"Your Majesty," Nestor began with difficulty, "these accusations are very serious and require evidence..."
"The evidence will be presented at the trial."
Viserys interrupted him. "But I have come today to give you a chance to avoid bloodshed. Open the gates, welcome the allied forces below into the city, and then hand over Lysa Tully and Robert Arryn so they may face a fair trial. This is the most dignified path available to you now."
"Never!" Lysa screamed hysterically from the side. "This is my castle, my son's castle. You traitors, all of you should go to the seven levels of hell!"
She turned to the surrounding soldiers. "Kill him! Whoever can kill this Targaryen bastard, I will reward him with a thousand Gold Dragons!"
Under the lure of a heavy reward, there are bound to be brave men. Three soldiers exchanged glances and suddenly raised their spears, charging at Viserys. They were Valemen who had grown up listening to stories of Targaryen madness, feeling only contempt and hatred for the dragon king bloodline.
What's more, the Dragon King had now stepped away from his dragon; it was a perfect opportunity.
But they didn't even manage to get close. The moment they moved, Ghidorah spat out a beam of light, instantly dealing with them. Several people near them were also caught in the crossfire; the lucky ones died painlessly, while the unlucky ones were grazed by the golden light, losing limbs.
A deep trench appeared on the ground with smooth edges. The high temperature distorted the nearby air, and a heatwave rushed toward the nobles.
Except for the few unlucky souls still clutching their bodies and screaming in agony, even Robert Arryn's crying—having just been frightened into tears by his mother—came to an abrupt halt.
Viserys didn't look that way; he kept his gaze on Nestor. "Ser Nestor, your choice?"
Nestor's face was deathly pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably. He looked at the steaming trench, then at the flinching eyes of the surrounding nobles, and finally at the guards who were still alive.
"Open the gates," Nestor's voice rang out. "I choose to open the gates and welcome the allied forces."
"Traitors! You are all traitors!" Lysa shrieked, but she was immediately seized by two guards arranged by Nestor. After all, most of the guards here were his men; they listened to him more than to Lysa, and those who were disobedient had all been sent away to defend the Bloody Gate.
They also snatched little Robert from her arms. The young boy stared with wide, terrified eyes at everything before him, seemingly not yet understanding what was happening.
"Very well. Next, you will go down the mountain, open the Bloody Gate, and welcome the allied forces to garrison The Eyrie."
At this, Nestor spoke up, "Your Majesty, not everyone is willing to surrender. Some knights and nobles loyal to their old oaths to the Arryn family might resist. I request that Your Majesty help us suppress them."
"Dealing with those people is also your problem, Ser," Viserys's voice turned cold. "I will give you only one day to clean house. In one day, if the Bloody Gate has not been opened..."
He looked up toward the tower that Ghidorah had attacked earlier. "I wouldn't mind having Ghidorah turn the entirety of The Eyrie into that."
Nestor followed his gaze and couldn't help but shudder. It seemed he had to give it his all. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
Having said that, he no longer hesitated and took action with his subordinates and some of the more pragmatic noble factions. Arguments, screams, and the sound of clashing blades soon echoed from within the castle.
The rebellion, or rather the purge, began first in The Eyrie.
Viserys did not pay much more attention to the matters here. Instead, he climbed back onto Ghidorah and flew toward the allied camp.
After all, his coming to The Vale this time was merely following the flow, taking the opportunity to legitimately deal with the Targaryen's enemies and the last bloodline of the Arryn family.
Outside the Bloody Gate, the Royce family allied camp.
Andar Royce, the eldest son and heir of Bronze Yohn, was currently discussing matters in the command tent with several allied nobles. They were gathered around a map of The Vale, debating their next strategy.
However, the debate was interrupted by a scout who suddenly burst in.
"My Lord, there is something in the Sky coming from the direction of The Eyrie."
Everyone rushed out of the tent and looked in the direction the soldier was pointing, only to see a massive golden figure flying toward them.
"That is..." Andar squinted his eyes.
"A dragon," Lord Corbray whispered, his voice full of awe. "The dragon of legend. It's a Targaryen."
Viserys soon landed in front of the camp outside the Bloody Gate. The shock brought by the massive golden dragon was no less than it had been at The Eyrie. The camp instantly fell into a commotion as soldiers poured out of their tents, staring dumbfounded at this mythical creature.
Ser Andar, after his initial shock, immediately led a group of nobles to welcome him. As the heir to the Royce family, he knew of the alliance between his father and this Dragon King. Seeing the dragon with his own eyes now made his heart race with the sheer impact.
After a brief contact, the two sides got straight to the point.
"Ser Andar, The Eyrie has surrendered. Lysa Tully and Robert Arryn have been taken into custody. The Bloody Gate will be opened soon, and your men will be needed for the subsequent takeover of the castle."
Andar Royce suppressed his excitement and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, you truly possess incredible power. The Royce family will always remember your kindness. The allied forces are ready to garrison The Eyrie at any time."
The news quickly spread throughout the camp, and the soldiers erupted in a massive cheer. The frustration of several months of siege was instantly replaced by the excitement brought by the dragon.
In fact, for many, swearing fealty to a mad widow and her sickly son could not compare at all to a king who could ride a dragon. Moreover, this would end the civil war as soon as possible and avoid more senseless bloodshed.
At dawn the next day, the heavy doors of the Bloody Gate slowly opened amidst the screeching sound of winches. The scene behind the gate made the first Royce soldiers to enter gasp; dozens of corpses lay in the gatehouse, their blood not yet fully congealed. Judging by their clothing, most were from House Arryn and House Tully.
Nestor came to report that "The Blackfish" Brynden Tully, the most excellent knight of the Bloody Gate and the Knight of the Gate appointed by Lysa, had obviously refused to surrender and led his die-hard followers in a final stand.
Most of them had died in battle, and only the "Blackfish" himself had escaped into the Mountains of the Moon under the desperate cover of his men. They did not continue the pursuit; after all, the Mountains of the Moon were a forbidden zone inhabited by the Mountain Clans, and they believed Brynden was as good as dead.
With the Bloody Gate open, personnel were subsequently arranged for Stone, Snow, and Sky.
Before sunset, the Targaryen family banners, prepared in advance by the Royce family, were already flying from the towers of The Eyrie. This belonged to the Targaryen family; the Royce family only needed their status, while the other nobles could legitimately carve up the interests of the Arryn faction.
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