A song of Fire and Blood

Chapter 68: Fire on the Horizon

299 AC – Dragonstone

The chamber of the Painted Table was alive with the murmur of lords, knights, and captains, their voices weaving into a tense symphony of war. The great table, carved in the shape of Westeros, bore markers of carved wood and stone—ships, banners, and tokens representing the movements of armies. Some had been placed carefully, others shoved hastily upon the map as new reports arrived.

At the head of it all stood Aerion Targaryen, his silver-gold hair catching the light of the torches, his violet eyes dark with thought. Ser Barristan Selmy stood at his right, ever the stoic guardian. Lord Clement Celtigar, his dearest friend, was to his left, eyes scanning the map with sharp precision. Around them stood his council—Ser Aurane Waters, Lord Guncer Sunglass, Lord Massey, Farring, Crab, and Bar Emmon, and the commanders of his fleet and army.

Their forces were assembled.

42,000 strong.

140 ships.

Their next move was clear.

The Crownlands must be secured. Kings Landing must fall.

The Lannisters, entrenched in the capital, commanded 50,000 soldiers, bolstered by Reach knights and city levies. But the walls of the city were damaged from the Blackwater, still under repair. Aerion knew that even if they outnumbered him, the Lannisters were not invincible. The city was vulnerable.

A scout burst into the chamber, breathless from the urgency of his news. The room fell silent as he knelt before the king.

"Your Grace... news from the Riverlands."

Aerion's fingers tightened on the edge of the table. "Speak."

The scout hesitated for a brief moment before continuing. "King Robb Stark is dead. Slaughtered at the Twins. The Freys turned on him during a wedding feast. The Boltons too. His men were cut down like animals. Lady Margaery Stark was with child... they slew her as well, and the Lord Paramount of the Reach also fell with many other northern Lords."

The chamber was deathly still.

Aerion felt the words settle in his chest like iron chains, weighing down his breath. The Red Wedding.

Beneath his hand, Starfyre hummed faintly against the table, as if it, too, burned with unspoken fury.

"The gods will punish them for this," Aerion said, his voice quiet—too quiet. "To slaughter your guests beneath your own roof... to break the sacred bonds of guest right... they will pay in fire and blood."

The lords shifted uneasily. The Freys, the Boltons, the traitorous houses of the Reach—they had secured their gains with butchery and treachery, but Aerion knew that no crime like this would go unpunished. The gods would see to that.

And if not the gods, then he would.

He lifted his gaze, looking over the map of Westeros, taking in the shifting allegiances and betrayals that now defined the war.

The Riverlands had fallen into chaos. The Freys now held dominion, but they answered to Joffrey Baratheon.The Reach houses, Footly and Merryweather, rode south to take Highgarden, their treachery securing them lands granted by the Lannisters.Some Rowan forces had left the capital, marching to aid in the conquest of the Reach.The Hewetts, Freys, and Brackens had begun a siege of Riverrun, where Brynden Tully and Garlan Tyrell still held with 8,000 men.The Boltons were consolidating their grip on the North, with the Karstarks swearing loyalty to them.The Vale knights, under Petyr Baelish, were beginning to assemble their forces.

And most importantly...

The Lannisters were now weaker than before. Though they still held the capital, their troops had dwindled to 32,000—a mighty force, but not untouchable.

Aerion exhaled slowly, his mind already working through the possibilities. He looked to his council and made his decision.

"We must act."

All eyes were on him.

"Brynden Tully still holds Riverrun, but not for long. The Freys, the Brackens, and the Hewetts besiege the castle as we speak. He is one of the last remaining commanders of the North and Riverlands with honor. If we let him fall, we lose a powerful ally and a stronghold."

Ser Barristan nodded. "You wish to aid him?"

"Yes, but we must do more than that." Aerion tapped the map. "I will send word to Brynden Tully, to Garlan Tyrell, and to the new leader of the Reach—Willas and Olenna Tyrell. If they yet live, they will need our help. And if they are to rise again, they will need me."

Clement Celtigar frowned. "Even with the Rowan forces leaving, the capital still holds 32,000 men. If the Vale marches as well, the Lannisters could still hold."

Aerion smirked. "If they can hold, then let us see how long they can last with the sea choked and the gates closed."

Ser Aurane Waters grinned. "A blockade, then?"

"A siege." Aerion's violet eyes burned with certainty. "We cut them off. No food. No supplies. No reinforcements. The Reach lords brought grain, but not enough to last a prolonged siege. The Lannisters will grow desperate. The people will starve. We already blockade the Sea and when we take Maidenpool the Vale forces cannot intervene from land."

Lord Massey leaned forward. "And then what?"

Aerion grinned.

"Then the city will tear itself apart before we even breach the walls."

Silence followed. The realization of what was coming settled upon the council.

Ser Barristan nodded slowly. "It is a sound plan."

Lord Guncer Sunglass agreed. "Starve the lion in his own den. Clever."

Aerion turned to his commanders. "Prepare the fleet. I want every ship in position by next week. We sail for the Blackwater. The lions will feel the fire of the Crimson Dragon soon enough."

And with that, the council was dismissed.

As the lords left the chamber, Aerion lingered, his eyes locked on the map of Westeros. The game had changed.

The Red Wedding had been the butchery of honor, the death of the Young Wolf—but it was also a crack in the Lannisters' power. Their alliances were strained, their forces spread thin, and their enemies growing in number.

Aerion touched the edge of Starfyre, the celestial steel cold beneath his fingers.

The Freys. The Boltons. The traitorous Reach lords. The Lannisters.

He had sworn vengeance, and he would keep that oath.

The storm was coming.

And when it broke, the Crimson Dragon would set the world ablaze.