Game of Thrones: The Bronze and Fire Lord

Looking west at the mountains.

The group pulled in the reins and stopped by the mountain to rest.

There was a clear stream nearby, and Aemon led the white deer to drink from it.

"The northwest is really a remote place."

Aemon looked at the mountains and sighed.

The East Cape extends like an egg from the Moon Mountain Range and encircles the southeast, northwest, and northeast.

This also indirectly confirms the strength of the Royce family.

Most nobles' territories consist of a castle and part of an enclave.

The popular definition of an enclave is a territory that is not bordered.

The Royce family has no concept of enclaves. They occupy 90% of East Cape and corner Gulltown, another great noble.

The only families that can rival the Royces in terms of territory are probably the great nobles in the Riverlands and the Reach.

In the Vale, only the Arryn, which guards the Vale of Arryn, is better.

"Am I going to gain a foothold in the southwest?"

Aemon frowned when he thought of the scenes he had seen along the way.

The vast land and sparse population mean there is plenty of land, but only a small amount has been cultivated.

Moreover, the southwest is part of Runestone territory, bearing the mark of the Royce family.

The territory he wants should be independent.

He must get rid of the Targaryen and Royce families.

Then, gather the strengths of the two families to build your own foundation.

"Yo, yo."

The white deer's eyes were gentle. It lowered its head to rub against him and knelt on the ground, signaling him to mount.

"Thank you, Dabai."

Aemon smiled and rubbed the white deer's head.

Well.

Since the southwest is not possible, lean towards the Moon Mountains.

There will always be unowned land.

The guard team was also giving water to the horses. Seeing the prince riding the white deer, they all planned to mount their horses.

"Don't bother. I'll follow."

Gunthor held down the white knight, turned him over, and rode the black horse to follow.

His voice was low, not allowing anyone to refuse.

...

Half an hour later:

Aemon rode the white deer to the foot of the continuous mountains.

The nearby mountains were all bare, which was unusual for the Vale, where the mountains were green and the waters were clear.

"It's a bit unusual."

Aemon looked up and tightened his grip on the deer's belly to signal to get closer.

Ahead was a mountain range running north to south like a high wall separating East Cape from the Vale.

Crack!

The white deer slowly moved forward, crushing an irregular black stone with its hoof.

Aemon glanced at it casually but could not take his eyes away.

"This is... coal!"

He hesitated, unable to believe it, then quickly jumped off the deer's back to pick up the black slag.

He pinched it, and it broke into smaller pieces.

There was slag on his fingertips. After wiping them clean, there was still black ash, like ash at the bottom of a pot.

Aemon suddenly smiled, putting his hand to the tip of his nose to sniff carefully.

"Yes, it smells like kerosene."

It was coal.

Excited, Aemon strode around to look for more, full of energy.

If there is more coal, then there must be a coal mine here.

If the coal is exposed outside the mountain, then it must be an open-pit coal mine.

The climate in Westeros is changeable, and cold winters are common.

In the Crownlands, the Vale, and the North, heavy snows fall year after year.

"If it really is a coal mine, then it must be rich."

Aemon's breath was short, and his face flushed with excitement.

He searched the foot of the mountain as if he were a miner quarrying stones.

Fortunately, he found a lot of coal.

They were all irregular shapes, and once found, they were in a small pile buried under the stony soil.

"Whoa!"

Gunthor arrived quickly and saw the prince holding a pair of black stones.

He laughed foolishly. His purple eyes shone.

"Come and see. Is this coal?"

Aemon waved his hands repeatedly, still unsure.

Unexpectedly, Gunthor picked up a stone, crushed it, put it in his mouth, chewed it for a while, and said, "Yes, it's coal. It smells bitter and smells bad."

After that, he spat it out.

Aemon was stunned when he saw this and thought to himself, "You are really fierce."

But he was happier.

Coal is coal, and it has a different name in Westeros.

"Prince, there is a lot of this stuff in Raven Hill. It can be burned to keep warm in the winter."

Gunthor frowned and offered a reminder: "But the smoke from this stuff is poisonous. Unless there's not enough firewood, no one will use it."

Aemon was even happier when he heard this.

It's the right thing to do!

Fireplaces are commonly used in Westeros, and they all burn wood.

If coal is not processed, it will cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

No one studies this, so naturally, no one knows its value.

"Intellectual property monopoly!"

Aemon was surprised and delighted and asked, "Gunthor, you said this place is called Raven Hill?"

He suddenly felt that he had found the location of the territory.

Gunthor was rough but meticulous. He raised his hand, pointed to the back of Raven Hill, and said solemnly, "If you want to expand the territory, Raven Hill can only be used as a barrier. The real territory is inside the mountain."

"Oh, why?"

Aemon asked, puzzled. The other party seemed prepared.

"It once belonged to the Royce family and completely meets your requirements."

Gunthor spoke directly and did not beat around the bush.

Before leaving, Lady Rhea had given instructions.

If Aemon could reach Raven Hill and wanted to expand the territory, Gunthor was to inform him with full authority.

The Moon Mountains block the connection between the Vale and the East Cape.

However, the mountains form a river valley.

Crossing this natural barrier at Raven Hill allows entry into this unowned land.

The rugged path through the river valley is the only way for Runestone to enter the Vale.

It was once the outpost of the Royce family's rule over the Moon Mountains.

After hearing this, Aemon felt a warm current in his heart and chuckled. "Since my mother has already prepared, let's go in and take a look," he said.

The new territory that is about to be acquired must be carefully surveyed.

Gunthor pondered for a moment. Looking at the sky, he saw that it was still early and said, "There are many mountain clans in the Moon Mountains. We will lead the Vale Knights into the mountains. We can return at night after traveling fifty miles."

Crossing Raven Ridge takes fifty miles.

Aemon said, "Not all of them. Just call two teams of twenty people."

Traveling light will be faster.

Gunthor's brows twisted into a knot; he thought it was not safe.

"Do you think there will be danger?"

Aemon smiled slightly and looked up at the cloudy sky.

Gunthor said nothing more and went back to call for help.

The stream was not far away.

It took less than ten minutes for the escort team and two teams of Vale Knights to arrive.

"Prince, there is a letter from the king."

Steve handed over a letter with a serious expression.

A raven had come; it was a messenger raised by the princess and prince.

Aemon looked puzzled, wondering what could have happened to Rhaenyra.

When he opened the envelope, his expression became even stranger.

It wasn't a letter from Rhaenyra, but from his uncle, Viserys.

The letter said that Rhaenyra was sixteen years old and that it was time to talk about marriage.

Viserys hoped that Aemon could return to the Red Keep to discuss this matter in person.

"You still treat me like a child husband," Aemon complained secretly.

Aemon complained secretly.

He had only been away from King's Landing for a few days, yet they were anxious to call him back.

Even Rhaenyra's marriage was at stake.

They were afraid he would put down roots in the Vale, so they wanted to lure him back with family affection and marriage.

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