Daeron summoned Lord Caron and the other two, and after a warm greeting, rewarded them for their merits.
Lord Caron had the greatest merit, and was rewarded with a large tract of land west of the Blueburn River, almost bordering Green Valley City.
At the same time, he was granted a one-year extraction right within a hundred miles of The Kingswood near Fawnton.
This generally allowed for hunting, woodcutting, gathering mountain products, etc., but prohibited the indiscriminate cutting of old trees over sixty years or young branches.
The rewards for the other two houses were similar.
Count Feier's territory of Fallwood received few rewards, but he was granted a three-year extraction right within a hundred miles of the nearby Kingswood.
Count Grandison's Allsight is located in Dornish Marches, in a river valley, making it impossible to reward land. Therefore, Allsight's taxes were waived for three years, and goods worth 10,000 gold dragons from the treasury were provided.
The three counts were immediately moved to tears of gratitude, expressing their firm support for Daeron and the Iron Throne.
After all, the three houses had not contributed many troops in total and were lords from the less affluent parts of the Stormlands; these rewards were already very substantial.
Daeron personally helped them up and said gently, "You defied the erroneous orders of your liege lord and chose to fight for the House Targaryen. Naturally, the House Targaryen will not treat you poorly."
"Following the call of the Iron Throne is what we ought to do."
Count Feier was a burly man, and his words were particularly pleasant to hear.
Daeron smiled and said, "There are many rebels among the Stormlands nobility. In the end, you are the ones I must rely on!"
The three counts immediately flushed red, trembling with excitement.
After seeing the three off, Daeron sent letters to Nightsong and Blackwater.
Both counts had responded to the Iron Throne's call, but due to strategic deployment, they had no chance to participate in the battle.
Daeron did not show favoritism; he waived taxes for Blackwater for one year and gifted Nightsong twenty horse-drawn wagons of hides, cured meat, and strong liquor.
Dornish Marches is a harsh and cold land, and these practical and value-preserving supplies are in short supply.
Having rewarded the meritorious officials, it was necessary to announce it to the world.
Without Daeron needing to say anything, the five counts would naturally spread the word.
Being able to receive rewards from the Iron Throne is an honor in itself.
Daeron separately released news that, in his capacity as the acting Duke of Storm's End, he would visit the stormlords one by one to understand the situation in the Stormlands.
To outsiders, it might seem like a show of power.
But that was not the case.
Westeros values martial prowess; defeating an opponent fairly and then showing a broad mind is exactly what a wise monarch should do.
Furthermore, the stormlords felt more respect and fear toward Daeron, while their hatred was reserved for the army of The Reach.
This brings us to the grievances and entanglements between the various regions.
The Westerlands are powerful, but the two outward paths are blocked by the Tully family of the Riverlands and the House Rowan of The Reach, respectively.
The relationship between these three regions is strained.
Dorne has never submitted to the Iron Throne and often crosses Dornish Marches to wage war against The Reach and the Stormlands.
The Reach borders the Stormlands, and a competitive relationship exists between them.
These three regions check and balance each other, with Dorne being hated by both The Reach and the Stormlands.
Because of this, Duke Mace leading the army of The Reach north and claiming credit for Randyll Tarly's victory at the Battle of Summer Hall has made him a thorn in the side of the stormlords.
Now he is hiding in King's Landing, afraid of being ambushed.
"Win over some, strike down some, and entice some with benefits."
Daeron thought deeply.
The next day.
The 2nd day of spring in the 5th year, Tuesday, sunny, 6:00.
Daeron woke up in the farm cottage, lingered for a while, and then took new clothes from his inventory, dressed neatly, and went out.
——
"My body has matured!"
Daeron recalled the morning, indicating that at thirteen years and five months old, he had officially entered puberty.
Actually, this was already a bit late.
His physical development was not slow to begin with, and influenced by the Life Seed, he was incredibly healthy.
By the age of twelve, most noble children are taken by their older brothers or cousins to brothels to learn about sexual knowledge.
Daeron clicked his tongue: "Rhaegar really isn't a good big brother; he has no sense of responsibility at all."
He checked the television programs, cooked an omelet and a fish roll on the kitchen stove, paired it with a large bottle of Iridium milk, and today's breakfast was perfectly settled.
Daeron went out.
King's Landing, the Red Keep.
As soon as Daeron entered Maegors Holdfast, he ran into Rhaegar walking out.
The two brothers' eyes met.
Daeron felt quite casual and greeted him casually: "Morning, brother."
"Morning." Rhaegar nodded slightly.
——
The two passed each other, each busy with their own affairs.
Daeron paused for a second, watching Rhaegar walk away.
