The Ironborn offered their crown and submitted to the king

The morning mist over King's Landing's Landing had not yet dissipated, and the docks of Blackwater Bay were already covered with the sails of the former Royal Fleet.

The seahorse pattern on the House Velaryon silver ships gleamed a cold white in the dim light, the three-headed dragon banners of the royal warships fluttered in the wind, and the City Watch, clad in golden robes and wielding longswords, stood in two rows along the pier. The morning light on their armor resembled a layer of frost. Today was the day that Lord Gorne Greyjoy of the Iron Islands was personally coming to King's Landing's Landing to present the crown, and the entire dock exuded a solemn and awe-inspiring presence.

Daemon, who was in charge of receiving guests and giving them a show of force, stood in the middle of the pier, his Blackfyre slung across his waist, the dark gold on his dragon scale armor faintly visible in the mist.

Jarman Waters stood beside him, his single eye scanning the sea. Rupert Crabb and Lyonel Corbray gripped their sword hilts, their eyes warily fixed on the approaching ships in the distance—the Iron Islands fleet. The Greyjoy stag patterns on their sails were blurred by the morning mist, losing their usual arrogance and instead revealing a hint of unease.

"They've arrived." Rayford Rosby held up the tribute list, his voice low. "Five ships in total. Besides King Gorne, there's his uncle Theomore, and—twenty bound Ironborn. Judging from their prison uniforms, they should be the men he mentioned in his letter who participated in the burning of the harbor and the attack on Eagle Cape."

Daemon nodded, his fingertips gently stroking the hilt of the Blackfyre.

He recalled the black smoke from Lannisport a year ago, and the crimson sea at Eagle Cape; his gaze fell on the prow of the foremost ship—

Gorne Greyjoy stood there, wearing a dark gray rag robe and an ordinary iron sword at his waist. He was not wearing a crown, but instead had a servant carrying a wooden box, which clearly contained the crown of their Iron Islands.

Behind him, Theomore was bent over, clutching the surrender document that had been protected by the sharkskin roll, looking like an apprentice who had done something wrong.

As soon as the ship docked, Gorne jumped off first. The moment his feet touched the pier, he bowed to Daemon, his movements so quick and somewhat flustered. "This humble subject Gorne Greyjoy, pays his respects to His Highness the Prince of Blackfyre."

His voice was deliberately lowered with humility, and his eyes dared not meet Daemon's gaze. "My brothers Uragon and Dagon, who were previously guilty of ignorance, offended the Iron Throne. I have come today, firstly, to offer my crown and plead guilty, and secondly, to bring the remaining Ironborn who participated in the rebellion, so that Your Highness and His Majesty may dispose of them as you see fit."

As soon as he finished speaking, two Ironborn servants escorted twenty men, bound hand and foot, down from the road. These men had burns or sword wounds on their faces; they were the main culprits who burned Lannisport and attacked Eagle Cape years ago.

Taimond Lannister stepped out from behind the crowd, his gold ring twirling rapidly on his finger. His gaze swept over the Ironborn, and he said coldly, "Gorne Gunn certainly knows how to handle people. My servants say at least three of these men are the pirate leaders who burned down Lannisport back then. You haven't been hiding anything."

Cold sweat instantly beaded on Gorne's forehead. He hurriedly said, "Duke Taimond, you are wise! This humble servant knows of the losses suffered in the Westerlands. These men have long been bound in the dungeons of Pyke. I brought them here today specifically to atone for half the sins of the Iron Islands."

As he spoke, he instructed his attendants to open the wooden box. Inside was an iron crown, its dark iron color gleaming, the inferior gemstones long since removed. "This is the crown of our Iron Islands. This humble subject offers it to the Iron Throne. If the Iron Throne desires it, from this day forward, the Iron Islands will have no more kings, and will obey only the commands of the Iron Throne."

Daemon looked at the simple crown, then at Gorne's cautious demeanor, and suddenly remembered Racallio's words, "The Ironborn only submit to the strong."

The arrogance of Uragon and Dagon back then has now turned into Gorne's subservience, simply because they are afraid of the Targaryen's Dragonfire.

