The setting sun dyed the sea blood-red. In the distance, several of the Arbor's oared galleys, which were smaller and more maneuverable, had managed to turn around amidst the cover of the larger ships and escape the Royal Fleet's pursuit. They were now just black specks on the horizon.
The other forty-odd ships of the Arbor fleet were not so lucky. They had either been sent to the bottom of the sea or had raised white flags in surrender.
On the deck of the Fury, sailors were cleaning up the aftermath. After the wounded had been seen to, men were scrubbing bloodstains from the deck with seawater, the dull thud of mops hitting the wood echoing in the evening air.
Ser Imry Florent climbed the creaking stairs to the quarterdeck.
"My Lord, in this engagement, we have sunk nine Arbor ships and captured thirty-six. Seven of the prizes are heavily damaged, while the remaining twenty-nine are largely intact."
"We have taken over eight hundred prisoners, including eleven captains and more than thirty knights."
"As for cargo, aside from weapons and armor, we found the holds of eight merchant cogs and flat-bottomed wine barges fully stocked with various vintages and other goods."
"Maintain alert status across the fleet," Stannis ordered, still clad in his steel armor bearing the crowned stag. "From now until we reach Starfall, the lookouts will rotate in three shifts. I want eyes in the crow's nest at all times."
"Bring the commander of this fleet... if he can even be called a commander... to my cabin. I will interrogate him personally."
"Interrogate the other captains and knights separately. Find out if any captains escaped, and ascertain the current situation on the Arbor."
"At once, my Lord," Ser Imry replied. "And what of the severely damaged ships?"
"Designate one to hold the bodies of the fallen, then scuttle it," Stannis said. "Beach the rest on the coast."
Arthur leaned against the railing near the prow, listening to Stannis's methodical post-battle arrangements. He silently admired the man's tough, decisive command style.
It was no wonder that during the Greyjoy Rebellion, Stannis had been able to lead the Royal Fleet and the Redwyne fleet to crush the Iron Fleet at the Battle of Fair Isle.
Arthur realized that a powerful navy required more than just excellent ships; it needed a tightly coordinated, well-trained crew and an admiral like Stannis.
Soon, soldiers escorted three commanders to Stannis's cabin.
Seeing them, Arthur understood why the enemy fleet had fallen into chaos upon spotting the Royal Fleet. Among the three was a familiar face: the round-faced, narrow-eyed, flat-nosed Ser Norbert.
Ser Norbert had once served as Paxter's envoy, sent to negotiate peace with Arthur while spying on him. Arthur had beaten him so badly he couldn't get out of bed for ten days, and sent him back with exactly the "intelligence" Arthur wanted him to have.
"Mercy, my Lord!"
"I will take the black to atone for my sins!"
"My Lord, I fought beside you at the Battle of Fair Isle!"
The three men, upon being dragged into the room, didn't wait for the guards to prompt them. They fell to their knees in terror, begging for their lives.
"Silence!" Stannis frowned. "I will ask the questions. You will answer. Otherwise, make no sound."
Under Stannis's interrogation, the layers of the story were peeled back like an onion.
The three men confessed everything, and Arthur gained a clear picture of the current situation on the Arbor.
It was largely as Stannis had surmised. Many captains had learned of Ser Desmond's death in the trial by combat and Lord Paxter's execution in King's Landing.
Fearing retaliatory identification and reckoning from the survivors of the Peach Orchard, they conspired with other captains who had followed Desmond in burning the manor. Their plan was to seize ships and assets and flee to the Free Cities.
Taking advantage of the panic caused by Paxter's death, they set fires in vineyards across the island to distract the Arbor's guards. Then, exploiting the weakened port defenses, they successfully hijacked the ships and fled.
"How did you know about the identification process?" Arthur asked, puzzled.
Ser Norbert looked miserable. "Lord Paxter showed us the terms you wrote. He passed the scroll around for every captain to read..."
Arthur shook his head. "Dug his own grave."
He understood that Paxter had done this to unify his front, rallying the captains by showing them the threat they faced. But with the Arbor's total defeat in King's Landing, this move had only accelerated their betrayal.
The captains who knew they were facing a reckoning weren't fools. Knowing that death or the Wall was their likely fate, why would they stay on the island and wait obediently for judgment day?
Ser Norbert's forehead was beaded with sweat, and the other two looked no better. "My Lords, we have confessed everything truthfully. Burning the Peach Orchard and blockading Starfall were all done on the orders of Paxter and Desmond."
"For the sake of the Seven, please show mercy."
Stannis's expression remained cold and hard. Without a word or a flicker of emotion, he waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to take them away.
Once the prisoners were dragged out, Arthur turned to Stannis. "How do we handle the prisoners, the ships, and the cargo?"
"The prisoners will be judged and executed according to the laws of the realm after interrogation and identification," Stannis said. "As for the ships and cargo..."
"They were seized from pirates," Arthur interjected smoothly.
"In the battle just now, the Royal Fleet suffered casualties, and many ships sustained damage that will require funds to repair. Furthermore, the captured merchant vessels can be used for the future trade of Amber Peach Wine."
"But those war galleys... they require maintenance and are likely of little use to the Royal Fleet. Why not sell them to me at a fair price? I can use them to guard the coastline of Starfall."
Arthur knew he had contributed little to the naval battle and had little say in the distribution of spoils. However, he coveted those oared war galleys.
Watching Stannis command the fleet and effortlessly crush the Arbor ships had inspired Arthur to build a navy of his own. These galleys would be perfect for training sailors and crew in the early stages.
Stannis's response was the sound of grinding teeth—a subconscious habit of his when thinking.
After a moment, Stannis nodded. "Agreed."
The royal treasury was heavily in debt, and funding the current Royal Fleet was already a stretch. The crown couldn't afford the wages and maintenance for additional ships and crews. Selling them for a lump sum was a sensible solution.
During the week-long voyage to Starfall, Arthur and Stannis negotiated the price of the galleys and the details of the Amber Peach Wine sales. They also established a communication channel between Starfall and Dragonstone.
Additionally, they reached a consensus on the procedure for the survivors to identify the culprits from the Arbor.
Arthur also proposed hiring sailors, oarsmasters, and captains from the Royal Fleet to serve as instructors to help him train his own sailors and build his fleet.
Stannis initially wanted to refuse, as the Royal Fleet served the Iron Throne.
However, Arthur simply offered too much money. In the end, Stannis reluctantly agreed to detach over fifty personnel from the Royal Fleet to be stationed at the Beacon Tower, ostensibly to "ensure the safety of the Amber Peach Wine production site."