Truth be told, the two brothers still had some unspoken understanding; both chose to develop silently and did not fight for power during the war phase.
Because it was useless!
Their Father Aerys was in his prime; if it were the ill-fated House Targaryen of the past, he might have outlived his two sons.
Such examples were not uncommon.
Daeron thought to himself: "I really hope you go to Trident River and get hammered to death by Robert."
The thought was a bit malicious, but very realistic.
Looking at Rhaegar, he likely lacked the determination of Prince Duncan to give up his succession rights for love and leave the Iron Throne to his brother.
In the end, he would still have to use the Xuanwu Gate method of succession.
"Stop thinking about it; the more I think, the more Targaryen it gets."
Daeron entered Maegors Holdfast, and after a few steps, he noticed a subtle change in the court.
Logically, with him and Rhaegar both in the Red Keep, the court should have split into two factions, bickering with each other.
Now, while it was lively, the atmosphere was too harmonious.
"Most likely someone is up to something."
Daeron thought back.
Father Aerys had been very quiet lately, and Tywin and Lady Olenna were keeping a low profile, rarely showing their faces.
"Could these three old fogies be setting a trap for me?"
Daeron made a bold guess.
All three were reaping benefits and squeezing oil from him; seeing him about to break free and go solo, they certainly wouldn't allow it.
Daeron shook his head: "Go find Rhaegar first!"
Rhaegar had secured the support of House Martell, with the entire Dorne behind him.
And Rhaegar would truly repay the debt and give back to House Martell.
After all, Rhaenys has already been born.
House Martell, seeing the return, was full of energy.
He had no intention of repaying any debts; the so-called support from House Lannister and the House Tyrell would expire as soon as the war ended.
There was really no need to keep picking on him.
Meanwhile, a meeting was taking place in the Tower of the Hand.
Tywin and Lady Olenna sat opposite each other, elegantly sipping red wine.
"You've come to see me; is there something on your mind?"
Tywin put on airs, retaliating for the disrespect shown at the Kings Gate.
"Of course, otherwise why would I bother climbing so many stairs?"
Lady Olenna opened her mouth to complain that the Tower of the Hand was too high.
But then she changed the subject and questioned: "The situation in the Riverlands is a mess, and the King is holding back the decree, delaying the reinforcements from The Reach. Is this at your suggestion?"
Tywin's eyes darkened, and without hiding it, he said directly: "Daeron's military achievements are illustrious. If he is allowed to succeed in suppressing the rebellion now, his prestige will reach its peak."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Lady Olenna had expected this and asked back: "The King is going mad, the Crown Prince is infatuated with love, and there is a dragon-riding prince following the mandate of heaven to settle the chaos and be loved by the Seven Kingdoms. It could hardly be better."
Tywin looked at her without speaking, his eyes revealing everything.
Despite Lady Olenna's sweet talk, did she really want to see a resurgent House Targaryen with dragons rising smoothly?
Don't forget.
Great houses like theirs, the dukes of a whole region, were suppressed by the House Targaryen until they couldn't breathe before the Dance of the Dragons.
Lady Olenna's face darkened slightly, and she asked uncertainly: "Does the King also mean this?"
A touch of contempt rose at the corner of Tywin's mouth, and he said as a matter of course: "Aerys is even jealous of his eldest son Rhaegar, let alone Daeron, who is a hundred times more outstanding."
"Oh, what a mad king!"
Lady Olenna quickly poured a glass of wine; she had truly had enough of these selfish people's game of thrones.
How could House Lannister, which sits on gold mines, be so stingy with power?
Isn't the strength of the Iron Throne the guarantee for Westeros?
Look at how the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea have been fighting over the Stepstones.
Is it really because The Reach has fertile land and a prosperous life that it can nurture such a broad vision and mind?
Lady Olenna was extremely annoyed.
"Aerys is unwilling to abdicate and is highly guarded against both his sons. We cannot go against him, so we might as well follow the monarch's will."
Tywin became serious.
Lady Olenna pondered for a while, thinking of the new system Daeron was implementing in the Stormlands, and realized that an overly outstanding heir would indeed cause social unrest.
"Daeron will eventually ascend the Iron Throne, but before that, we must also show our value; we can't really let him go solo."
Tywin was still tolerant, hoping for a marriage alliance with the Targaryens.
If it were someone else, he might have to consider unconventional means.
After much thought, Lady Olenna reluctantly agreed: "War is no joke. The Iron Throne must end the war as soon as possible. The House Tyrell has placed a heavy bet, and it's not for you to squander at will."
"Of course."
Tywin stood up to pour wine for her.
