Daenerys Targaryen was a decisive woman; that very night, she announced her departure from the city-state, using the pretext of continuing her search for the Gods guidance.
The next day, Gryn witnessed firsthand what a female-centric script really looked like.
At the Magister's Palace, the city's wealthy merchants first made token attempts to persuade their Governor Daenerys to stay, then, while praising her achievements, brought in chests of jewels.
Gryn sat quietly in the corner counting: one box, two boxes, three boxes...
When Lord Gryn counted to twelve chests, another wealthy merchant made a gesture with his large, fat hand, and his servants carried the chests inside.
Gryn then counted: thirteen boxes, fourteen boxes, fifteen boxes...
Despite the enthusiasm of the city-state's wealthy merchants, Daenerys showed no outward sign of surprise, but Gryn could sense that she herself was quite taken aback.
Gryn withdrew his gaze, recalling the earthquake-like commotion when the three True Dragon were born. Had the fear of the unknown been rewarded with generosity?
Upon hearing that Daenerys planned to leave by ship, before she could finish speaking, a maritime merchant generously gifted her a ship.
Lord Gryn looked up at the roof, recalling the hard times he had spent earning money in the Red Keep.
Gryn's eyes suddenly flickered... Dragons... 8000 Unsullied... He was tempted, but quickly gave up; he couldn't afford to raise them.
Temporary storage.
Besides the maids and servants, and the guards of Crackclaw Point, there were about fifty soldiers willing to follow Daenerys, most of whom were slaves she had rescued from the slave merchant ships (Chapter 123).
On the third day, as a return gift to the city-state's wealthy merchants, Daenerys handed over the soldiers who wished to remain in the city-state directly to the new governor they had elected, and everyone was happy.
That night, the Terrace Garden of the Magister's Palace.
Gryn Crabb glanced at the petite figure not far away, then moved to stand beside Daenerys, and together they looked into the distance.
Gryn looked at Daenerys and asked, " Dany, do you like this city?"
Daenerys shook her head slightly. " Viserys took me with him on countless journeys since I was a child..."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Later, I stopped liking any particular place because I knew my brother would take me away from there soon."
After a moment of silence, Gryn suddenly said, " Dany, do you want to know why you and Viserys have been wandering all this time? Perhaps, 'a secret' would be a more accurate description."
Daenerys turned to look at Gryn, and asked in confusion, "Isn't it to escape the Usurper ' pursuit?"
"According to my investigation, that's only the surface reason. Dany, do you remember Illyrio Mopatis of Pentos?"
Daenerys nodded slightly; of course she remembered him, that treacherous man who dared to manipulate True Dragon at will.
Gryn said slowly, "Tell me, the person who gave you the Dragon Egg claimed to be True Dragon supporter hidden among the Usurper. His name is Varys, he is the Master of Whisperers of the Red Keep, he is a friend of Illyrio, and the two of them are allies in some conspiracy."
Daenerys's eyes flickered slightly. She turned around and asked, "A conspiracy?"
Gryn nodded gravely and said, "The first step of this conspiracy is... to mold Viserys into a second Mad King."
Daenerys's body trembled slightly. After a pause, she asked, "How did they do it?"
Gryn began, "Many people say that Viserys already showed signs of the Mad King back in the Red Keep, but... I think it was more likely a child's simple imitation out of admiration for his father, or perhaps just a game of imitation. I think maybe that's why those two came up with their later conspiracy... to turn Viserys into the real Mad King."
He paused, then continued, "They've been monitoring your every move. Whenever Viserys could finally relax, their assassins would appear, forcing him to keep on the run, time and time again, year after year... Living in constant fear, I think anyone would have a hard time maintaining their composure, let alone Viserys, who grew up like this."
Daenerys trembled, gripping the balcony railing as she murmured, "My brother... they took my brother away..."
