A/N: Hey, all! Been busy, as usual. And I'm slowly losing the concept of time. Is that something that's becoming common?
Anyhoo, we're almost there. Hold on!
Aegon wiped the blood off of Blackfyre and off of his face as night came upon them. They had expended much of their energy on holding the enemy back from breaching their wooden walls and given the ferocity of their attacks, he was amazed that they were able to hold on for all of daylight. Meanwhile, the Tarareons and their archers were busy pulling the enemy arrows out of their wooden ramparts and distributing them amongst themselves, where they would be recirculated and onwards.
The enemy armies finally arrived outside of Goldengrove, and it was indeed a great host. Their estimates counted at least fifty-five thousand men, including ten thousand knights. Many houses from the Reach and the Kingdom of the Rock had assembled under the joint command of the Mern Gardener and Loren Lannister, with banners ranging from the Roxtons of the Ring to the Lyddens of Deep Den. The host was well-equipped and had at least ten trebuchets, no doubt to be used against their ramparts. And among the banners was that of the Warrior's Sons, the holy knights of the Starry Sept. They were curiously inactive save for their incursion into the Red Mountains, but they had now reappeared and in full force this time.
But Aegon was not at all concerned. While they were outnumbered for the moment, he and his family had several factors in their favor. First, they were on the defensive and had worked to apply maximum advantage against their opponents. They might have had trebuchets, but the Tarareons were good archers and they had built several barriers which would counter charges from either their knights or any attempt to breach their ramparts. And a basic rule of war is that the defenders always had enjoyed better positions than the attackers, meaning that the Faith hosts would have to work much harder to fight them.
Second, their enemies could not rely on Lord Bryan Rowan. As he agreed upon, he would not fight and thus removing a potential thorn against them since there were no troops to strike them from behind. They could then concentrate all of their soldier to defend against the attack on their exterior, greatly increasing their endurance in the siege.
Third, Jaenyx informed him that their ploy worked. With assistance from Kenzou and Lord Blackwood, Lord Reyne had managed to take the Golden Tooth and breach the eastern mountains of the Kingdom of the Rock. Once Loren received word, he sent the Westerlings, his distant relatives in Lannisport, and the Leffords back north in an attempt to quell the rebellion. That put a serious dent in the combat capabilities of Loren's host, as those three houses were among his most powerful components and it deprived the Faith alliance of a good number of troops that could have been used against them.
Fourth, the enemy hosts might not be completely prepared when the reinforcements in the form of the northmen, the riverlander forces that Lord Blackwood could spare, the stormlords, and the Royce-led Valemen army arrive to their aid. Their numbers, totaling over forty-five thousand, would be more than enough to quickly tip the balance of the battle in their favor. Aegon was not going to assume that the enemy was not aware of them, but he very much doubted that they would be prepared to fight a battle against an enemy approaching them from two directions.
Fifth and finally, they had dragons. But for the moment, they could not engage in the initial clash. They had to draw them in before the reinforcements arrive, and that was when the hammer will strike.
As Aegon went back to his tent and lay down to rest, he began to recall the events of the clash of the day.
"Lord Tarareon, take charge of this position, archers ready," Aegon barked out. "Nothing approaches the rampart again, do you understand?" Aegon ordered to head of the House Tarareon, and then he raced along the walkway to where the shouts of alarm had come from. Before he reached the position, he could see the cause: a party of the Warrior's Sons had tried to creep out of the woods on the west side of the castle with ladders. Jaenyx directed the actions of the two archers he had in position while the other men prepared to repel. Several crossbowmen from the Poor Fellows force covered the approach as they neared the wall.
Drawing his sword, Aegon charged along the wall to rally the outnumbered men. Picking up his pace he called for one man in three to join him as he passed until he reached the critical point of attack.
"They came out of the woods in a rush sir catching us off guard, Egg," Jaenyx said.
"So much for one hour," Aegon replied. "Staves ready, rocks ready," he ordered as a crossbow bolt whizzed past his head. "Stay down and wait for my signal."
Only Aegon and Jaenyx stood, defiant of the missiles being shot at them, waiting for the right moment.
Four ladders were pushed against the wall and the Warrior's Sons began to scramble up them.
