An angry rebuke in the Red Keep

In the Small Council Hall of King's Landing's Red Keep's Red Keep, sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows of the high windows, casting dappled shadows on the marble floor.

King Jaehaerys, the "the Conciliator King," sat on the Iron Throne on the high platform, his white hair as white as silver, yet his eyes remained as sharp as an eagle's.

Hand of the King Baelon, the Prime Minister and "Prince of Prince of Spring Dawn," stood beside him, his silver armor gleaming coldly, his expression solemn.

Viserys and his younger brother Daemon Targaryen, who rarely attended such occasions, stood quietly behind their father.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere today, the young man, with a hint of "curiosity" on his face, keenly observed his surroundings, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards the courtyard outside the hall.

On both sides of the hall, the Hand of the King and nobles attending today's meeting lined up in order.

Corlys House Velaryon wore a sea-blue robe, the shell emblem on his chest particularly striking. This Master of Ships and Governor of the Stepstones had just returned to King's Landing two months ago from the Stepstones, where he had settled down. His lieutenant, who had remained on the Stepstones, had brought back news a few days earlier of Daemon's expedition to the Summer Isles.

Bartimos Celtigar, who succeeded Daemon as Minister of Intelligence, stood beside him; the clothes of the Earl of Crab Island's attendant were still dusty from his journey.

As the only Valyria nobleman in the entire Westeros, aside from the Targaryen royal House Velaryon on the throne and their allies, House Valyrian, he followed his family after receiving a secret letter from His Highness of Crab Island, delivered by his Dragon's Roost Port servant earlier that morning.

Traditional allies, including His Highness's "brother-in-law," maintain a united front.

Leonno Strong stood on the other side, the new Master of Laws who succeeded his friend Otto Hightower, dressed in a black robe and with a composed expression.

His second son, Larys, leaning on a cane, stood behind his father alongside his elder brother Harwin Strong, his eyes gleaming with cunning. Larys had arrived in King's Landing a few days earlier, ostensibly to visit his father, but in reality, to personally manage the intelligence network and deliver to His Highness Daemon a complete set of evidence of the Ironborn's misdeeds.

Otto Hightower stood at the very end, wearing a dark green robe, the Hightower emblem on his chest polished to a gleaming shine.

Since being dismissed from his post as Master of Laws, although he still holds a seat in the Small Council as an advisor to his close friend Viserys, he has long lost his former power.

Over the past two years, he has watched Daemon, whose origins are shrouded in mystery, rise from a prisoner on Dragonstone to become a powerful figure wielding considerable military strength.

Prince Blackfyre, who was in control of the fleet, had long harbored resentment and anger to the extreme.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, an envoy from the Iron Islands requests an audience."

The herald's voice broke the silence of the hall.

Jaehaerys nodded slightly, and the Grand Maester Alar below skillfully announced on his behalf, "Announce."

Aeron Harlaw, leaning on a cane, limped into the hall.

Today he was dressed in a magnificent Ironborn outfit, with a jeweled dagger hanging at his waist, but his face showed a deliberately feigned haggardness and indignation.

Two servants followed behind, carrying wooden chests filled with gifts, which they placed heavily on the ground.

"Aeron Harlaw, envoy of the Iron Islands, greets His Majesty the the Conciliator and all esteemed officials."

Upon hearing the gift box being set down, Aeron immediately dropped his cane, knelt on both knees, and even his voice was tinged with a perfectly timed sob. "I have come today only to, under the rule of the Iron Throne, for the innocent people of the Iron Islands to the wise and virtuous the Conciliator, 'His Majesty, denounce the tyranny of Prince Daemon Prince Blackfyre!'"

Jaehaerys raised his eyes. "Tell me, what did Little Daemon. do?"

Aeron took a deep breath and began his tearful accusation. "My dear the Conciliator Damon! Prince Daemon has disregarded the laws of the Iron Throne and led his fleet to attack my Iron Islands ' trading ships!"

He slaughtered innocent crew members, plundered cargo, and sent the heads of us Ironborn to Pyke as spoils of war. This is not merely an insult to the dignity of us Iron Islands, the Ironborn of the Iron Islands; it is a blatant humiliation of you and the authority of the Iron Throne!

He pointed to his leg. "Your Majesty, please look, my leg was wounded by Prince Daemon's men!"

Our cargo route was a trade route tacitly approved by the Iron Throne, but it was forcibly cut off by Prince Daemon without cause, resulting in heavy losses for the Iron Islands!

Even worse, he sent troops to seize our trading and supply points in the Summer Isles, murdering local tribes and our Ironborn allies, thus disrupting maritime peace!

He paused, then looked at Otto, who had refused his private "visit" the previous night, and said in a pleading tone, "Lord Otto Hightoar, you were once the most impartial Minister of Justice in all of Westeros. Tell me, shouldn't Prince Damon's unauthorized military action and slaughter of allies be punished?"

Otto's eyes flickered, and he was about to speak when a loud voice interrupted him, "Nonsense!"

Corlys House Velaryon stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring directly at Aeron: "Aeron Harlaw, your so-called trading fleet is actually a slave ship teeming with Westeros nobles and commoners!"