"Let's go, His Majesty is waiting at the Red Keep." He turned and walked towards the carriage. Grey Ghost darted out from behind him, and a small, light gray dragon let out a low growl at Gorne, causing Gorne to shrink back even further.

In the council chamber of the Red Keep, King Jaehaerys sat on the throne, with Baelon, Corlys, Otto, and others seated on either side.

As soon as Gorne entered, he knelt down with a thud, raising the Iron Crown above his head. "Your Majesty King Greyjoy, I, your humble servant Gorne Greyjoy, respectfully present the Iron Islands Crown to His Majesty the the Conciliator! From this day forward, the Iron Islands shall forever submit to the Iron Throne, paying an annual tax of thirty percent of the Summer Isles' trade profits. And should any turmoil arise in the Narrow Sea, the ships of the Iron Islands shall be at your beck and call!"

Jaehaerys looked at the crown, then at Gorne on the ground, tapping his scepter lightly with his fingers. "Do you know that your brother Uragon attacked Eagle Cape, Dagon burned Lannisport, and plundered Westeros, violating the oaths of your ancestors and the the Conqueror? He has committed the grave crime of treason!"

Gorne lowered his head even further, his voice trembling. "This humble subject knows! Therefore, this humble subject has taken half of the private treasury of Pyke to compensate for the losses of House Mallister and House Lannister; and has also sent the craftsmen of the Iron Islands to Seagard and Lannisport to help repair the docks—I only ask that Your Majesty give the Iron Islands a chance to repent."

Baelon then spoke up for Daemon and Gael, his eyes scrutinizing. "In your previous letter, you mentioned offering a congratulatory gift for His Highness Daemon and Princess Gael's engagement. Where is that gift?"

Gorne quickly had Theomore hand over a silver chest. Inside, upon opening, was a Goldenheart bow, its shaft engraved with patterns of the Summer Isles, and a string of emerald beads, each one perfectly round. "This Goldenheart bow was obtained by this wicked subject from a tribal chief of the Summer Isles; it can pierce plate armor."

"Furthermore, this string of emeralds and the rest of the jewelry are specialties of Slaver's Bay in Essos. I thought Her Highness might like them."

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Daemon standing next to Gael, "This humble subject has heard that Your Highness and the Princess are about to be engaged. If Your Majesty grants my request, this humble subject wishes to remain King's Landing to attend the engagement ceremony of the two princes and to offer my further congratulations."

Gael held the string of emeralds, a smile playing in her light purple eyes, but she didn't immediately accept it. Instead, she looked at Jaehaerys.

Gorne Greyjoy's uncle, Theomore Harlaw, seized the opportunity to add, "There are also other treasures and riches to offer to His Majesty the Wise and the Conciliator on the Iron Throne, and to the other noble members of the Targaryen royal family."

After the old king nodded, she let Mysaria accept the gift and said to Gorne, "I accept Lord Gorne's kindness. I hope the Iron Islands will abide by the rules from now on and refrain from further raiding."

Gorne quickly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured! This humble servant has already given the order: Iron Islands ships are only permitted to trade with the Summer Isles. Anyone who dares to plunder Westeros merchant ships will be executed by this humble servant himself, without the Iron Throne needing to lift a finger!"

As he spoke, he pulled a roll of parchment from his robes. "This is the ship roster of the Iron Islands, listing the captain and routes of each ship. I have brought it with me; Your Highness can give it to the Master of Ships for future oversight."

Corlys, who had a better grasp of the intelligence, took the roster on behalf of Leonno, glanced at it, and bowed to Jaehaerys: "Your Majesty, the number of ships on the roster matches the intelligence; there is no concealment."

Jaehaerys finally nodded, tapping the ground lightly with his scepter. "Gorne Greyjoy, considering your voluntary offering of the crown, surrender of the sinners, and compensation for the losses, the Iron Throne will forgive your past sins in the Iron Islands."

"From this day forward, you may still be the King of the Iron Islands and continue to rule over the affairs of the Iron Islands, but you must submit a report to King's Landing annually, and the deployment of ships must be approved by the Master of Ships. Any disobedience will result in the Dragonfire not giving the Iron Islands another chance."