"Now!" Aegon commanded.
Instantly, the troops on the wall sprang into action as they'd practiced time and again the past several days. Two men took specially prepared hooked staves and pushed the ladders away from the wall. Soldiers screamed in panic as they suddenly found themselves plummeting to the ground below. Then another group of men took stones and tossed them down on those waiting below. In less than a minute what had looked like an unstoppable force was scrambling back into the woods in disarray.
A spontaneous cheer erupted from the wall as the men suddenly realized they could win by themselves, or so they thought. Then they looked at their leaders, the ones who they'd cursed for pushing them so hard the past few days and their cheers went up for them. Visenya was engaged at another part of the ramparts, where she undoubtedly was receiving her praises.
More of the Warrior's Sons rushed from the woods near the same east wall they'd attacked the first time with ladders in hand ready to assault the wall. Aegon had men ready to respond. Along with several of his scarce archers he prepared to receive the assault while observing the scene from the top of keep giving him a good vantage point to observe the attack unfold. Waiting below in the area between the two ramparts was his reserve force but he delayed committing them. As he watched the ladders approach the wall something didn't sit right with him. It was as if they approached almost in state of indecision.
"What are you waiting for, Your Grace?" Aevor Rahitheon pleaded Aegon, breaking his concentration. "They'll be on us and onto the ramparts in moments. We must reinforce or all is lost."
Aegon opened his mouth to give the order. The men below stiffened, ready to go since they could hear the din of battle to the north. But he hesitated, pondering the situation.
Finally, after a painfully long moment for those awaiting instructions he spoke. "Jaenyx, take three of our men and one archer. Hold that position," Aegon said, keeping his main force at bay.
"Yes, of course," Jaenyx ran off. He deferred to Aegon's charisma at the moment, acknowledging him as the energetic leader that they needed at the moment.
"Ladders on the wall, Your Garce!" a call came from the defenders, informing Aegon of what was happening. Still, he waited, not satisfied with what he was seeing though beginning to doubt his instinct. The clamor of battle rose adding to the sense of urgency as a fight began in earnest in the disputed area.
"Your Grace! Enemy approaching from the south to the main gate," a soldier yelled frantically. To punctuate the point another man toppled off the walkway to the courtyard below with a crossbow bolt embedded in his neck.
Aegon shifted position to observe the main gate and saw why he'd held his force back. The assault on the north had been a feint, for streaming down the road with ladders and a massive battering ram was the bulk of the Warrior's Sons
"Lord Tarareon," he called down immediately to the force below. "Take the men to the south wall and prepare for the attack. Keep your heads down until they approach. I'll meet you there."
The soldiers ran to the steps of the wall, knowing there was no time to waste. "Let's go, Jae! The contest will be decided at the gate. Let's go and support the men there."
In moments, Aegon and Jaenyx were at the main gate. He'd watched the attack unfold on the north and was comfortable the assault was not being conducted with any urgency so the men there could hold easily. He arrived and saw the men cowering behind the battlements as crossbow bolts buzzed through the air.
"Up men up,' he called down the line, standing tall. "Time to look our attacker in the eye. We fight for love and honor against an attacker who comes for mere pay. Show them what the men sworn to the dragons are made of!"
The encouragement seemed to do the trick. The archers in the bastions on either end of the south wall began to fire into the approaching forces along with those in the gateway as men-at-arms rose as one with shouts and oaths. As the Warrior's Sons approached the curtain wall, Aegon was displeased that despite their traps, their religious conviction was allowing them to overcome all of the obstacles.
The ladders drew closer, but the bigger concern was the large battering ram being moved into position to batter the main gate. Though the portcullis was down, reinforcing it, the gateway would not hold. He directed fire from his archers to try to down the carriers but a phalanx of men with shields kept them covered so the ram approached unimpeded.
Reaching the doors in short order it began to rhythmically bang away. If the gate was breached all would be lost. The men on the walls were doing a good job of keeping the ladders at bay but that seemed only to be designed to distract enough soldiers to allow the ram to do its job.
"Bring the cauldron!" Aegon ordered to a pair of men tending a fire in the covered area of the gatehouse. With gloved hands they waddled over with a huge steaming pot to where Aegon and Jaenyx stood. As they approached, he deftly opened a grate in the floor of the gatehouse tower to reveal a good-sized murder hole looking straight down at the gate.
