Vhagar, ridden by Prince Viserys; Vermithrax, asleep on Dragonmount; Glutton, chained by the sea, masterless; Dreamfire, ridden by Princess Daenerys; Silver Wing, masterless; Red Queen Meleys, ridden by Princess Rhaenys; Bloodworm Caraxes, ridden by Daemon; Sheepstealer's two remaining Dragon Eggs were secretly kept by Daenerys, masterless; Aposos, Daenerys's; Simoros gave birth to five new Dragon Eggs, Daenerys's; Amoros, Daenerys's; Antros, Daenerys's; Syrax, Rhaenyra's; Xiao Bellerion, Daenerys's; Vagharana, Daenerys's; Grey Shadow, Daenerys's; Sea Smoke, currently masterless, hatched by Laenor; Miraxis, Daenerys's companion dragon; Urax, currently kept by King Jaehaerys. Daenerys also has three Dragon Eggs obtained from the Targaryen Royal Family, two brought from Valyria, and one golden Dragon Egg laid by Silver Wing. Urax has four Dragon Egg fossils, and two of Sheepstealer's eggs.
Seeing Daenerys return with over two hundred Unsullied and a tall Dothraki guard, Earl Hightower quickly brought his family out to greet her warmly.
"Greetings, Princess, you've worked hard!"
Now, Earl Hightower presented himself with extreme humility before Daenerys, but he couldn't help but constantly glance behind Daenerys.
"Princess, did you not see Hobart and them outside? They went out last night to meet you, but they haven't returned."
"Also, how is the riot situation outside now?"
Upon hearing this, Daenerys immediately showed a look of regret and said,
"Earl, you might not know this, but it's rumored that Sir Hobart, with the Hightower family knights and the Oldtown Garrison, provoked public outrage when they looted the merchant ships at Old Town Wharf. Some say they were completely wiped out, and even their bodies were burned to ashes by the rioters!"
"What?!"
Daenerys's words struck the Hightower family like lightning, and Earl Hightower's corpulent body almost swayed unstably. Fortunately, the Countess and Emily timely supported him, preventing him from making a fool of himself in public.
Sir Hobart's wife fainted directly, and his daughter and young son immediately burst into tears.
"This is impossible! This is impossible!"
At this moment, Earl Hightower's face was terrifyingly pale, completely at a loss, mumbling incessantly.
Daenerys's lips curled slightly as she continued,
"And I heard that they also forced those merchant ships to sign large sums of IOUs, but now it's unknown whose hands those IOUs fell into."
"Of course, some also say that after looting those merchant ships, they sailed away from Oldtown. I also think that perhaps Sir Hobart has hidden with those IOUs, after all, he is very familiar with Oldtown."
"Actually, I truly don't understand why the Hightower Family has such audacity, on one hand, wantonly insulting the Targaryen Royal Family, and on the other, plundering foreign merchant ships without any psychological burden."
"If I hadn't been in Oldtown myself, I truly wouldn't have believed it. Such suicidal behavior doesn't seem like something a family that has always been low-key and cautious would do."
"Now I even feel that there seems to be a hidden force behind the scenes using your Hightower Family to do something unspeakable."
"After all, in this riot, your Hightower Family gained no benefits, and almost all of the family's accumulated foundation over a thousand years was lost."
"However, fortunately, the mercenary knights led by Rogge, along with some scattered soldiers from Oldtown, have temporarily controlled the situation, which has prevented the entire Oldtown from being dragged into war."
"So, I have officially authorized Rogge to form a new Oldtown Garrison, and the situation in Oldtown is now considered under control."
"I just hope that the vassals who come to support the Hightower Family next are not already pawns of others, otherwise, Oldtown, which has just settled down, might face another storm."
At this moment, Earl Hightower's mind was a chaotic mess, completely losing the ability to think. He had always thought that although this riot was grand in scale, it was just minor issues that would end once suppressed.
After all, in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, no civilian uprising had ever been able to cause any significant waves. His only concern before was that these rioters would anger Princess Daenerys, causing her to ride the dragon and burn the entire Oldtown to ashes.
However, the backgrounds of the merchant ships that came to Oldtown for trade were not ones that the Hightower Family could easily offend, because if what Daenerys said was true, then the Hightower Family had almost offended all the wealthy families in the Free Trade Cities and the Seven Kingdoms this time.
Then, the Hightower Family would face their furious retaliation and suppression. It is feared that the Hightower Family's merchant ships would no longer be able to enter their spheres of influence for normal trade. This would undoubtedly be a fatal blow to the Hightower Family, whose main income relies on foreign trade.
"Earl, you don't need to worry too much. The situation in Oldtown is now under control, and things will eventually come to light. And with me here, protecting your Hightower Family is not difficult."
"Everyone should get some rest early. No matter how big the problem, the sun will still rise as usual the next day, won't it?"
After speaking, Daenerys returned to her room to sleep, attended by Alesha. Because Mongo's injuries were not light, Daenerys had instructed the Hightower maester to take him away for proper treatment.
And with over two hundred Unsullied guarding her, and Miraxis stationed outside her window, Daenerys had a rare good night's sleep tonight.
After breakfast the next day, Rogge had already sent people to bring several large ships to the base of the Hightower. Although Earl Hightower was reluctant, he still readily opened the family treasury and handed over all of the Hightower Family's years of collection to Daenerys.
"Earl, I think we should let the Countess and the other relatives of the Hightower Family depart for King's Landing first!"
"After all, people's anger grows fiercer the more it accumulates. I think it's better to go to King's Landing early to resolve the Hightower Family's affairs. And now that the Hightower Family has suffered heavy losses, perhaps it's not a bad thing, after all, His Majesty the King has always been benevolent. Presumably, after learning about Oldtown's tragic situation, he will grant extra leniency."
Earl Hightower had barely slept last night, because in just a few days, the Hightower Family, which had always calmly observed the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms, had directly fallen from grace.
His eldest son, Mond Hightower, was somehow incited to dare to steal Dragon Eggs from the Targaryen Royal Family. If this matter is not handled well, the Hightower Family could very likely be accused of treason.
And they only wanted to stir up some public opinion to create some pressure on the Targaryen Royal Family, but they didn't expect to backfire and cause a riot, leading the Hightower Family to lose almost all of its armed forces.
And under Daenerys's coercion and inducements, the Hightower Family's assets were almost completely drained. Now, the Hightower Family can be said to be completely on the edge of a cliff; if not handled well, it could lead to an irretrievable situation.
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