Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

Thanks to Daenerys' continuous encouragement for her three dragons to hunt independently, they not only lightened her burden but also improved their mobility.

Over the past six months, large beasts near Astapor's forests had become increasingly scarce. As a result, the dragons ventured deeper into the southern woodlands, sometimes even soaring over the eastern Red Wastes.

Half a year ago, Drogon had already reached a speed of 150 km/h. Now, his average speed exceeded 200 km/h. Daenerys often used Drogon's eyes to observe this primal, fantastical world, and on the eve of war, she frequently searched the seas for the Ghiscari fleet.

By chance, from 8,000 meters above, she spotted a long, moving line of black "dots" on the red, saline-alkali ground—

They looked like ants on a chessboard.

Shortly afterward, Ser Butcher led 500 warriors and 2,000 laborers from Astapor to set up an ambush hundreds of kilometers away in a valley.

Through careful reconnaissance, Daenerys identified a steep valley with treacherous slopes on both sides, preparing to demonstrate the brilliance of Romance of the Three Kingdoms warfare to the "country bumpkins" of this world.

Unfortunately, she was disappointed. The Iron Legion did not foolishly march in a single-file column through the valley. Instead, they divided their forces into five battalions, each with 500 soldiers, marching separately in intervals.

Fortunately, Ser Butcher was no fool either. He knew that if an entire battalion made it through the valley, his 2,500 men might not stand a chance.

So, he didn't attempt a mid-column assault. Instead, he struck the moment the first battalion entered the valley.

And it turned out that Three Kingdoms military tactics were quite effective.

Blocking both valley entrances, they unleashed a torrent of fire oil, timber, rolling stones, and arrows. To finish the job, soldiers descended to eliminate any survivors. Without losing a single man, they wiped out 500 Iron Legion soldiers to the last.

The battalions outside the valley, hearing the bloodcurdling screams of their comrades, nearly lost their minds. In their fury, they launched a reckless assault on the treacherous valley path.

Ser Shatterchains, a cunning and ruthless commander, escalated their rage by tossing the severed heads of the 500 fallen Iron Legionnaires out of the valley.

That was all it took. The battalion commanders, who had initially tried to restrain their men, were themselves consumed by rage, their tempers flaring like steel doors bursting open.

For four or five days, another 200 soldiers perished, with over a thousand more wounded. Meanwhile, Ser Butcher lost only a dozen men and a little over a hundred laborers.

Faced with such a crushing defeat and receiving news that Daenerys had annihilated the allied forces, the Iron Legion's commander finally sobered up. With a heavy heart, he led his battered remnants south toward the coast in retreat.

After defeating the Iron Legion, Ser Butcher left a few hundred militiamen to fortify a permanent outpost at the valley's entrance. He then swiftly marched toward Yunkai with his warriors.

He was worried—worried that the Queen would grant him a fiefdom in this godforsaken wasteland.

Indeed, Daenerys had probed Ser Shatterchains with a letter, asking if he would accept the title of 'Earl of Old Ghis' and guard the frontier on her behalf.

To be fair, Daenerys wasn't treating him poorly. Though Old Ghis had been destroyed by the Valyrians, its land salted with alkali, sulfur, and bones, six millennia had passed. With proper cultivation, the land could still be farmed.

After all, Old Ghis had once been the capital of the Ghiscari Empire!

"Great Wise Master, I'll be honest with you," the fleet commander hesitated before speaking. "The Third Battalion has lost over half its men, nearly crippled. And your fifty-thousand-strong army was decimated by the Mother of Dragons. The council is extremely cautious about deploying the Iron Legion again. Moreover—"

"Moreover what?" The Great Wise Master's face darkened.

After a moment's hesitation, the fleet commander leaned in and whispered, "New Ghis is preparing a second option—dragons and magic! That's right, we plan to send the fleet across the Smoking Sea with the Red Demon."

"You mean that Andal pirate king, Euron Greyjoy?" The Great Wise Master was stunned. "He actually ventured into the ruins of Valyria?"