Your so-called innocent crew members are all pirates who plunder coastal villages and kidnap women and children!

Aeron's expression changed. "Lord Corlys, you are making baseless accusations! Our Ironborn trade has always been legal, so how can you claim it involves slave trading?"

"Legal?" Corlys sneered, taking a roll of parchment from his sleeve. "This is the slave register that Prince Daemon asked me to pass on to His Majesty. It records the name and origin of every slave on your slave ships, including the second son of a baron from the Riverlands, merchants from the Westerlands, and even vassals of the House Stark of the the North!"

These people were all abducted from the sea by you Ironborn to be sold to slave owners in Slaver's Bay! Is this what you call legitimate trade?

He threw the roster in front of Aeron: "When I was the governor of the Stepstones, I saw your Ironborn slave ships dock at supply points. Before that, those slaves from the Summer Isles were crammed into the ship's hold like livestock, and countless of them died of disease or starvation!"

You were spared then because the Stepstones were initially settled, the Iron Islands were once again under the control of the Iron Throne, and the Summer Isles were overseas territory.

But how dare you be so audacious as to plunder the subjects of the Iron Throne! Prince Daemon led his forces to destroy your fleet and rescue the slaves, upholding justice for the Seven Kingdoms in Westeros. How can this be considered an act of atrocity?

Aeron's face turned pale, and he still wanted to argue, but Bartimos Celtigar, seeing Corlys who had "sneaked out" and started "joining the fray" beside him, immediately stepped forward and began to "add fuel to the fire" by "adding fuel to the fire": "What Lord Corlys said is all true!"

My merchant fleet from Crab Island, House Celtigar, has encountered your Ironborn pirate ships many times on the Narrow Sea. They not only plunder merchant ships, but also slaughter fishermen!

Just three months ago, one of my vassals and his entire family were abducted by your men, and their whereabouts remain unknown!

He pointed to the gift chest behind Aeron: "These jewels and spices you brought, were they probably bought with the blood of slaves?"

"The Ironborn's Old Way" is just about kidnapping, slave trading, and killing? What a disgrace to the Westeros nobility!

Aeron trembled as he looked at Jaehaerys and Baelon on the platform, his voice pleading, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, they are all allies of Prince Daemon, so naturally they will speak up for him!"

Prince Daemon's unauthorized military action, without the Iron Throne's orders, is itself illegal! We beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for the Iron Islands!

Otto finally found his chance, stepped forward, and said with a hint of barely perceptible excitement in his voice, "Aeron's envoy is right."

Although Prince Daemon had contributed to suppressing the rebellion, his unauthorized mobilization of the fleet for an overseas expedition and his unauthorized attack on the Iron Throne's vassals were indeed violations of the law.

Your Majesty believes that Prince Daemon should be summoned back to King's Landing for questioning. If the allegations are true, he should be punished to uphold the law.

o

He thought his words would garner support, after all, upholding the law was his forte, and besides, Daemon's rise had indeed made many people wary.

Before Jaehaerys could speak, another close friend of his best friend Viserys, and his mortal enemy, Leonno Strong, stepped forward. "Lord Otto, you are mistaken."

Leonno's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the hall. "Prince Daemon had actually consulted His Majesty privately before he sent out his troops."

His Majesty, mindful of the evils of the Ironborn slave trade and the profound suffering of the coastal people, granted him special permission to send troops to suppress the slave trade and maintain order in the Narrow Sea.

As for the passage documents for the Stepstones, His Majesty had His Big Daemon personally deliver them to Dragon's Roost Port on the back of Caraxes. Lord Corlys can testify to this.

Corlys nodded immediately. "That's true!"

Prince Daemon personally handed the document to my adjutant. It bore not only His Majesty's seal but also the seals of the Joint Fleet and His Highness the Crown Prince. It explicitly authorized Prince Daemon to destroy the Ironborn slave ships and rescue the captured subjects.

Otto's face stiffened. He hadn't expected that the Black Dragon had already consulted Jaehaerys and even had Daemon Targaryen personally deliver the documents on his dragon. This effectively cut off his path to attack Daemon using "illegal" means.

Just as he was about to make another excuse, Larys Strong, leaning on his cane, slowly walked forward.

"My lords," Larys, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, a faint smile playing on his lips, "I have a few 'little gifts' here that might help you better understand the various 'evil deeds' of Iron."

He clapped his hands, and two servants carried a wooden chest into the hall. Opening it, they found it filled with scrolls and tokens. "These are testimonies from the freed slaves, detailing their experiences after being abducted by the Ironborn."

This is a route map of the Ironborn slave ships, marking their contact points with the Yunkai nobles of Slaver's Bay;

These are letters found on Aeron Harlaw's ship, which state that the scope of their plundering should be further expanded, with the noble heirs and ladies of the Riverlands, Reach, the North, and Westerlands along the Sunset Sea coast across the Iron Islands as their primary targets;

Then Larys picked up a family crest, the emblem of the House Banefort, the Banefort of the Westerlands: "This was found on a nobleman on one of their Ironborn slave ships. He was the youngest son of the House Banefort, the Banefort of the Westerlands. He was aboard his own merchant ship when he was kidnapped by these Ironborn, and he was even wearing the family crest. Even so, he couldn't escape death—"

These lowly Ironborn not only trade in slaves, but also dare to plunder the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms. This is no longer a simple act of piracy, but a blatant provocation against the authority of the Iron Throne!

