c22 The Queen of the Green Pavilion
Then,
with Earl Redwyne's command, the Qingting Island fleet began to shift its formation, longships and three-masted warships forming a fan-shaped array on the dark sea like the disciplined fleets of the Arbor that had long served the royal cause.
"Advance! Attack!"
The war horn sounded once more, this time longer than ever before, symbolizing the imminent commencement of this long-prepared war.
All the Qingting Island soldiers tensed slightly at the sound of the war horn, gripping their weapons tightly.
"Fire!"
Then, the ballistae on the three flagships of the Qingting Island fleet finally fired simultaneously.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of deafening bowstring strikes, like thunderclaps, followed by rapidly flying spears that tore through the air. The three flagships unleashed a devastating volley, the spears whistling as they hurtled towards the distant Dragonstone fleet that guarded the ancestral seat of House Targaryen.
"Raise shields"
In the distance, the Dragonstone fleet's commander, aboard the flagship Black Death, stood ready. His blood-red cloak billowed in the wind as he slightly adjusted his armor, a streak of gray hair visible at his temple.
The old sergeant decisively gave the order to raise shields in defense, protecting the ship's key facilities and personnel.
"Raise shields"
"Raise shields"
With each command, the soldiers on the massive Black Death stood at attention.
Clang!
Raising their four-foot-high, heavy oak shields with iron trim, they moved swiftly, forming a neat shield formation.
Shields adorned with the Targaryen family crest, the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen, faced the enemy.
"Raise"
A knight in armor stood on the deck, drew his longsword from his waist, and brought it down with a mighty slash.
"Combine!"
A resounding boom echoed as the shield formation instantly solidified, protecting the commander in the center with only a narrow gap for continued observation of the outside world almost impenetrable.
Sir William, standing in the center beside the fleet commander, didn't even flinch, remaining upright with his head slightly tilted back as he watched the approaching volley across the churning waters of Blackwater Bay.
The fleet guarding Dragonstone was the Targaryen family's most elite naval force, sworn to defend the island fortress where princes such as Prince Rhaegar had once resided, yet unfortunately, its role in the War of the Usurper had become increasingly insignificant.
In this era, land power remained the most decisive force; great battles like those fought by Robert Baratheon and his allies were decided on fields and castles rather than at sea. Naval strength alone was insufficient to reverse the tide of war or determine the outcome of a large-scale conflict.
The Dragonstone fleet had been tasked with raiding and harassing rebel ports like White Harbor, attempting to divert the Northern army's attention and weaken the supporters of the rebellion.
However, the North, since Brandon the Shipburner destroyed his father's fleet centuries earlier, had never rebuilt a powerful navy.
Offering little resistance, they simply surrendered their coastline, allowing the royal fleet to strike where it wished. Even if the Dragonstone navy ravaged the Northern coast, it would hardly make Eddard Stark frown as he marched south in support of Robert Baratheon.
After all, even the mighty Dragonstone navy could not blockade the entire Narrow Sea, much less abandon their ships to fight ashore. The brutal northern weather and the swift cavalry of the North would easily ensure the Targaryen soldiers' demise.
…
At the heart of the Battle of Dragonstone, Ser Geoffrey, commander of the Dragonstone fleet, gazed into the distance from the deck of the Black Death.
The next second,
the black cloud of spears launched from the ballistae finally arrived.
Thud thud thud countless spears, emitting sharp, piercing sounds, plunged directly into the turbulent sea, sending up towering sprays of saltwater. In naval warfare, the hit rate of such siege weapons mounted on the main ships was practically a matter of luck, especially when the vessels pitched violently upon the restless waves surrounding Dragonstone.
However, out of the volley of spears, a few were lucky enough to strike the array on the deck of the Black Death.
Boom
The spears, imbued with immense force, easily tore through the shields of the soldiers as if crushing a biscuit.
One soldier wielding a giant kite shield was pinned to the deck, while several others were knocked down.
The shield wall was instantly torn open in several places, soldiers' blood splattering onto the deck, their bodies still slightly contorted, emitting shrill screams.
This scream sent chills down the spines of all the Targaryen soldiers; their palms, gripping their shields, were slightly sweaty, and they swallowed hard.
However, they remained silent, for they knew that naval warfare was a life-or-death struggle, and defeat meant no escape on the sea surrounding Dragonstone.
Yet, against the siege weaponry of the Queen of the Green Pavilion, their sturdy shields were as fragile as paper.
"Counterattack!"
The commander of the Dragonstone fleet, however, showed no hesitation or fear. He remained calmly positioned in the center of the shield wall, decisively ordering the Black Death and the catapults on the other two flagships to launch a counterattack.
Sir William stood nearby within the protective formation of shields, watching the battlefield through the narrow opening left by the soldiers.
No one knew that the old sergeant's palms were also drenched in sweat; in such a large-scale naval battle in the Narrow Sea, life and death truly depended on luck.
They prayed that the enemy's catapults and ballistae wouldn't hit their targets, that the wind and currents around Dragonstone would be favorable, and that their own catapults would fire more accurately.
The more brutal boarding action, relying on soldiers jumping onto the ships to fight with swords, axes, and spears, took place only after the main ships had exchanged fire and closed the distance; otherwise, the fleets would remain locked in a deadly long-range exchange across the waves.
With a command from the commander of the Dragonstone fleet, the soldiers twisted the ropes with all their might, placing the heavy stone projectiles into the catapult's throwing arm, and the Black Death, the largest warship in service with the Targaryen royal fleet guarding Dragonstone, finally roared.
Boom! Boom!
Boom
a series of stone projectiles were launched into the air, carrying immense force as they arced across the gray sky, flying straight toward the distant Green Pavilion fleet.
Earl Redwyne, aboard the flagship of the Green Pavilion fleet, the Queen Green Pavilion, narrowed his eyes, calmly observing the changes on the battlefield.
Although the Arbor was merely an island famed throughout the Seven Kingdoms for its rich wine, House Redwyne had always placed great emphasis on naval development. For generations they had maintained a powerful fleet to protect the Reach, acting as the maritime shield of House Tyrell and Highgarden.
The traditional naval strength of the Redwyne fleet was considered one of the greatest in Westeros, rivaling even the royal fleets of the Iron Throne and only comparable to the feared Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands.
This was why Paxter Redwyne had once been able to cooperate with the Tyrell army to blockade Storm's End during Robert's Rebellion, surrounding the castle for nearly a year and trapping Stannis Baratheon inside until starvation forced the defenders to slaughter their horses and ration every scrap of food.
However, at this time, House Redwyne, which had already bent the knee after the fall of King Aerys II and the defeat of the Targaryens, had accepted the new king's orders to attack Dragonstone, the last refuge of the remaining Targaryen loyalists.
Two strands of orange-yellow hair fluttered beside his temples as the man slowly waved his hand.
Facing the stone bombardment from the Dragonstone fleet, the commander ordered a full-scale assault, with all longships rowing forward to draw the Dragonstone fleet's attention and prepare to close the distance for boarding combat.
The most brutal part of this naval battle was about to unfold.
....