He originally wanted to carefully maintain a balance and even secretly plan a way out for his younger brother, but due to Tormund's reckless attack and King Ghidorah's terrifying power, he was pushed to the forefront.
He must now try his best to prove his "loyalty" and "innocence",
At the same time, he has to find a way to save his brother's life and Hai Long's secret (or at least, prevent them from falling into the hands of Daemon or Redd). You can imagine how difficult the situation is.
Rhaenys and Rhaenyra, two married Targaryen women, have even more subtle positions.
The blood of Targaryen flows in their bodies, but their surnames and interests have been closely bound to their husband's family.
Rhaenys is the mistress of Driftmark, and her son is the heir of House Velaryon. Her feelings for her natal family must be deeply affected by the interests of her husband's family.
Rhaenyra is more direct. She is Redd's wife and is pregnant with his child. Her future is closely related to Redd's dominance in the East and Westeros's plot.
How much "Targaryen" persistence do they have towards Iron Throne? It's hard to say.
But what is certain is that they will never sit back and watch the interests of their husband's family (Varyrian/Redd) be seriously harmed.
"Dragonrider is too little..." Redd pondered this key point in his mind.
House Targaryen's proud dragon hegemony is at risk of "exodus" precisely because of the dispersion of bloodlines and marriages.
House Velaryon obtained three dragons through Rhaenys (although the descendants Dragonrider may not all be of Targaryen blood),
Now there is another sea dragon that may have been tamed by Tormund (a non-Targaryen, possibly even a Velaryon bastard or collateral).
Redd himself, an "outsider", emerged with monsters like King Ghidorah.
Targaryen's "monopoly" over the Dragon Clan is being broken, which has undoubtedly shaken the foundation of their rule's legitimacy and deterrence, and has also intensified their anxiety and xenophobia.
Daemon's attitude toward Velaryon that he both wants to win over (against Redd or other forces) but must be on guard is a typical manifestation of this anxiety.
In his mind, House Velaryon's power (dragon + navy) must be controlled, either for his own use or weakened,
It must not become an independent and powerful existence that may threaten the core interests of Targaryen.
After sorting out these intertwined contradictions, Redd had a clearer strategy for the siege operation at hand.
He does not need to risk entering the crack himself, nor does he need to rush to force Tormund out by violent means (unless necessary).
On the contrary, he can let Daemon and Corlys restrain and consume each other in the front.
Daemon is eager to get the sea dragon or destroy it, so he will inevitably take drastic measures, which may further anger or drive Tormund crazy, or may make Corlys make even more unwise actions under pressure and fear.
And he, Redd, only needs to play the role of "calm stalker" and "final arbiter".
Let King Ghidorah maintain deterrence and blockade the skies and seas;
Let your men conduct systematic and professional searches and explorations to find other exits from the cracks or underwater passages, and take the initiative;
At the same time, pay close attention to every move of Daemon and Corlys, as well as the movements of King's Landing that they may represent behind them.
He wants Tormund to struggle in despair, Daemon to expose more weaknesses in greed, and Corlys to bear greater pressure in the cracks.
When conflicts intensify to a certain extent, there may be unexpected gains - for example, Corlys is forced to make more substantial compromises or take refuge in order to save his life or family;
For example, in a desperate situation, Tormund may reveal information about Hailong, Stepstones, and even about older secrets;
Even, Daemon may make fatal mistakes in his rush for success.
"Send the order," Redd whispered to Mysaria, "Our people focus on exploration, so we must be cautious in our actions and preserve our strength.
Focus on recording fracture structures, water flow directions, and geothermal anomalies.
At the same time, keep an eye on the troops directly under Prince Daemon and Corlys Earl, especially the manpower and materials they mobilize privately. If there is any abnormality, report it immediately."
"Yes, master." Mysaria took the order and left.
Redd raised his head again and looked at the dark crack that looked like the mouth of a giant beast.
He then looked at the restless "Caraxes" in the sky and King Ghidorah, who was as calm as a mountain, and finally glanced at the generals and soldiers with different expressions in the fleet.
The siege of Gray Gallows Island is more than just a hunt for a sea dragon and a pirate.
It is a miniature power game and a concentrated outbreak of conflicts within the Targaryen Dynasty and with external powers.
And he is already in the middle of the situation, and is methodically steering the situation in the direction that is most beneficial to him.
Tormund in the crack may be able to struggle for a moment, but what ultimately determines his fate is
It is no longer the narrow rock gap, but the more grand and cruel game outside.
Tormund was hiding at the bottom of the cracked mountain, feeling unwilling to do so.
He originally thought he could escape to heaven by riding the raging sea dragon while King Ghidorah was not in the air, but unexpectedly, due to a twist of fate, he was blocked by Daemon and his Caraxes.
The two giant dragons briefly clashed in a narrow cave, but the result was no doubt:
The larger Caraxes easily suppressed the angry waves, and the latter had to retreat steadily.
What's worse is that King Ghidorah seems to have noticed something strange here and quickly came for reinforcements.
Faced with such a desperate situation, Tormund could only choose to retreat to the depths of the cave to temporarily avoid the danger.
Tormund held the reins tightly, anger and helplessness intertwined between his brows, and his back molars were almost broken.
He knew that hiding in this dark and damp cave was not a long-term solution and he had to find another way out.
But at this moment, with enemies surrounding him and dangers lurking around him, every step he took seemed extremely difficult.
Deep in the dark and damp cave, only the rough and painful breathing of the sea dragon "Raging Waves" and Tormund's own frantic heartbeat echoed.
Although the brief confrontation with "Caraxes" just now was fierce, "Raging Wave" was not fatally injured due to its thick plate armor and tenacious vitality.
But the ferocity of Daemon's dragon and the sharpness of its bone spurs still left it with several wounds that were deep enough to show the bones.
The gray-blue scales were torn open, and dark blood oozed out, mixed with the salty smell of seawater and sulfur, filling the air.
What makes Tormund even more desperate is that the three golden monsters King Ghidorah noticed the movement almost at the beginning of their fight, approaching quickly like golden thunder.
If he hadn't made a prompt decision and ordered "Ru Tao" to risk his injuries and forcefully break free from "Caraxes"'s entanglement,
Drilling back into the depths of this complicated maze-like cave, I am afraid that I have already become a dead soul under that Gravity Beam.