The spoils taken at Skyreach finally gave the combined armies of the Reach and the Stormlands a taste of achievement and glory in the war in Dorne. It was a triumph unparalleled in their history, so even though Skyreach now lay almost entirely in ruins, nothing could dampen their enthusiasm for days of revelry.
Although the great dragons had destroyed most of the buildings in the Manwoody castle, the nobles simply held their banquets in the gardens. At every feast, they cheered Danyla's name.
"For the Seven Kingdoms!"
"For the king!"
"For Princess Danyla!"
Danyla's standing among the armies of the Stormlands and the Reach was now unrivaled, second only to the kingdom and its king-at least, that was the order they had to observe in public. Besides the awe inspired by her invincible prowess as a dragonrider, her generous distribution of Skyreach's vast wealth was another important reason.
"Your Highness, this is the first time in thousands of years that we of the Stormlands have successfully occupied Wyl and Skyreach! Will we continue south next?"
Led by Lord Swann, the great lords of the Stormlands approached Danyla with wine in hand and tentatively posed the question.
"For now, everyone should take some time to absorb the fruits of victory! We now control not only the two main routes through the Red Mountains, but also the Dornish people's principal grain-producing regions."
Danyla had no intention of pushing farther south into the desert to fight just yet, so she made her position clear.
"Our next priority should be the Dornish territories in the Honeywine basin. If we can bring them under our control as well, Dorne will collapse within a few years without another invasion."
"We have already blockaded Dorne's maritime routes, and great dragons patrol its major river basins every