A midnight plot, a dragon swallows summer

The night was as dark as thick ink, enveloping the oak grove west of the Red Keep in a dense, impenetrable blanket.

The horses' hooves crunched through the fallen leaves in the forest, making a soft, rustling sound. Daemon's black cloak was lifted by the night wind, revealing the cold dragon patterns on his armor.

Budimir followed closely behind, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the shadowy groves of trees warily, as if afraid of spies lurking nearby.

The candlelight in the intelligence room flickered dimly among the dense leaves, much like the undercurrent of ambition surging throughout the Seven Kingdoms, waiting for them to step in and quietly ignite a conspiracy that would stir up a storm.

The intelligence room, located on the west side of the Red Keep, was originally a secret outpost that Daemon used when he was the Minister of Intelligence, apart from the study that Jaehaerys provided to him.

Although the place has now been handed over to Earl Bartimos Celtigar, the current intelligence minister who succeeded Daemon, core control remains in Daemon's hands.

This place is far from the main castle, hidden behind a dense oak forest. The outer walls are made of thick black stone, and the windows are small, yet it is as sturdy as a fortress.

The House Celtigar guards who used to stand guard at the gate have been replaced by two familiar faces. They are both dressed in Vale- style silver armor, with the bronze rune pebble emblem of the House Royce embroidered on their chests. They are two descendants of Yobert House Royce, the regent of the Vale, and the House Royce twin brothers Arad House Royce and Jorvik House Royce, who Daemon Daemon under his command when he was touring the Seven Kingdoms.

Upon seeing Daemon's arrival, the twins simultaneously knelt on one knee in perfect unison. "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"No need for formalities." Daemon dismounted, and Budimir took the reins and remained outside the gate to keep watch.

As Daemon reached the door, Arad and Jorvik stood up, their longswords still half-drawn, their gazes expertly revealing their abilities.

He kept a watchful eye on his surroundings until Daemon entered the room, then sheathed his sword and returned to his post.

Pushing open the door, a scent mingled with candle wax, ink, and the salty smell of the sea wafted out.

The study in this intelligence room wasn't large, but it was arranged extremely compactly. The walls were covered with maps of Westeros and the Eastern continent, some areas marked with dense red ink.

In the center of the room stood a large oak table, on which lay a more detailed map of the Iron Islands and Summer Isles, with several sealed intelligence scrolls scattered around it;

A dozen or so burning candles were stuck in a copper candlestick, the flickering flames casting the shadows of everyone in the room onto the wall, adding to the mystery and solemnity.

The room was already packed with people, all of whom were Daemon's most core followers.

Count Bartimos Celtigar Earl, who had succeeded Daemon as Minister of Intelligence, sat at the table before the map. He wore a dark blue silk robe, the House Celtigar's crab crest gleaming in the candlelight, and toyed with a sealed wax pellet in his hand.

Rayford Rosby, dressed in black leather armor, stood quietly with a stack of documents in his hand, patiently awaiting Daemon's arrival as Daemon's first follower.

Larys Strong leaned on his new cane, carved with snake patterns, his eyes gleaming shrewdly in the candlelight, his other hand tapping lightly on the table, as if he had been waiting for a long time;

Jarman Waters and Myles Rivers stood side by side, the two illegitimate sons. Jarman, as the captain of the Dark Blade Guard, Daemon's "Dark Blade," the one-eyed man who was always on guard around.

Myles, unusually, sat quietly to one side, polishing the items given to him by his master (Rodrik Dustin's bodyguard and family the Smith).

With his the North Battle Axe, the usually carefree Damon showed a hint of sensitivity in his eyes today. This might explain why, aside from having followed Daemon for a longer period, Daemon didn't invite Crakehall Tybolt, with whom he shared a similar personality and was known for his playful banter;

In addition, Rupert Crabb, Colin Celtigar, Lyonel Corbray, Harlan Hunter were also gathered around the table.

Lyonel Corbray's "Lady Forlorn" leaned against the table, the jewels on its scabbard reflecting a cold light in the candlelight.

Crahas Hal, dressed in black leather armor similar to Rayford's, was intently focused on the Summer Isles region on the map, except for the sword Daemon had given him at his waist.

The Marquess Sunderland of the Three Sisters sat in a corner chair, wearing a grey robe with a coat of arms of three black-haired women's heads on a blue-green wave pattern symbolizing his family's identity, and a necklace of shark teeth hanging at his waist. Beside him stood his three vassals: the Earl of Borrell, the Earl of Longthorpe, and the Earl Torrent.

