Read 20+ Chapter's Ahead in Patreon
"Hmph! Only a kid like you, who hasn't even grown all his hair yet, would say such things! Go back to Dragonstone, Honorable Prince Jacaerys!"
Before Lord Corlys could respond, a middle-aged knight clad in Valyrian silver-white armor, standing behind him, rudely interjected without hesitation.
"Silence, Vaemond!"
"I'm very touched that young Jacaerys has such intentions."
Hearing Lord Corlys's words, Jacaerys immediately identified the speaker—it was Vaemond Velaryon, the younger brother of Lord Corlys.
Vaemond, fully aware of his nephew Laenor's sexual preferences, had always harbored deep hostility toward Jacaerys and his brothers.
Although the matter was considered a half-public secret among the noble families of the Seven Kingdoms, King Viserys's fierce protectiveness ensured that no one dared to speak of it openly while he lived.
In the show timeline, two years later, when Lord Corlys fell into a feverish coma due to an injury, Vaemond, seeking to claim the title of Lord of the Tides, openly declared before the Iron Throne that Jacaerys and his brothers were bastards and that Rhaenyra was a whore.
His boldness, however, was short-lived—Daemon Targaryen, wielding Dark Sister, swiftly silenced him by severing his head above the mouth.
Upon hearing Vaemond's words, Jacaerys did not feel angered. Instead, he merely smiled, his voice calm and measured.
"It is only natural for my great-uncle to question me."
Then, turning to Lord Corlys, he continued, "Grandfather, could you tell me the general situation in the Stepstones? If no progress is made within two months—no, within a month—I will return to Dragonstone at once."
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Lord Corlys hesitated for a moment, torn in thought. Vaemond's words, though harsh, contained some truth—war was not something a thirteen-year-old could easily handle.
It was difficult to believe that a child with no battlefield experience could possess a mind for strategy and tactics.
However, Baela, who had unwaveringly followed Jacaerys for all these years and admired him deeply, immediately spoke in his defense.
"Grandfather, Jacaerys is truly capable! And he brought Vermex with him!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Even as Baela spoke, the sky above them trembled as the sound of powerful wingbeats filled the air. A shadow passed over the gathering, followed by a deafening roar—Vermex had arrived.
Though still far smaller than the legendary Sea Snake's ship, the young dragon's fourteen-meter-long body radiated a presence so overwhelming that even seasoned warriors felt an instinctive chill.
The Velaryon family had once boasted three powerful dragons in its prime. But with Aemond Targaryen having claimed Vhagar and Laenor's Sea Smoke turning wild after his supposed death, their draconic strength had greatly diminished.
The only remaining battle-ready dragon, the "Red Queen" Meleys, remained at Driftmark under the watch of Lady Rhaenys.
Jacaerys's skill as a strategist was questionable, but there was no denying that an extra dragon could change the course of war. And dragons changed everything.
As Lord Corlys pondered the situation, his thoughts shifted. Rather than allowing Jacaerys to be directly exposed to the dangers of war, he began considering how to utilize the boy primarily as a dragon-handler, maximizing their military strength while keeping him away from the front lines.
"Alright! I agree!" Lord Corlys finally declared. "However, the current situation in the Stepstones is complex. This is not the place to discuss it—let's move to the cabin."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode toward the ship's cabin.
Heh!
Vaemond, clearly displeased, shot Jacaerys a cold glance and sneered before following his brother inside.
Jacaerys, however, remained unbothered, his smile unwavering.
He wouldn't waste his energy on a dead man.
In his mind, he silently crossed out the remaining two years of Vaemond's life.
---
Inside the luxuriously decorated captain's cabin of the Sea Snake, Lord Corlys poured four cups of Arbor Gold, the finest wine from the vineyards of Arbor Island.
Waving his hand casually, he took a sip from his own cup before speaking.
"There are currently four factions in the Stepstones: Our House Velaryon, the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, Dorne, and the Pirate Alliance."
"The strongest faction is naturally ours."
"But the Kingdom of the Three Daughters and Dorne have formed an alliance against us."
"As for the neutral Pirate Alliance, they are like vultures. They wait for the battles between us to end before swooping in to plunder the spoils."