So the so-called hunt was just a staged act?! Daenerys had previously doubted whether Viserys's description of the assassin was a figment of his imagination, since she had never actually seen one. Now she finally knows the truth: it was all a dirty conspiracy deliberately targeting her brother and her!
They all deserve to die!
Daenerys gritted her teeth, her hands clenched tightly, and her breathing became rapid, like a volcano about to erupt.
Gryn came up behind Daenerys and hugged her tightly. She immediately felt surrounded by a gentle, warm aura.
Gryn's calm voice rang out. " Dany, you have executed Illyrio. Leave the remaining one to me; let me avenge you."
On the Narrow Sea, hundreds of ships sailed in a magnificent array, neatly arranged to form a spectacular sight, resembling an imposing army.
The ship " Fury " Flaming Heart Banner fluttering in the wind, and the waves crashed against its hull, creating a spray of white foam.
The messenger announced loudly, "Your Majesty, a fleet of nine ships has appeared to your left front; their banner is the Marsh Marigold."
Stannis, wearing a fiery red-gold crown, looked in the direction the messenger had pointed.
The sunlight was blinding, Stannis squinted slightly.
Melisandre, standing beside him, spoke up, " King Stannis, this may be guidance from the Lord of Light. You are the Lawful Heir throne of the Seven Kingdoms, you have been crowned, and you can command them to join our Glory Fleet."
Stannis said coldly, "Priestess, I have already granted the Crackclaw Point its neutrality. A true king would never go back on his word."
Davos Seaworth and the others bowed to King Stannis, saying, " King Stannis, it is our honor to serve you."
King Stannis gave a disdainful snort; he had merely done what he was supposed to do, and it was nothing to be complimented by others.
Davos shrugged slightly; they were already used to King Stannis's sternness.
King Stannis said coldly, " Davos, we will soon be entering Shipbreaker Bay. Don't let the waves and reefs there affect our battle plans."
Davos bowed slightly and said, " King Stannis, I have sent my two sons out to scout ahead. I guarantee our army will land safely along the coast of Storm's End's End."
King Stannis hesitated for a moment, then said, " Onion Knight, the night is the best cover. I must tell Renly that war is not a game."
Before Davos could speak, Melisandre said, "Your Majesty is the Son of Fire, Lord of Light will help you win the war."
As Melisandre finished speaking, Davos frowned. The battle relied on the bravery of the soldiers, not on any divine blessing.
Davos usually kept his distance from the Lord of Light, but he could not tolerate the priestess belittling the soldiers' merits.
He nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, I believe every one of our sailors will grow owl eyes, allowing them to accurately distinguish which reef on the churning, dark sea will be their death."
Melisandre smiled gently, her red eyes sweeping over Onion Knight from head to toe. "Sir," she said, "You have not yet experienced the greatness of the Lord of Light, R'hllor, who is omnipotent."
She walked lightly to Davos, her slender fingers tracing his chest. " The Long Night is dark and treacherous, but you will have your chance."
Although the Onion Knight remained expressionless and motionless, the moment the Red Priestess's fingers approached him, it felt as if all the blood in his body had been drained instantly, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
Davos "politely" took a half step back, no longer looking at Melisandre, but instead knelt on one knee before King Stannis, bowing his head and saying respectfully, "I will only serve the great King Stannis."
Melisandre glanced at Davos and gave a slight smile before turning back to King Stannis's side.
King Stannis raised one hand slightly, gesturing for Davos to rise.
He said with slight impatience, " Davos, I must defeat Renly as soon as possible..."
After grinding his teeth, King Stannis continued, " Doran Martell has not only begun to fortify the Prince's Pass (located in the Red Mountains of Dorne, a major overland route from the Reach and Stormlands to Dorne ), but his army is also poised for battle."
Davos considered for a moment, then said, " King Stannis, I think the Dornish will wait for you and Renly to settle their differences before deciding their next move."
King Stannis nodded slightly and said, "Let Martell dream of power and glory, but I will remember his deeds forever."
