Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. Our scouts have reported that there's a well for travelers about a mile ahead, and three miles away, there's a lake. We can set up camp here," Barristan called out loudly to the queen from atop his tall, black steed.

Leading the cavalry charge, Dany rode another three kilometers before slowing her horse down. She finally came to a stop by the narrow lake, abruptly raising her right hand and shouting, "Halt!"

With a single command, the entire army obeyed!

In just a moment, fifty thousand mounted warriors, along with another fifty thousand pack horses—each carrying sacks of dried wheat tied to their saddles—came to a halt.

"Set up camp! White Banner troops, build the fortifications."

Grey Worm spurred his horse forward and responded, "Yes."

Surveying the vast fields from the perspective of her black dragon, Dany gave another order. "Wings of Freedom, take the cattle and horses to graze far and wide."

"Yes!" Scar-backed Simon and the burly Morono responded in unison.

"The Royal Guards will form ranks in the southwest of the forest. The three dragons will drive the game from the northeast," Dany said with a smile, glancing at the green and white dragons already soaring toward the western mountains.

"Understood!" Jon answered, looking at Dany with a reverent expression.

"Commanders of the Yellow Banner, Aggo, and Tacco," Dany called.

"Khaleesi."

"Your Majesty."

Aggo and a dark-skinned man stepped forward.

"Divide the twenty thousand militia into two groups. Ten thousand will set up tents and kitchens, while the other ten thousand will go to the coast and collect fish," Dany said with an odd expression.

"Yes."

"Skreeeech—"

"Chirp! Squeak! Roar!"

The three dragons flew just above the treetops, roaring in three different directions over the dense eastern forest. Occasionally, they spat bursts of fire, sending the animals below into a frenzy. Wild boars, elk, muntjacs, rats, rabbits—even tigers and wild bison—panicked and ran blindly forward, their fear driving them into a chaotic stampede.

"Rumble—"

The thunderous sound of countless animals running grew louder. Outside the forest, the soldiers waiting in formation tightened their grips on their shields, their eyes fixed intently ahead.

"Archers, nock arrows!" Ser Laela, the red-haired knight, bellowed.

"Rumble—"

A mixed herd of mountain goats and wild wolves burst from the forest like a tidal wave, charging straight toward the front line of shield-bearers.

"Loose—!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A rain of arrows filled the air, followed by the anguished cries of countless animals.

Laela grinned at the bearded Bruth beside her and said, "What a haul! Once we dry and cure the meat, we'll have enough rations for days. Her Majesty's method of gathering supplies is truly ingenious."

"Using dragons to flush out game from the forest… how did Her Majesty come up with such an idea?" Bruth mused aloud, watching as the spearmen took down a yellow-striped tiger that had leaped over the shields.

How did she think of it?

Dany had seen her dragons hunt countless times before. The moment they entered a forest, they'd let out a few roars, sending all the beasts into a stampede, then swoop down and incinerate the largest bison with dragonfire.

"It's not just forest game," Laela said, pointing toward the three dragons flying out to sea. She chuckled. "Dragons can even dive into the ocean, drive the fish toward shore. Tonight, we'll have fresh fish soup."

And sure enough, before nightfall, amidst the cheers of ten thousand laborers, a vast silver tide of fish broke through the ocean's surface, leaping onto the wide stretch of sandy shore.

Then, wielding curved knives, short swords, chipped longswords, axes, and all manner of weapons, the laborers rushed to the beach, grabbing the still-flopping cod and tuna, chopping off their heads and tails, gutting them in the seawater, and tossing the cleaned fish bodies into bamboo baskets before moving on to the next catch.

Yes, you heard right—fish heads and tails were simply discarded. Such extravagance.

However, some laborers did collect fish bladders, roe, and large fish heads—those were reserved for Her Majesty.

Without a doubt, whether it was steamed fish head, spicy stir-fried fish bladder, or fish roe stewed in beef bone broth, these dishes were far tastier than plain grilled fish—and far more nutritious.

Dany had tried introducing her loyal warriors to the delicious cuisine of her homeland many times before. It wasn't that they didn't like the flavors, but the cooking process was just too much of a hassle.

As queen, Dany had chefs to prepare refined meals for her, but the laborers? After toiling all day, they were so exhausted they could barely stay awake. They had neither the patience for carefully steaming fish heads nor the time to wait hours for a rich, aromatic bone broth.

If Dany hadn't personally explained the benefits of eating marrow and even taught them how to crack open thick bison bones with their blades, they probably would have just tossed away those meaty leg bones after finishing the meat.

That Night

The fire in the center of the wooden palace cast a red glow on Dany's face, but her sharp, murderous gaze fixed on the letter in her hand.

"Yunkai has decided to implement a scorched-earth policy," she said coldly.

Barristan frowned in confusion. "We anticipated that possibility."

Dany's voice turned icy. "The most extreme version of it. The Wise Master, Murinio, has ordered the transfer of as much grain as possible from the estates into the pyramids of Yunkai. Whatever food they can't carry, they'll burn—along with the wheat fields, olive groves, and even the water sources.

We expected them to destroy supplies and poison the wells.

But the Wise Master is also encouraging the slave owners to 'purge unstable elements'—slaughtering the slaves on their estates to prevent them from defecting to me."