The chaos in the Three Sisters sometimes even surpassed that of the Iron Islands. Before the Iron Islands recently developed the powerful Triangular Trade, they even dared to rob Ironborn Longships bound by the Iron Throne in the Narrow Sea. So even though they had long since submitted to Daemon and reformed themselves during Daemon's tour, they still carried an air of unruliness.

Upon seeing Daemon enter, everyone in the room immediately rose and bowed, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Please be seated," Daemon gestured, then walked to the head seat at the oak table and sat down, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I've gathered you all here tonight to finalize a crucial matter that will determine the ultimate outcome of this war and even influence the future of the Seven Kingdoms."

His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the chatter in the room, and everyone's eyes were drawn to him.

Larys Strong, leaning on his cane, slowly walked to the map, his eyes fixed on the map of the Iron Islands on the table. He spoke first, his voice hoarse yet extremely penetrating. "Your Highness, esteemed lords, I presume you are all aware of the strategy of 'surrounding three sides and leaving one side open' in this campaign against the Ironborn."

The combined forces of the East, North, and South will launch large-scale attacks from three different directions, thereby blockading Iron Islands eastern, northern, and southern waters and land of the Iron Islands, trapping all of Lord Gorne Greyjoy's main forces between Pyke, Great Wyk, and Saltcliffe.

He pointed the tip of his cane to the east of the Iron Islands: "His Highness Daemon will lead the Eastern Allied Forces to launch a major attack on Pyke and Great Wyk, thus containing the Ironborn's core forces."

Benjen Stark's northern coalition will blockade Ironborn Bay, cutting off any possibility of the Ironborn escaping the North:

Duke Boremund Baratheon's southern coalition forces would be stationed on the southern coast of the Iron Islands in the Sunset Sea, blocking their escape route south to the Westerlands or the Reach.

Lyonel Corbray frowned and said, "Since it's a three-sided encirclement with one side missing, why not seal off the western sea area, which is the 'missing' side, as well?"

The Iron Islands are bordered by the Sunset Sea to the west. If left undefended, Gorne's remnants could very well break through from there and escape.

His question echoed the sentiments of many present. The Marquess Sunderland and his three vassals nodded in agreement. Having spent years at sea, they knew all too well the complexity of Ironborn's exclusive routes and that letting a tiger return to the mountains would surely become a major threat in the future.

Larys smiled knowingly, slowly moving his cane toward the western waters of the Iron Islands: "Lyonel, please calm down. This missing piece" is the key to Your Highness's plan.

The western waters of the Iron Islands are riddled with reefs, have turbulent currents, and are constantly battered by Storm. What appears to be a dead end is, in fact, Gorne's only escape route.

He paused, then continued, "Gorne Greyjoy has close ties with merchants from Slaver's Bay, Lys, and Myr, and must possess a secret sea route from the west side of the Iron Islands to the east."

When his east, north, and south sides are completely blocked by our army, and he has no way out, he will inevitably choose to break out from the west and escape to the Summer Isles.

"The Summer Isles?" A glint flashed in the Marquess Sunderland's eyes. He abruptly stood up. "Lord Larys is right. The Summer Isles are located in the ocean Westeros, consisting of three main islands and dozens of smaller islands. The land there is fertile and rich in gold..."

Spices and tropical fruits were important, but more importantly, the island's native inhabitants, though brave and skilled in battle, lacked unified command and had no dealings with the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros before the Iron Islands' triangular trade.

If Gorne escapes there, he will surely use his remaining forces to seize the island and become king, and may even unite with the local tribes to continue plundering the coastlines of the Seven Kingdoms.

Larys nodded. "The Marquess Sunderland is right. But this is exactly the result that His Highness and I want."

His cane finally landed on the Summer Isles. "We deliberately left the gap on the west side; it wasn't an oversight, but intentional."

The fleet from the Three Sisters will lie in ambush in a concealed location in the waters west of the Iron Islands. After Gorne's remnants break out, there is no need to rush to attack; simply follow them from a distance, monitor their route, and confirm their arrival at the Summer Isles.

Earl Bartimos Celtigar added, "Intelligence indicates that the native inhabitants of the Summer Isles are divided into several tribes, which are constantly at odds with each other. The strongest tribe, the Red Lake Tribe, has only a few thousand warriors and their weapons and equipment are outdated."

