The council chamber was filled with voices.
A group of men surrounded the war table, discussing the map with intense focus.
When Rhaella had come from Dragonstone, she had brought everything she could carry with her.
Including Aegon the Conqueror's famous painted table and the seven finely crafted statues of the Seven.
Viserys had also commissioned craftsmen to carve a new war table modeled on the Free Cities.
As the king's mother, Rhaella naturally had the right to attend the meeting and sat beside Viserys.
By lowering their heads slightly, both of them could see the entire map spread before them.
Yet Rhaella never voiced opinions that opposed Viserys in matters of great importance.
She only knew that the Dothraki were a fierce and powerful people.
The coming discussion about war would influence the fate of countless lives, and therefore had to be handled with the utmost care.
Viserys had summoned nearly all his ministers at once.
Gohor had barely more than a million people.
Four members of the Kingsguard were present, along with Baelor, Elder Lothan, and many others, gathered together in a rare assembly.
Some officials who had once been recruited from the Wall were also present.
The question before them was simple.
Which route would the horse lords take when they attacked Gohor?
Meanwhile, Viserys was quietly judging their attitudes toward war and peace. Their answers would determine how he viewed them in the future.
"Our fleet is stationed here," Ock said, pointing to a location on the map. "Unless that Drogo has been kicked in the head by his horse, he will not try to cross the river."
Over the years, Ock had gradually developed the bearing of a noble.
He had become a father and grown a beard. But certain parts of his nature would never change.
Raised to nobility through military merit, he had not forgotten his duty. When facing foreign invasion, there was no second choice.
As for the four Kingsguard, their bottom line was simple.
The royal family could not be humiliated. Beyond that, whether to fight or negotiate was entirely the king's decision.
"I would wager that those horse lords cannot even cross the Upper Rhoyne," Clement said quietly.
He was the nephew of the Old Crab and held only the title of baron.
Because of that, he was permitted only to observe the meeting. If he wished to speak, he needed Viserys's permission.
"They might even flee the moment they see our warships."
"But the Rhoyne and the Upper Rhoyne are too long," Davos replied with concern, speaking to Ock.
"There are no fleets on the river that can rival ours, but we cannot guard every stretch of it. Eventually they will find a weakness."
If another Free City launched an invasion, its army would require supply lines. Their movements would be slower.
Gohor would have time to respond.
But the horse lords were different. They needed almost no supplies. They rode only to destroy.
Such an enemy was difficult to guard against.
For the people of Westeros, there had been no need to defend against nomadic tribes for more than ten thousand years.
"Now it seems the Dothraki have the support of Pentos and Braavos," Elder Lothan said. "Even Volantis may join them. We must be cautious."
Lothan and Davos exchanged a glance and nodded to one another.
"I agree with Elder Lothan and Ser Davos," Viserys said.
Lothan was the oldest man in the room and also the most cautious.
Several years earlier, his granddaughter Jorel had married Oswell. Since then, he had become even more careful.
The prosperity Gohor now enjoyed had not come easily. He was a complete conservative.
Davos was much the same.
His sons Dale and Allard had married in recent years. He had become a grandfather. His outlook had changed.
Though still loyal, he had grown fond of peaceful and comfortable living.
"Your Grace," Lothan continued, "if the horse lords demand only some gold or supplies, we can give them what they want.
"Gohor changes with every passing day. War would bring great losses.
"My suggestion is that if war must happen, we should strengthen our reserve legions and prepare for at least two more years."
At present, Gohor had about thirty thousand regular soldiers. Its reserve forces also numbered thirty thousand.
If they fought the Dothraki in open battle, their chances were good.
But the cost would be enormous.
Lothan's proposal was economically sensible. However, many others disliked it.
"Elder Lothan," Marcus said sharply, "if we must bribe barbarians with gifts, then what is the purpose of men like us?"
Marcus was Davos's son.
Because of his repeated military achievements, he held the rank of viscount and could speak directly before the king.
Sons often felt the urge to challenge their fathers' authority.
His words carried a hint of disrespect.
Marcus, Clement, and the other rising figures of the younger generation were eager for war.
Gohor now had strong armies and full granaries. To them, everyone looked like a nail waiting to be hammered.
Marcus's words stirred the enthusiasm of the war faction.
The council chamber soon began to resemble a noisy marketplace.
The world was strange in this way. Those who still had many years ahead of them often cared least about life and death.
"Marcus," Davos said quietly in reprimand.
Viserys, however, did not seem offended.
"Enough," he said calmly.
The room immediately fell silent.
"If we clash head-on, our chances of victory are high. But the Dothraki possess endless horses and cavalry. That is our weakness.
"These barbarians will try to drag the war out. They lose nothing. But every day that Gohor remains at war costs us thousands of gold coins."
The ministers all nodded in agreement.
Over the past two years, Gohor had developed more than just its printing industry. That industry had allowed them to accumulate wealth rapidly.
Through trade and negotiation, their handicrafts now rivaled those of Myr.
Their glassware could compete with Volantis.
They had even inherited the metalworking techniques of Nasar, producing strong and durable weapons.
They possessed too many valuable industries to risk war lightly.
"So here is my conclusion," Viserys continued. "If we cannot achieve a decisive victory in a short time, then the war is already a failure for us.
"If we fight, we must lure the horse lords into an ideal battlefield and end the war with a single crushing blow."
Finally, Viserys gave a deadline.
Six months.
If war began, they must strike deep into the heart of the Dothraki lands within half a year.
Ideally, they would provoke Drogo himself and force him to suffer massive losses, just as Khal Temmo once had.
"However," Viserys said after a moment, "the envoys of the horse lords have already arrived in our city. Let us hear their demands first.
"If their price is not too high, we can simply give them something and send them away."
Viserys understood that years of peaceful development had made many of his ministers comfortable.
He would step back for now and allow them to see the true nature of the horse lords.
If anyone still believed gold could buy friendship with the Dothraki, he would remove them from the core of power.
___________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/BloodAncestor