The letter passed from hand to hand around the map table. Every commander who read its contents pressed their lips tightly together, their expressions heavy with grim resolve.

At last, Jon broke the silence with a sigh. "There's at least one piece of good news. The Ghiscari fleet will arrive tomorrow, bringing two thousand mercenaries, ten thousand Yellow Silk Cloaks, ten thousand gladiator slaves, hundreds of scorpion ballistae, wildfire, and more to Yunkai."

"Why so many Yellow Silk Cloaks? I remember Meereen had only two thousand of them keeping order just two months ago," asked Ser Herman Tolhar, captain of the Royal Guard, with a puzzled look.

Jon sighed again. "They must be newly recruited. Of the three cities in Slaver's Bay, Meereen has the best strategic position. It has sea access, river routes to the Lhazareen, and backs onto the Dothraki Sea.

Meereen is essentially the capital of Slaver's Bay—the largest city, with the most Ghiscari nobles, and a population of about 150,000."

"Haha, fifteen to one. Almost every able-bodied Ghiscari man in Meereen must have gone to Yunkai," Scar-backed Simon chuckled foolishly.

The chubby knight Morono stroked his double chin, his face full of confusion. "Why isn't the Iron Legion here? Even Meereen is fighting to the death—why hasn't New Ghis sent its Iron Legion?"

"Where is the Iron Legion? That's our trump card. Why haven't they come?"

The next morning, at the Yunkai docks, the Wise Master's face darkened as he watched the fleet stretch across the sea.

The rising sun scattered golden-red scales of light across the azure ocean, glimmering on more than five hundred warships painted dark red, white, black, and brown as they sliced through the thinning morning mist.

With the sunlight came hope. It flooded the hearts of those watching from the city walls and the pyramids, filling them with renewed faith.

"Look! The blue-and-white forked flag—that's the Windblown!"

"The Windblown is one of the strongest mercenary groups in Westeros! Two thousand mixed infantry and cavalry."

"Wow, so many Yellow Silk Cloaks! All of Meereen's warriors have come to defend Yunkai!"

The ordinary Ghiscari people cheered, their pride swelling at the sight of the endless fleet. The Mother of Dragons seemed no longer a terrifying name that made children cry and lords tremble.

But the Wise Master was furious. He turned to the fleet commander and demanded, "Meereen sent us ten thousand Ghiscari warriors. Why didn't you send even a single unit of the Iron Legion?"

Of the four Ghiscari city-states, New Ghis had the strongest navy, so the commander of the Ghiscari fleet was a captain from New Ghis.

The skinny captain, with his short, stiff black-and-red hair, remained unshaken by the Wise Master's aggressive tone. He replied evenly, "Honored Wise Master, the coalition forces were divided into three routes—land and sea. The Meereen and Yunkai armies advanced southward from the north. Meanwhile, the third regiment of the Iron Legion, 2,500 strong, crossed the Ghiscar Strait from Old Ghis and marched north across the Worm River Plain.

The distance from Yunkai to Astapor is 600 kilometers, and it's a similar distance from Old Ghis to the Worm River Plain. But the ancient imperial roads, built thousands of years ago, wind through mountains and forests.

It's hard to get in, and even harder to get out. They're still stuck in the swamp at the end of the Worm River."

"Hmph, an entire regiment blocked by 500 men? I know all about that disgraceful debacle. But New Ghis has five regiments—and can mobilize ten more in an emergency. They should have sent at least 5,000 men to Yunkai," the Wise Master snapped coldly.

The fleet captain's face darkened. "Not just 500. The enemy has 2,500 soldiers, and they occupy a strategic chokepoint.

I don't know how that woman was so prepared, but it's as if she foresaw the ambush. She set traps—covering the narrow valley with fire oil and rolling stones.

Every member of the Iron Legion is a child of the Harpy, with noble bloodlines. Many even carry the names of legendary heroes.

Losing a single warrior sends shockwaves through the New Ghis council. This time, they lost six or seven hundred in vain. Do you really think the council would risk sending two more regiments?"

The "Iron Legion" of New Ghis was modeled after the legions of the ancient Ghis Empire. Every free male citizen of New Ghis was required to serve three years in the military, with training and equipment rivaling that of the Unsullied.

In fact, the Unsullied were originally inspired by the Ghis Empire's legions.

The best of these soldiers could choose to become career warriors—members of the Iron Legion.

New Ghis had managed to hold its ground in the pirate-infested Golden Passage, proving the Iron Legion's strength. They might not be weaker than the Unsullied.

During the first "War Against the Dragon Queen," New Ghis played a major role. They not only sent their elite fleet but also dispatched a regiment to infiltrate the Worm River region, hoping to destroy Dany's foundation—her fertile lands and grain stores.

Thanks to the reliable and swift raven network, the original plan was for the three armies to strike Astapor simultaneously.

Even if the navy and mercenaries couldn't take the city in one go—after all, the Ghiscari weren't foolish enough to underestimate the 8,600 Unsullied—the Iron Legion could have rampaged through the plains, torching estates and granaries, and massacring the newly freed slaves.

Honestly, if not for the dragons, the Ghiscari plan might have worked.

Dany was a newcomer to Slaver's Bay. How could she possibly know about a 6,000-year-old imperial road?

(End of chapter)

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