The Battle of Harrenhal-Break the Heart Without Killing

Stannis had always despised Robert's drinking, but now, looking at the gleaming bronze flask on the table, he too felt a desire to try some.

never mind."

He thought to himself that he should use all his strength to struggle out of the despair of being betrayed.

These repeated blows were quite significant. Melisandre was an important pillar of his spirit, Florent was his closest confidant, and as for Martell, Stannis could understand, since Baratheon's relationship with Dorne was never very good. Not to mention himself, even Robert hadn't been able to manage his relationship with Dorne well.

The Mountain killed Elia and her son, Amory killed her daughter.

This was something that was extremely contrary to the morality and values Seven Kingdoms, yet Robert made no comment, to the point that House Martell had no contact with the House Baratheon for years, maintaining a state of superficial harmony but deep estrangement.

It was Jon who killed the Mountain, captured the Amory, and sent them to Dorne during the previous war.

Compared to Baratheon, at least there's this one layer of friendship between them.

Stannis thought this to himself, then stepped out of the tent and saw Edric, his bastard nephew, wiping his sword.

Edric saw Stannis and rose to bow.

Stannis sized up his nephew. He was strong, with Robert's charisma in his eyes, but his prominent ears reminded him of Florent, which annoyed him.

Just as black hair and blue eyes are a symbol of the Baratheon caste's "strength," and silver hair and purple eyes are a characteristic of the Targaryen, for Florent, what they are most proud of is their pair of prominent ears.

"If I had married Selyse's cousin, at least she could have given me a son," Stannis thought.

If he were a boy, he would have a strong heir by now, and could marry into Dorne. Even if he were a girl, without the unsightly scar on her face, he could marry into Dorne. But he ended up marrying Selyse, which made him feel the deep malice of fate.

One seat in the King's court was clearly not enough. He suddenly realized he had made a foolish mistake: if Jon could overthrow him and obtain the Iron Throne, then the King's court seat was something he could give, and so could Jon!

And there's no need for war or bloodshed.

Could it be that Jon used this method to turn the House Martell against him?

Stannis suddenly realized what was happening and felt somewhat annoyed.

Unfortunately, Shireen has a scar on her face, making it impossible for her to get married, just like Tyrion was unwanted back then.

But Stannis soon felt nauseous again; an adulterous noblewoman was disgusting, and he had no desire to marry such a woman.

Think about the kinds of people who committed adultery with Robert: prostitutes, maids, whores—

Stannis, disguised and accompanied only by his squire, wandered around the military camp. The night sky above was devoid of moonlight, though there were plenty of stars.

What exactly was that Red Comet that day?

Stannis suddenly remembered the red star that had appeared in the sky shortly after Robert's death, before the war broke out.

However, the temperature is much colder now than before. The long Summer lasted for more than ten years, and in many places people went shirtless all year round. The night breeze was also very warm, but now a chill can be felt.

Most of the soldiers seemed rather listless, after all, Jon's performance during the day had been far too terrifying.

If the fact that the battle happened to be "benefited by a favorable wind" was due to divine protection, then Jon made them feel as if the gods were on earth.

This was before news of the main army's northward march from the Reach had spread.

Stannis knew perfectly well that once the soldiers learned about the Reach army, their morale would plummet.

An army of fifty or sixty thousand would be enough to encircle and annihilate them in Riverlands, but the problem is that they are now unable to evacuate in time.

He could escape with at most ten or twenty thousand cavalry, but the rest of the army would have to be left here. Without enough troops, how could he simultaneously defend the Vale, the Crownlands, and the Stormlands?

The news from Harrenhal came from the Crownlands, not because the Southern Army detoured through the Crownlands, but because the Southern Army was so large that it could not be hidden and was discovered by Davos, who was still in King's King's Landing.

Stannis's body was tense; he couldn't think of any solution.

Suddenly, a warning horn sounded, and Stannis and his squires all stopped in their tracks and looked around.

His attendants drew their swords and shielded him behind them.

After inspecting the camp and confirming that there were no problems, Stannis quickly returned to his tent, preparing to lead his troops into battle.

However, before Stannis could lead his soldiers to the front lines, the all-clear signal was given, and soon soldiers brought up notes wrapped around their arrows.

Just as Stannis was about to unfold the note, his servant announced that the lord requested an audience.

"Make him wait."

Stannis said somewhat impatiently, gently unfolding the note and quickly glancing at it, discovering it was actually Jon's letter urging him to surrender.

Jon offered the following conditions in his letter of surrender:

First, he relinquished his title of king, acknowledged Robert as the Usurper, and pledged allegiance to Jon.

Secondly, Stannis demanded the disbandment of the Allied Forces and withdrawal from the Crownlands. Upon seeing these two conditions, Stannis knew Jon's asking price had increased.

During the negotiations at God's Eye, Jon only asked him to withdraw his troops and even allowed the combined forces of the Vale, the Crownlands, and the Stormlands to continue to exist. He didn't even mention the issue of who would inherit the Iron Throne.

But now he directly demands that he relinquish his title of king and submit to the emperor.

Unfortunately, the balance of power has shifted, so the conditions can no longer be as lenient as they were before.

But the first two conditions aren't the most important; the key conditions are the following:

Stannis relinquished the title of King, but would be granted the title of Prince if he supported the fight against the White Walkers and the Long Night.

The title of prince was merely an honorary one, and Stannis didn't care about it; the important thing was everyone else.

"The first one to be affected is that Bronze Yohn," Jon said, indicating that he acknowledged Yorn House Royce's position as Warden of the Vale and promoted him to Duke.

