After leaving Riverrun, Danyla flew straight toward Oldstones on dragonback.
Because Oldstones was under Danyla's direct rule, it had enjoyed ample supplies throughout the years of extreme climate, attracting vast numbers of refugees. Its population had now passed the half-million mark.
Moreover, since women had ruled both Oldstones and the Iron Islands all these years, most of the refugees they took in were women, especially displaced prostitutes from the Seven Kingdoms and daughters abandoned by families that favored sons.
This had caused feminism to flourish there more than ever.
With ten thousand Queen's Direct Female Soldiers backing them, virtually every man in the territory struggled to hold his head up.
Daemon had personally ridden his dragon to help build Oldstones to please Danyla, so it covered an enormous area. To guard against pirates from the Iron Islands, its surrounding walls had been built taller and stronger than even those of Harrenhal.
Ever since Danyla restored the art of dragonstone forging, many castles belonging to the great lords of Westeros had replaced their walls with tall, sturdy dragonstone walls.
During the decade and more of extreme climate in particular, the exceptional insulation and climate-regulating properties of dragonstone buildings had kept demand for Holy Flame Island's dragonstone far ahead of supply.
The Kingdom of Reclea had now established two more dragonstone production sites in Dorne. Dorne had inexhaustible supplies of sand and stone, while the Rhoynar Mountains ran north to south across the Kingdom of Reclea. Both provided excellent materials for forging dragonstone.
Looking at the ranks of well-equipped female soldiers in Oldstones, Omanrion, her sixth son, could not help remarking,
"Mother, people say Oldstones and the Iron Islands have become a Daughter Kingdom. It seems they're right."
"With these female soldiers around, no man could ever hope to hold his head