The servants distributed the evidence to the ministers one by one. Even the kind-hearted Master of Coin, Lyman Beesbury, picked up the slave testimonies, his face growing paler with each reading, and finally he couldn't help but exclaim, "By the Seven! How dare these Ironborn be so cruel! Throwing children and the elderly into the sea just to save food: [the injustices are outrageous]!"

The slaves who resisted were beaten to death, and their corpses were fed to the fish—this was utterly inhuman!

The other nobles who attended the meeting today also began to discuss the matter, their faces filled with shock and anger.

The Ironborn's slave trade violated the public order and good customs of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The Iron Throne and the Church explicitly prohibited slavery, let alone the abduction of nobles and the massacre of commoners—it was an outrage against both gods and men.

Otto held the correspondence between the Ironborn and the Yunkai nobles, his fingers turning white from the force.

He had intended to use the Ironborn issue to suppress Daemon, but he hadn't expected the despicable Ironborn to commit such heinous acts, and that Daemon Blackfyre's military intervention was entirely legal.

The resentment that had been building up in his heart for two years, the humiliation of being dismissed, the relentless pressure from Daemon Blackfyre, and the frustration of being restricted at every turn all erupted at this moment.

He slammed the communicator down in front of Aeron, pointed it at his nose, and his voice was shrill and furious, completely devoid of his usual haughty and refined demeanor. "You lowly pirate bastard! Shameless scoundrel!"

Aeron was startled by his sudden outburst of rage and instinctively took a step back.

Otto's anger erupted like a burst dam; he was even somewhat relieved that he hadn't received these private guests the day before.

The Ironborn, who brought gifts, said, "You Ironborn are nothing but a bunch of shameful rats!"

Do you think you can act with impunity by kidnapping, slave trading, and killing, hiding behind the reefs of your Iron Islands?

The laws of the Seven Kingdoms are nothing but scraps of paper in your eyes, and the authority of the Iron Throne is a joke to you!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and the vulgar words he would normally disdain to utter now spilled out. "Slave trading? You dare call this trade!"

You are selling living, breathing people, subjects of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros just like you, your own flesh and blood compatriots!

The parents of the children you abducted are weeping;

The families of the civilians you murdered are wailing in grief!

Your hands are stained with blood, your sails are soaked with sin, and your souls have long been devoured by greed and cruelty!

Otto walked up to Aeron, looking down at him with disdain and anger in his eyes. "You dare come to King 'King's Landing to complain? You dare slander Prince Daemon?"

You Ironborn are the ones who deserve to die!

Under the guise of trade, they engage in the dirtiest of schemes;

They pledge allegiance to the Iron Throne, yet secretly collude with the slave owners of Slaver's Bay, plotting to overthrow the order of the Seven Kingdoms!

He turned to look at Jaehaerys and Baelon on the main throne, his voice trembling slightly but still sharp. "Your Majesty! Such traitors, such beasts, do not deserve the protection of the Iron Throne!"

They deserve to be wiped out, their islands should be burned, and their bloodline should be cut off!

Let Prince Daemon continue the purge, slaughter all these reckless Ironborn, and teach them the consequences of betraying the Seven Kingdoms and trampling on humanity!

Aeron was so frightened by Otto's angry outburst that he trembled all over, his face turned ashen, and he couldn't utter a single word.

His attendants were so frightened that they knelt down and dared not raise their heads.

The hall was silent, save for the echoing roar of Otto.

The nobles attending the meeting today remained silent, their eyes filled with disgust and coldness as they looked at the Ironborn envoys. They might be wary of the "mysterious" origins of Daemon Blackfyre, a symbol of unknown Storm and uncertainty, but they were even more intolerant of the Ironborn's heinous acts that were abhorrent to both gods and men.

Jaehaerys sat in the main seat of the hall, his eyes deep and silent, clearly indicating his...

Attitude.

Otto, panting heavily, his chest heaving, saw Aeron's disheveled appearance and the resentment that had been building up in his heart finally dissipated a little.

He snorted and spat, "Get out of the Red Keep! Take your filthy gifts back to the Iron Islands!"

Tell Gorne Greyjoy to await the arrival of Prince Daemon's Dragonfire and the Joint Fleet of the Iron Throne!

That's the only end you shameless beasts deserve!

Aeron, limp and weak, was helped out of the Small Council Hall by his servants.

The sun still shone brightly, but the air in the Red Keep was thick with a heavy anger and a resolute determination. The fate of the Ironborn had been sealed the moment they embarked on the path of slave trading, their destruction already predetermined.

Meanwhile, Daemon Blackfyre's Dragonfire, along with the Joint Fleet, is about to sweep across the coast once more, pushing this righteous extermination campaign to a new climax.