As for other families, as long as they were willing to pledge allegiance, their actions during the War of the Usurper would not be investigated, and those families that chose to pledge allegiance to the Targaryen, that is, the King's faction, from the beginning would receive tax-free rewards.

Those who subsequently lost their territories and titles due to purges were all restored.

If they resolutely refuse to surrender, the consequence will be the expulsion of their family.

"Expulsion, or the extermination of the entire family in the Westeros version."

Upon seeing the contents of the "letter of surrender," Stannis realized that it wasn't just a letter of surrender directed at him, but at everyone.

At the end of the letter of surrender, there was a time limit. Jon promised that as long as their men did not move, the Southern army that had already entered the Riverlands would not launch an attack. Jon gave them a full ten days to consider.

"A cunning bastard." Upon seeing this condition, Stannis crumpled the letter of surrender in his hand into a ball.

On the surface, he was given ten days to think things over, but in reality, Jon was waiting for the news to develop.

The more soldiers who know this condition, the more unstable the morale of the Iron Throne Coalition becomes.

The longer the battle drags on, the greater the chance of a large-scale mutiny when the order for the final battle is finally given.

However, launching an attack now is not an option either, as the Iron Throne Coalition has been divided into three parts by previous battles: one part is in the Twins, one part is in Harrenhal, and the other part is now at God's Eye.

Meanwhile, the Reach's 50,000-strong army has already entered the Riverlands. If Stannis chooses to fight the Reach army now, he will be at a disadvantage in terms of manpower, and Jon is also watching from the sidelines.

If they retreat back to Harrenhal, the Reach army will block their return route, and the Iron Throne Coalition will be utterly finished.

Just as he was about to ask if anyone else knew, he suddenly thought of the lords who were seeking an audience with him.

Stannis quickly let them in, and sure enough, almost everyone was holding an identical letter of surrender.

The content is exactly the same, only the notes are different.

Some were neater, while others were crooked and uneven.

It turns out that what just happened wasn't an enemy attack at all; it was Jon's large-scale persuasion campaign to convince them to surrender.

"Your Majesty, that Jon, the Tyrell army really—" It was Roland Connington who asked.

He had always been a steadfast follower of Stannis, hoping to restore his family's territory and title through military achievements.

But now Jon has given him another choice: to choose allegiance. If he chooses allegiance, he can have everything, and without shedding blood.

Even someone like that came to him, which made Stannis realize just how precarious the morale of the army was.

Stannis didn't know how to answer, and soon his guards had collected a basket of arrows with letters or notes urging surrender.

A rough count reveals at least a thousand copies, and if the news spread by word of mouth among the soldiers, at least tens of thousands of people already know about Jon's attempt to persuade them to surrender.

Wait, thousands of copies!

Stannis suddenly realized something was amiss. Thousands of notes—that would require at least several hundred people who could write. In an era when the average level of education among soldiers was low, how could Jon have so many literate men? It was truly unbelievable.

Stannis was somewhat confused, since Jon had only been in power for a year, and half of that time had been spent fighting the war in the Iron Islands.

How could they have developed the Westerlands to this extent in such a short time?

"First, keep your soldiers in check," Stannis said, looking at the officers and lords. "We have other reinforcements."

"Other reinforcements?"

Everyone stared at each other, looking utterly bewildered.

This massive battle has already drawn in all Seven Kingdoms; where are there any reinforcements available?

Are Wildlings from Beyond the Wall?

Even the Wildlings Beyond the Wall are now loyal to Jon!

"It's the Three Daughters Kingdoms. Soon, their fleet will sail from the Three Daughters Kingdoms Trident River into the Riverlands. Keep your soldiers in check and keep a close eye on the Reach rebels' movements," Stannis explained.

Previously, Salladhor Saan approached Stannis, proposing to mortgage twenty years' worth of Crownlands taxes in exchange for a loan from his Three Daughters Kingdoms. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The group agreed somewhat hesitantly.

The reinforcements from the Three Daughters Kingdoms? Those are foreigners!

How can we allow foreigners to interfere in our war between the Seven Kingdoms?

Everyone was puzzled, so Stannis explained that it was because Salladhor Saan had already gone to the Three Daughters Kingdoms before the war even began.

However, the crowd was slightly encouraged upon hearing the promise. After all, no one wanted to entrust their fate to others unless absolutely necessary. So they all hoped for the reinforcements he had mentioned. After the nobles and lords left, Stannis slumped there exhausted. He didn't understand why he had lied. Even if the Three Daughters Kingdoms sent troops now, it would be too late.

He thought that perhaps he was just unwilling to accept defeat.

"If Melisandre were still here, she would tell me everything." Stannis suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia, but then a surge of anger washed over him.

"That traitor!"

He cursed inwardly and ordered someone to bring Thoros over.

However, Little Stannis returned shortly afterward, looking timid and hesitant.

"What's wrong? Tell me," Stannis said calmly.

Little Stannis then pulled out a letter and handed it to him.

"Yes, it's a letter from Lord Thoros."

Stannis stared at the thin envelope for a long time without saying a word.

"Lord Thoros went to the traitor's place." Little Stannis's voice trailed off, bracing himself for Stannis's wrath.

He remembered that not long ago, after Stannis learned of the House Florent's betrayal, he had originally intended to send Jon Royce to attack Jon, but ultimately decided to lead the army himself.

The number of soldiers they brought increased from 10,000 to 30,000, and now both sides have paid a total of at least 5,000 casualties.

The night wind whistled past his ears, and Tannis hunched his shoulders in advance.

However, it took Stannis a long time to speak before he finally said, "Okay, I understand."