Once the people of Gohor confirmed that the man standing beside the dragon was Viserys, they all fell to their knees.
"Long live the king! Long live the king!"
The sight stirred Aegon's heart. In that moment, he silently swore that one day he too would have a throne of his own.
Even if Westeros and the Free Cities were beyond his reach, Slaver's Bay had taken part in the war, hadn't it?
Perhaps he could become the Conqueror of Slaver's Bay.
"My people, I am your king, and I bring you good news. We have won a great victory in the north as well. We have triumphed!"
When the young king announced the news himself, all of Gohor erupted in celebration.
At the height of the festivities, Viserys returned to the Dragon Palace.
The sudden appearance of the dragon nearly terrified everyone inside, but once Viserys, Aegon, and Aemon climbed down from its back, all fear vanished.
Why the dragons had suddenly grown so enormous was not a question anyone thought to ask at the moment.
Rhaella, Elia, and Lyanna did not truly relax until they had confirmed that their sons were unharmed.
Rhaenys and Dany were still young.
The strain of the past few days had exhausted them, and after seeing the enemy fleet withdraw, they had slept almost continuously.
At last, Viserys had the opportunity to review the gains and losses from the battle.
Compared to the losses suffered by the allied army, their own casualties were almost negligible.
All four Kingsguard had been wounded.
Gerald, whose abdomen had been pierced by a dragon-killing bolt, had nearly died.
Yet the giant unicorn turtle that guarded the entrance to the Dragon Palace had secreted a thick, sticky fluid onto his wound, saving his life.
When everyone learned of Davos's death, they mourned him deeply.
"We have shattered the enemy's main force, but we have not yet achieved complete victory."
Clinton stood before the map and continued his analysis.
"Only by taking Braavos and Volantis can we truly claim total victory."
Clinton did not know how Viserys now felt about the Iron Throne.
He was simply thinking strategically.
If they failed to press their advantage and settle the question of the Free Cities once and for all, any future western campaign would remain vulnerable.
And Robert was currently in Braavos. Capturing the city would accomplish two objectives at once.
Most of those present agreed with Clinton's reasoning.
"Then let us break Braavos and execute the usurper!"
Alliser said cheerfully.
Now they had a great army and dragons. What could possibly stop the Targaryens?
If they used this war to purge some of the Westerosi nobles, he might even receive a better lordship and a grander castle in the future.
"However, Your Grace, attacking Braavos will not be easy. We must prepare thoroughly."
Oswell spoke next.
Of the four Kingsguard, he had suffered the lightest wounds.
Having commanded armies of more than ten thousand men, battlefield command was his specialty.
Viserys also trusted him more than anyone else to guard the realm.
Guarding a kingdom and guarding a tower were not always so different. One might even call it a perfect match for his talents.
"Braavos is protected by the Braavosi Mountains, and their armories can produce large numbers of dragon-killing ballistae.
Dragons are powerful, but they must still be used carefully."
Although Viserys had granted the Kingsguard the right to speak freely when they were still on Dragonstone, Oswell had become more cautious after marrying Lothar's granddaughter, Jorel.
Jorel believed that Viserys's achievements had grown immense and that House Targaryen was no longer in its former precarious position.
Even if the king had granted such freedom, she had advised her husband to use it sparingly.
There was no need to make the young king feel constantly contradicted.
Unlike the other three unmarried Kingsguard, Oswell had a family, and so he had taken her advice to heart.
"Ser Oswell's counsel is sound. If we intend to conquer Braavos, then we must make proper preparations."
Viserys agreed.
Braavos was the strongest of the Nine Free Cities.
If they conquered it, the others would naturally follow.
Conquer the strong first, then the weak. Those in between would soon fall into line.
When the three dragons returned from the Eyrie Mountains, Malaqo and the others camped nearby finally realized that the situation was hopeless.
The elderly magistrate Malaqo finally accepted reality.
He had joined the Tiger Party because, since childhood, he had dreamed of conquering the world.
But three dragons had shattered that dream.
Now he only wanted to go home.
With Malaqo's fighting spirit gone, Grazdan, who had come from the distant Slaver's Bay, also began planning his escape.
Of the more than ten thousand Unsullied he had brought, fewer than ten thousand remained.
More than half of his thousands of gladiators had been lost as well.
If disaster truly descended, he intended to make certain that he was among the last to die.
The most important thing now was to send word home that the dragons had suddenly grown enormous, so that Slaver's Bay could manufacture as many dragon-killing ballistae as possible.
Perhaps then they would still have a chance to negotiate.
Thousands of years ago, Slaver's Bay had bowed before dragonlords.
This would merely be another such occasion.
As for Viserys's insistence on abolishing slavery, Grazdan considered it nothing more than the foolish idealism of a king who was still too young to appreciate its advantages.
Once they sent him a few obedient Yunkish bed slaves, he imagined the king would quickly abandon such childish ideas.
Tormo, however, had no intention of accepting defeat.
"Gentlemen, we have merely suffered two defeats. That does not mean we have lost this war!"
Having never once defeated Viserys, Tormo understood better than most that Braavos would almost certainly become Viserys's first target after turning the war around.
If the alliance collapsed now, the Free Cities would be defeated one by one.
If they could somehow preserve it, they might still be able to contain him.
It was a sound idea.
Unfortunately, no one wanted to follow it.
The alliance had only existed in the first place because of R'hllor.
In the end, all it had accomplished was to enhance the reputation of the Dragon King.
"Lord Tormo, those are dragons. Do you have any way to defeat dragons?
Look around us.
We're standing on an open plain. What is there here that can stop dragonfire? Nothing.
We would be better off discussing how to make peace."
Alios, who had accompanied Malaqo, finally spoke.
As a second-rank noble, Alios normally would not have had the right to speak at such a council.
But Tormo's attempt to use them to keep Viserys occupied had been far too obvious.
No one here was a fool.
At this point, continuing to oppose the Targaryens was little different from seeking death.
As for the red priests of Volantis, they had already decided to send both their gold and their heads to Gohor.
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