Although only remnants of the Ironborn that Gorne brought with him remain, they are all battle-hardened pirates who will surely conquer the local tribes by force and establish new strongholds.

At that time, they will no longer be merely remnants of the Ironborn, but a new force occupying the Summer Isles and threatening the maritime trade of the Seven Kingdoms.

Daemon spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his tone firm. "At that time, I will lead my fleet on a expedition to the Summer Isles under the pretext of punishing the remnants of the Ironborn and eliminating the hidden dangers at sea."

This move is justified and will not provoke opposition from the Seven Kingdoms kingdoms. On the contrary, it will gain the support of the coastal lords who have suffered from the Ironborn plunder.

Once conquered by us, the Summer Isles will become a vital transit point for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to reach the eastern continent of Essos. Their abundant resources and strategic location will bring us immeasurable benefits.

Colin Celtigar calmly analyzed, "Your Highness is farsighted. Conquering the Summer Isles will not only completely eradicate the threat of the Ironborn, but also expand the territory of the Seven Kingdoms and strengthen our naval power. More importantly, this move will further enhance Your Highness's prestige, laying the foundation for future great undertakings."

Crahas Hal interjected, "We've been to the Summer Isles before, where the currents are stable, the harbors are excellent, and it's far from the heart of the conflict in Westeros."

If we can bring it under our control, we will have a secure overseas base, which will be extremely beneficial for both developing trade and training our fleet.

The Marquess Sunderland and his three vassals exchanged glances, their eyes filled with excitement.

The Three Sisters have always made their living through seafaring and plundering. If they can participate in the campaign to conquer the Summer Isles, they will surely reap rich rewards.

Borrell Earl shouted, "Your Highness, the fleet of the Three Sisters is ready to go! At your command, we will keep a close watch on the remnants of Gorne's forces, ensuring their safe escape to the Summer Isles, and leaving no one behind!"

Earl Longthorpe and Earl Torrent echoed, "We are willing to accompany Your Highness on the expedition to conquer the Summer Isles!"

Larys tapped the map with his cane and concluded, "Therefore, the core of our Dragon's Roost Port version of 'surrounding three sides but missing one' is not simply to wipe out the Ironborn force of the Iron Throne, as Your Highness presented at the Small Council a few days ago, but to use the Ironborn remnants behind the Iron Islands to open the door for us to conquer the Summer Isles."

By launching an attack under the guise of a joint force from the east, north, and south, according to the plan presented to the Iron Throne, they would put immense pressure on Gorne, forcing him to break out from the west.

The fleet in the Three Sisters must execute its tailing mission precisely and without revealing its whereabouts;

Before Gorne could establish a firm foothold in the Summer Isles, His Highness led the main fleet on an expedition, annihilating him in one fell swoop and taking the opportunity to bring the Summer Isles into his territory.

The room fell silent; everyone was stunned by the meticulous and audacious plan.

Rayford Rosby, who had worked alongside Larys in Daemon's study for countless days and nights managing logistics and clerkship under Daemon, was the first to react. He bowed and said, "Your Highness's plan is ingenious, eliminating internal threats while expanding territory. It is truly a brilliant strategy! I will certainly provide Your Highness with ample provisions and supplies from the rear!"

"We are also willing to follow Your Highness, even if it means going through fire and water!" The others in the room also stood up and echoed in unison, their voices filled with determination and excitement.

In the candlelight, ambition and anticipation shone on everyone's face, for they knew that a Storm powerful enough to alter the balance of power among the Seven Kingdoms was about to begin slowly in the waters of the Iron Islands in the direction of the Sunset Sea, and would eventually sweep across the distant Summer Isles in the Summer Sea.

Daemon looked at his followers, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He slowly stood up, the scabbard of the Blackfyre lightly touching the ground with a crisp sound, "Very good. In this battle, not only will the Ironborn pay the price, but the Seven Kingdoms will also witness that I, Daemon Blackfyre, can not only protect my homeland, but also expand my territory and restore the glory of Aegon the Conqueror!"

Three days later, the allied forces will set out. For now, each will perform their duties, while we secretly proceed according to the plan. Success or failure hinges on this!

"We are willing to follow Your Highness and create a great cause together!" The crowd shouted in unison, their voices causing the candlelight in the room to flicker violently, as if foreshadowing the beginning of a new era belonging to the Black Dragon.