor. Dornish sand cavalry also slowly emerged on both flanks with their banners raised.

The sun slowly rose.

Count Tarly coldly watched the Dornish in the distance, Heartsbane already drawn.

Among the infantry ranks, Jacaerys strained his neck, trying to see the army across from them. The hand gripping his reins was already slick with sweat.

Above the clouds, using the cloud cover for concealment, two dragons arrived in silence.