Lady Olenna covered her wine glass, lifting her head proudly, not wanting to be part of his scheme.
The Stormlands, Haystack Hall.
Haystack Hall is the fief of House Errol, located east of the Kingsroad and north of Storm's End.
Because its geographical location is on the same parallel as Bronzegate, it became the first Stormlands noble Daeron visited.
Looking down from the sky, Haystack Hall is a castle built mostly for practicality, surrounded by many manors.
Daeron rode Caraxes in a circle and landed in the front courtyard of Haystack Hall.
Boom—
The stone floor creaked, kicking up a layer of dust and blowing the haystacks piled in the corners of the castle.
Caraxes sniffed, smelling the scent of sheep.
"A noble family that makes a living by farming and raising sheep?"
Daeron stepped off the dragon's back and recognized House Errol's main livelihood almost at a glance.
Not every noble house is like House Whent of Harrenhal, possessing a large amount of fertile land and accumulating great wealth in just a few generations.
The land in the Stormlands is average, but the climate is volatile, with Storms always accompanying the nearby Shipbreaker Bay.
Therefore, the Stormlands nobility are usually not very wealthy, with only a few great noble houses maintaining a decent lifestyle.
The Red Dragon brought a distinguished guest, and the people in the castle seemed to have undergone some psychological preparation before slowly opening the castle gates.
"Prince, House Errol extends its sincere greetings and welcomes your arrival."
A young blonde noblewoman approached gracefully, with a two or three-year-old boy following by the hem of her plain white dress.
Daeron was startled and asked, "Where is Count Errol?"
The blonde noblewoman was very beautiful and had a gentle temperament; she smiled slightly: "If you don't mind, you may call me Lady Errol."
After some conversation, Daeron learned that the blonde noblewoman before him was named Shira Errol.
Lady Shira was born into House Errol and married her cousin, Count Errol.
Similar to Count Haran and Lady Haran, or Tywin and Lady Joanna Lannister.
Count Errol had bad luck; he never returned from a voyage at sea. Since then, Haystack Hall had been managed by Lady Shira, who raised her posthumous son alone.
"Then your life must have been truly difficult."
Daeron recalled seeing House Errol's "haystack" sigil among the Stormlands rebels.
Their numbers were not many, and they actively pleaded guilty after their defeat.
Daeron did not make things difficult for them; he let them return to Haystack Hall and did not neglect Haystack Hall either, classifying House Errol as a neutral party worth winning over.
"Life is always accompanied by hardship; compared to the peasant women who work for me, I am already very fortunate."
Lady Shira had a cheerful personality, with a hint of faint pride.
A woman managing a house well is indeed something to be proud of.
"You are very strong."
Toward beautiful women, Daeron habitually took out a gold-star Daffodil and gave it to her as a meeting gift.
"Thank you, you are as generous as the rumors say."
Lady Shira's smile grew more beautiful as she invited the prince inside.
Daeron ate the bread and salt.
"Dragon!" The little boy stared wide-eyed at Caraxes.
From his posture, if Lady Shira hadn't been holding him back, he would have run over to touch it.
Lady Shira picked up her son and instructed softly, "Sebastian, be polite."
Little boy: "Dragon!!"
Lady Shira had no way with him; when her beautiful eyes glanced at Caraxes, there was a hint of unease hidden within.
She was no child; toward the dragon, there was only worship and longing.
"Caraxes is very dangerous; it's best not to provoke it."
Daeron said in a low voice.
Lady Shira hugged her son tightly and lowered her head: "Yes, Prince."
"Of course, it listens to me very well."
Daeron stopped joking and said good-naturedly, "If the little guy wants to ride a dragon, when he becomes a real man, I can take him for a flight in the sky."
"Oh oh!"
The little boy cheered.
Lady Shira breathed a sigh of relief, her exquisite face returning to a smile, seeing that he was not a mad Targaryen.
Just like the rumors, he was the other side of madness.
Daeron officially visited, inquiring about the situation at Haystack Hall, seeing its governance, and finally having lunch with the mother and son.
Lady Shira was quite knowledgeable.
When Daeron proposed the high waymaster of the kings road and the Bronzegate checkpoint, she clearly expressed her support, willing to follow the orders of the acting Duke of Storm's End and send ten family knights to serve as Road Warden.
These so-called Road Warden are the subordinate officers of the high waymaster of the kings road.
The high waymaster of the kings road would recruit local Stormlands people to form a standing army completely separate from the noble fief levies.
Stormlands nobles who support Daeron can send personnel to join.
It can be seen as upholding the implementation of the new system.
As for the Stormlands nobles who don't support it and even cause trouble, they can wait for Caraxes's Dragonfire.
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