The Reach, Bitterbridge.
On the tower, Renly Baratheon stood with his hands behind his back. To his right was Randyll House Tarly, who had a short, stiff gray beard, and to his left was Margaery Tyrell, who wore a Queen's crown.
The full moon hung high in the sky, and the army's campfires, like fallen stars, covered the vast plains, resembling an endless sea of stars.
King Renly gazed at the distant horizon and said slowly, " The Dornish have mustered at least fifty thousand soldiers, yet Lord Mace has only taken ten thousand to defend Highgarden. I am somewhat uneasy."
Randyll remained silent, while Margaery's brown eyes flickered slightly as she said, "Your Majesty, on behalf of my father, I thank you for your concern. Before he departed, he specifically instructed me to rest assured and lead the army north; he was confident he could protect your rear."
King Renly smiled at Queen Margaery, revealing his teeth. "My Queen, as long as I see your charming smile every day, I will be full of confidence every day."
Queen Margaery chuckled shyly and said, "My King, if my smile can bring you joy, it is my honor."
She added, "Unfortunately, I know nothing of warfare... The Gods bless you, you have many loyal and brave knights who will fight valiantly for you and win glory that will spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms."
King Renly laughed heartily for a moment, then said, "I am even more confident now, my Queen."
After a pause, King Renly turned to the Earl of Horn Hill and asked, " Earl Randyll, what do you think Prince Doran's army will do? Where will their army head?"
Randyll Earl thought for a moment and replied, "King Renly, Lord Tywin is at Harrenhal, and his eldest son is attacking Riverrun. The Westerlands are practically undefended. If I were the commander of the Dornish, I would march on Casterly Rock immediately."
King Renly smiled and said, "What a pity, the Dornish have no great general Randyll."
He rubbed his chin and said, " Robb Stark has declared himself king, and my brother now calls himself king too... Ha, what a mess!"
Earl Randyll spoke up, "King Renly, our army will surely make them willingly remove their crowns; in the end, they will have no choice but to submit to you."
"I submit, I appreciate your advice..."
King Renly chuckled and patted Earl's Randyll arm, saying, "If they are willing to submit to me, they will find me to be a very generous man. I will gladly recognize all his lands, titles, and honors... I will even allow them to retain the title of king."
He held up one finger and continued, "I have only one condition: kneel before me and acknowledge me as his master. The title of king is nothing but a word; obedience, loyalty, service... these are the true purposes of my rebellion."
He said slowly, "I'm not worried about the others, but my brother is too stubborn and might not understand my good intentions."
Margaery wore a sweet smile, as if she adored her king; at that moment, her eyes seemed to be only on her spirited husband.
Randyll Earl pondered for a moment and said, "If our army marches north to Harrenhal, I think the House Stark would be quite willing to submit to you."
King Renly nodded slightly in agreement, saying, " The Lannister are ours alone..."
He suddenly stopped speaking, took a few steps, and looked down from the tower. A rider wearing a winged helmet urged his panting mount on, shouting, "Your Majesty, I have urgent news to report!"
King Renly peered out from the ramparts and called out, "I am here, Sir!"
"His Majesty!"
The knight spurred his horse forward and shouted, "I did my utmost to get here from Storm's End! We were ambushed, Ser Cortnay is fighting them, but..."
King Renly interrupted, somewhat incredulously, "That's impossible! If the Lannister army left Harrenhal, it's impossible for them to have kept it from me!"
The knight hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, it's not the Lannister, it's Stannis with his army at the gates!"
King Renly's eyes suddenly widened, and he exclaimed, " Stannis?!"
He asked again, "My Stannis Baratheon?"
The knight nodded firmly and said, "Yes, it is indeed Stannis. His army has already surrounded Storm's End!"
King Renly, however incredulous, had no choice but to accept the news. Why was he attacking Storm's End? Had he gone mad?! Had he joined forces with the Lannister? Could that... be possible?