Outside the camp, on an open stretch of ground stained red with Ironborn blood,
a small mountain of gold, silver, jewelry, and all manner of goods quickly rose.
The soldiers gathered around it, breathing hard, their eyes burning with excitement as they remembered the rousing slogans from before the battle.
"120 Gold Dragons for every knight!"
"Five Gold Dragons for every soldier!"
"Lord Suleiman has additional rewards!"
Suleiman descended from the platform and went to the treasure mound in person.
Instead of having his trusted men count it, he casually pointed into the crowd.
He pointed to more than twenty knights from different houses, several common-born officers, and soldiers who had fought bravely in battle. "You, you, and you. You all."
"Come here and count and appraise it, in front of everyone."
The men he had picked were overwhelmed by the honor. They walked up to the treasure mound and began their work beneath tens of thousands of watchful eyes.
Their hands trembled, and their voices carried a faint, disbelieving quaver.
"More than a dozen chests of Gold Dragons! Seven save us!"
"Th-this... is this silk?"
"Countless silver and gold vessels..."
In the end, the count took half a day. No one felt hungry, and no one grew weary from standing for so long. All those gathered watched with wild, ravenous desire, their gazes fixed on the treasure like beasts.
An old knight approached Suleiman with trembling hands and bowed to report. "Lord Suleiman... our preliminary estimate is that all the spoils are worth... approximately two hundred thousand Gold Dragons!"
Two hundred thousand! A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Suleiman nodded and turned to face the entire army. His voice carried clearly into every crowded corner. "Very good."
"According to merit and our agreement, all the spoils will be