Jacaerys furrowed his brows. "Dorne? Are they openly intervening in the war?"
Lord Corlys let out a heavy sigh. "The Iron Throne nominally rules the Seven Kingdoms, but in reality, it controls only six."
"In the past hundred years, four wars have been fought, yet Dorne was never conquered. Instead, a permanent peace treaty was signed by Aegon the Conqueror himself."
"When Daemon and I fought the Crabfeeder, Prince Qoren Martell of Dorne secretly sent troops to aid our enemies."
Lord Corlys trailed off momentarily before continuing, his tone laced with undisguised discontent.
"After the war, no warning or punishment was issued to Dorne. It's no surprise that the Stepstones remain in chaos to this day."
Jacaerys immediately caught the dissatisfaction in his grandfather's words and smoothly shifted the conversation.
"Grandfather, what about these pirates? I heard Daemon once told me that when he was crowned King of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones, he wiped out all the pirates in this region."
Jacaerys deliberately referred to Daemon by name rather than calling him "father" in Lord Corlys's presence — a small trick on his part.
Sure enough, Corlys's expression softened slightly as he looked at Jacaerys.
"Silly boy, do you really think pirates can ever be completely eradicated?"
"Among the pirates in this so-called alliance, many are criminals from the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. But even more are privateers from the Free Cities. The largest group comes from Volantis."
"Volantis?" Jacaerys's interest was piqued.
"I remember reading in a book that the Kingdom of the Three Daughters was established after gaining control of the Disputed Lands from Volantis. Could the enemy of our enemy become our ally?"
The moment he finished speaking, Vaemond scoffed, finally seizing an opportunity to mock him.
"How ignorant!"
"The Kingdom of the Three Daughters has grown stronger than ever in the past two decades, having consolidated its power after seizing the Disputed Lands."
"The dozen or so warships they have stationed in the Stepstones? That's less than a tenth of their total fleet! The only reason their main navy hasn't joined the fight is because they're guarding against Volantis."
"You think you can convince the Triarch of Volantis to intervene?" Vaemond sneered. "Then go destroy the main fleet of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters! But if you could actually accomplish that, why would you even need Volantis's help?"
"If you truly had that kind of power, the Stepstones—no, the entire Disputed Lands—would already be flying the silver seahorse banners of House Velaryon!"
Vaemond's words immediately irked Baela, who clenched her fists and retorted, "Uncle Vaemond, I believe Jacaerys can do it!"
Hearing this, Jacaerys scratched the back of his head.
Baela admired him unconditionally, always believing he was capable of achieving anything. But he was well aware of his current limitations.
With the Trait System, he would eventually be able to accomplish such feats on his own. But for now, he needed to rely on strategy—and the forces at his disposal.
"Grandfather, what are the exact troop numbers and deployments of each faction?"
Upon hearing Jacaerys's question, Lord Corlys immediately pointed to the large map spread across the table and began his explanation.
The Stepstones consisted of dozens of islands of varying sizes, scattered like stepping stones across the Narrow Sea.
At their core, the three largest islands formed a rough triangle, enclosing the smaller and medium-sized islands within their grasp.
Having once suffered a devastating loss with Daemon due to enemy supply line disruptions,
Lord Corlys had deployed ten large warships, twenty medium warships, and thirty small warships—a total force of 5,500 soldiers—to fortify the northernmost island of Stepstones.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, with twelve large warships and at least forty to fifty small warships, stationed about 3,600 troops on Bloodstone Island, the northeastern island closest to the Disputed Lands.
Dorne, with seven medium warships and 1,200 soldiers, occupied Grey Gallows Island, the southwestern island closest to the Broken Arm of Dorne.
As for the Pirate Alliance, they remained scattered across the central smaller islands of the Stepstones.
Their exact numbers were unknown, but whenever they raided, they deployed no fewer than 30 to 40 small and medium-sized warships at a time.
After years of bloodshed, investment, and territorial disputes, the once lawless Stepstones had amassed a level of military strength that could almost rival a kingdom's war effort!
..
..
[IMAGE]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Chapter End's]
🖤 Night_FrOst/ Patreon 🤍
Visit my Patreon for Early Chapter:
https://www.patreon.com/Night_FrOst
Extra Content Already Available