The situation in the Iron Islands was unique. After the Targaryen Lineage conquered Westeros and destroyed the original Iron Islands royal House Hoare Aegon the Conqueror the Ironborn to choose their own leader according to tradition. Thus, they chose Viken Greyjoy, the ancestor of House Greyjoy.

From then on, House Greyjoy began their reign, ruling the Iron Islands from their fortified castle on Pyke.

However, the Ironborn are unruly, and the islanders of the Iron Islands often say that the captain of every ship is a king, hence the Iron Islands are also known as the "Land of Ten Thousand Kings."

Furthermore, at the time the Kingsmoot was held, only the House Greyiron and House Goodbrother had produced more kings House Greyjoy.

Therefore, Jaehaerys took advantage of the seemingly submissive Greyjoy to continue to control the Ironborn on the Iron Islands, causing them to fight among themselves and distrust each other. However, this was precisely the experience the Conciliator had accumulated over fifty years of ruling the Seven Kingdoms after ascending the Iron Throne, and it was also his usual method—a system of checks and balances, combining kindness and severity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Upon hearing that Gorne Greyjoy could still be "King of the Iron Islands," he was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead even making the stone slabs creak. "This humble subject will obey Your Majesty's orders and would never dare to have any disloyalty!"

After Gorne Greyjoy was led to a side hall to rest by his attendants, the atmosphere in the council chamber finally eased. Taimond Lannister snorted, "That guy's good at pretending, but as long as he can keep the Ironborn in check, the Westerlands coastline will be safe."

Corlys put away the list and said with a smile, "He doesn't dare to ignore it. Racallio has occupied a small island in the Summer Isles, which is blocking his triangular trade route. Now he has to please the Iron Throne and deal with Racallio at the same time. How could he dare to cause any more trouble?"

Daemon walked to the window, watching Gorne and his attendants walk away into the distance, and recalled what Larys had told him before, "That King Gorne has made a lot of money from the triangular trade, but he's afraid Racallio will cut off his path."

King Gorne's subservience may stem not only from fear of Dragonfire, but also from the fear that without the protection of the Iron Throne, Racallio would destroy the trade routes he had painstakingly built.

Larys entered, leaning on his cane, carrying a secret report. A sly glint flashed in his eyes. "Your Highness," he said, "We just received word from the Shadow Guards that King Gorne still has a considerable amount of gold hidden on Pyke, though most of it was earned from Slaver's Bay. Racallio has banned slavery in the Summer Isles, cutting off half of Gorne's trade routes. He's actually here to plead with the Iron Throne to ask Racallio to show mercy."

Daemon took the secret report, scanned its contents, and suddenly found it interesting— Gorne appeared to be submitting, but in reality, he wanted to use the power of the Iron Throne to protect his own interests.

But that doesn't matter. As long as the Iron Islands remain peaceful, the shipping routes in the Narrow Sea will be stable, and his wedding with Gael will be less troublesome.

"Whatever his plans," Daemon handed the report to Rayford to put away, "As long as he plays by the rules, the Iron Throne will treat him with respect. But if he dares to play tricks, the Targaryen Dragonfire can reach Pyke at any time."

The morning mist outside the window gradually dissipated, and sunlight streamed through the high window, falling on the Iron Throne emblem in the center of the long table.

Gorne's surrender of the crown was not only a sign of the Iron Islands ' submission, but also a signal of peace on the coast of Westeros. From the Stepstones to the Iron Islands, from the Narrow Sea to the Dornish Marches, the war finally came to a temporary end. All that remained was to prepare for his engagement to Gael and their ancient Old Valyria wedding on Dragonstone.

The Grey Ghost rubbed against his ankle, a piece of honey cake stolen from a servant dangling from its mouth, making Daemon laugh.

He patted Xiaolong's head, then looked in the direction of Gael —she was discussing wedding details with Queen Alysanne, her light purple dress shimmering softly in the light.

Perhaps there are still Otto's schemes to come, and hidden worries about the Summer Isles, but at this moment, the sun shines brightly in King's Landing, and the warmth of peace is spreading throughout Westeros through the cracks in the council chamber doors.