"At first, we were skeptical. After all, countless heroes have perished in the Smoking Sea throughout history. But dragon eggs, the horn, the armor—these artifacts have been verified one by one in the past few days. Especially the Dragon Horn, which cost us thirty warships to obtain."

As he spoke, the fleet commander's expression turned fearful, his voice lowering to a whisper. "We experienced it firsthand. It's terrifying. Absolutely the true Valyrian Dragonlord's horn—a magic weapon of the highest order, a Dragonbinder!"

The Great Wise Master's anger faded, replaced by shock and doubt. "If the Dragon Horn is real, why haven't we used it to control those three giant dragons?"

The fleet commander sighed. "The Andal pirate already tried once. The green dragon and the white dragon could be controlled, but the black dragon... For some reason, it resisted the horn's power. Last time, just as Euron was about to succeed, the black dragon suddenly turned against him, ruining the plan.

On the day of the allied attack on Astapor, he did have a chance to blow the horn. But while the white and green dragons struggled under its influence, the black dragon hurled a firebomb at him before he could complete the ritual. Do you understand now?"

The Great Wise Master frowned. "Then, did you bring the horn here this time? We could use it in the siege. Our great pyramid is impervious to firebombs."

"No," the fleet commander shook his head regretfully.

"Why not?"

"The Andal pirate insists on completing his expedition and securing his rewards before handing over the horn and the secret of its control. He still needs us for now. We can't turn on him just yet." The fleet commander exchanged a knowing glance with the Great Wise Master.

Of course, the Great Wise Master understood—crossing the river before burning the bridge.

And right now, they hadn't even crossed the river.

"Sigh, without the Iron Legion as our backbone, we'll have to resort to our last resort. Yunkai will suffer greatly this time." The Great Wise Master cast a cold gaze at Yunkai, bathed in the golden-red glow of the morning sun.

"Screeeech—Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Suddenly, a terrifying screech echoed from the sky, followed by a blood-red column of fire, twenty meters long and as thick as a basin, crashing down like a fiery razor. It swept across the sea three kilometers away, obliterating sails, masts, decks, and sailors alike.

Wooden fragments and charred corpses erupted in the firestorm. In an instant, the warships along a direct path ignited and exploded. Amidst the raging flames, countless sailors and soldiers screamed in agony, struggling and fleeing.

Under the clear blue sky, over a dozen thick columns of black smoke rose from the shimmering sea—like the charred fingers of death reaching toward the heavens.

The people of Yunkai, who had been cheering for their massive reinforcements, stood frozen on the city walls and atop the great pyramid. Words caught in their throats.

"Mo...Mo..." Their dry throats barely managed a whisper. "Demon...Dragon..."

"The demon dragon is attacking! Quickly, archers, fire the scorpion bolts!" The general on the wall screamed hysterically at his soldiers.

"Screeeech—" Drogon, having neared the dock, suddenly ascended to 500 meters, casting a massive, terrifying shadow over the city.

Then, he loosened a claw, unfurling a massive bundle like a blanket.

Thousands of white parchment papers fluttered in the golden sunlight, reflecting dazzling brilliance that blinded tens of thousands of citizens.

A Yunkish noble picked up a page, its title starkly clear:

"The Mother of Dragons' Proclamation to the People of Yunkai."

Anyone who dares to burn crops—death.

Anyone who dares to harm slaves—death.

Anyone who dares to poison the wells—death.

A king's wrath drowns the land in blood; a dragon king's fury burns cities to the ground. Let none say they were not warned!

As Black Dragon circled over Yunkai, panic spread wherever he passed. The air filled with the ceaseless twang of bowstrings, as countless crossbow bolts shimmered in the sunlight, rising toward him only to fall uselessly.

"Skreee!" With a parting shriek, Black Dragon soared southward, leaving behind only terror-filled screams across the city.

"A dragon…" The Great Wise Master's facial muscles twitched, his teeth grinding audibly.

Watching the black dragon fade from view, he turned back, his voice firm and deliberate: "Last time, we obtained three dragon eggs. Yunkai must have one."

"This…" The fleet commander hesitated. "The two extra eggs were unexpected. But one of them has already gone to the Andal, and another was taken by that… elusive customer. Only the golden dragon egg remains, and New Ghis needs a dragon too."

"The Qartheen royal family already managed to acquire two dragon eggs from Asshai traders. And now you want another? Won't you choke on them?" the Great Wise Master said irritably.

"We don't even know who that elusive customer was working for. It could be the royal family, the Thirteen, the Tourmaline Brotherhood… or maybe, just maybe, that assassin kept the dragon egg for themselves. Who wouldn't want a dragon?

Ever since word spread that the Dragon Queen successfully hatched her dragons, the price of fossilized dragon eggs in Asshai has skyrocketed a hundredfold—no, a thousandfold! Even the Free Cities and some of Westeros's great lords are secretly gathering dragon eggs. Everyone wants a dragon!

And besides, even for the Qartheen royals, three dragons wouldn't be too many. That woman has three, doesn't she?" The fleet commander shrugged.

"Then… have the Qartheen royals managed to hatch theirs?" the Great Wise Master asked nervously.

"They only just learned the method from us. From what I hear, they've already sacrificed seven or eight noble offspring… with no results.

The priest leading the ritual explained that either the sacrificial blood wasn't pure enough to please R'hllor, the Lord of Light… or it simply takes time.

It's his first time hatching a dragon as well—he has confidence, but no experience." The fleet commander shook his head.

The Great Wise Master looked down at the panicked crowds filling the streets, shouting in fear, "The Dragon Queen is coming!" and "The Dragon Queen will burn the city to the ground!" His expression darkened.

At last, he turned sharply, glaring at the fleet commander. "Since the New Ghis navy has already ventured into the ruins of Valyria, they will surely bring back more dragon eggs, just as the Andal did.

But right now, Yunkai needs that golden dragon egg!"

"Great Wise Master, why not wait until the fleet returns? It's not like we can hatch the dragon immediately," the fleet commander objected.

"No, look—"

The Great Wise Master gestured toward the city below, his voice cold.

"A single black dragon has thrown our army into chaos. If we do not restore morale, then when the Dragon Queen arrives with her three dragons, Yunkai will fall—just like Astapor.

I need the dragon egg to calm the people. I need to give the Sons of the Harpy something to believe in—a hope to cling to. A dragon!

We all know dragons are not invincible. If that woman dares to set fire to the city, I would almost be glad. But the common folk are ignorant. In their minds, only a dragon can stand against a dragon.

That is why I need the dragon egg. I will gather the people and tell them: 'Yunkai is hatching a dragon. Soon, Yunkai will have its own mighty beast!'"

"The price of hatching a dragon is high…" The fleet commander hesitated. He had a strategic mind and knew how devastating Yunkai's fall would be for the Ghiscari alliance.

"Hahaha! My boy, you're still too young."

The Great Wise Master clapped the broad-shouldered officer on the shoulder, flashing a sly smile. "What was our original plan?"

"To stall for time, to let the Dragon Queen's army run out of food."

At these words, the fleet commander's doubts vanished. He nodded in admiration. "Great Wise Master, your wisdom is unmatched!

If we can restore our soldiers' morale, even for just ten days—no, five days will be enough.

When the people see the Dragon Queen starving outside the gates, gnawing on horse bones, every man in this city will become a fearless warrior.

Alright, on behalf of New Ghis, I agree to grant you the golden dragon egg!"

"Hahahaha…"

The Great Wise Master threw his head back and laughed. But deep down, he thought:

Boy, you're still too young. Only the meat in your belly truly belongs to you. Who knows what the ruins of Valyria will yield? Perhaps there will only be one dragon egg left in the end.

As for the cost of hatching a dragon…

Heh.

That little girl had the resolve to sacrifice her only brother, husband, and child.

Would I, a Great Wise Master, have less resolve than her?

Besides, I have many wives. Many sons.

I can afford the cost.

(End of Chapter)

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