"Now, give them something forbreaking their fast," he instructed the pair who proceeded to dump a cauldron of boiling pitch through the hole onto the battering ram party below.
The results were instant.
Screams of agony and pain cascaded from below. The men dropped the ram fleeing in any direction they could, the pitch burning their skin. Aegon then dropped a small torch down the hole catching the battering ram on fire. The ensuing blaze caught the Warrior's Sons off guard. With a renewed attack from above and the fear of more boiling liquid they too fled to the safety of their lines. The attack had been broken.
This time though there were no cheers from the walls. Several of the defenders lay dead and a number more were wounded. Though a good number of the Warrior's Sons were down or crawling wounded to safety, the reality of what was unfolding seemed to finally hit home.
The fight seemed to be taken out of the Warrior's Sons, so other than some probes and harassing fire from his archers for the most part, the remainder of the day was quiet. The day ended as the sun fell behind the valley and forest that contained the majority of the enemy host. The ramparts and themselves had stood another day, but Aegon was just getting tired. Hurry up, he seemingly reached out to the northmen-led force coming towards them.
Rhaenys circled overhead with all of their dragons, save for the ones ridden by her mother who had also rode with her through the night sky. It pained her to leave Aegon, Visenya, and Jaenyx in between the fortifications around Goldengrove, especially since they were doing most of the fighting while she had to take care of the dragons. However, if the dragons remained between the fortifications, their enemies would have never attacked them. And from the messages sent by Aegon, they had achieved great success in driving back the Faith Militant. That should very much damage their morale, as they saw their holy warriors beaten back.
At the same time, Aegon, Jaenyx, and Visenya were all of the mind that it was time to grant the enemy one chance to walk away with their lives. And since Rhaenys was seen as the more approachable of them, they would open to parley with her. She agreed to do so, although she also shared their lack of confidence that they would actually fold to their demands. It's their loss then, if they refuse to heed our warnings.
She, along with her mother Valaena, waited in front of their dragons at the meeting point far away from both Goldengrove and the enemy encampment. Rhaenys scratched Meraxes' snout, both because she wanted to and because she was getting bored. Her mother began to mimic her daughter's motions, which amused her since Valaena was still trying to get used to Oceanwave.
"When are they coming?" Valeana asked impatiently.
"I'm pretty sure that they know better than to turn down our offer to parley. When else are they going to talk to two fierce dragon women?" Rhaenys smiled.
"Don't forget Vis, Rhae."
"And she's still busy fighting on the ground," Rhaenys said.
"It is what it is, Rhae. And besides, when the time comes, you'll get your chance to fight. But mayhaps they don't want you involved just yet because you're good at archery, not at close combat. And the type of combat that is taking place right now at Goldengrove calls for the usage of the blade more than arrows."
"Lord Tarareon is using arrows."
"That's only because that is his specialty. He has his role just as you have yours, and rest assured. You will get your chance."
"I just don't like waiting around very much."
Valaena chuckled. "Now you're sounding just like Vis. That's a good thing, for the both of you can learn something about each other. And I'm honestly proud of how far she has come, for barely a year ago, she wouldn't have hesitated to let those children starve if it meant achieving the greater purpose. After all, how would her children look at her if she allowed babies to wither on the vine for lack of bread?"
Rhaenys was surprised herself at Visenya showing mercy, and she was glad that Visenya was finally allowing her softer side to emerge into the open. Her hardiness is not all that exists within her.
Just then, Meraxes and Oceanwave sniffed and both growled. Looking in the direction of their snouts as they raised their heads from the ground, Rhaenys and Valaena saw the banners of the Gardeners and the Lannisters appear from the distance.
"Here they come," Rhaenys straightened her dress while preparing her quiver. "Muña, if anything happens, just get on Oceanwave and fly out of here. I and Meraxes and can take care of the rest."
"Nonsense," Valaena was quick to answer. "I'm not leaving my daughter behind. And if anyone is foolish enough to attack us, allow me the pleasure of seeing what it is like to finally burn your enemies."
Rhaenys smiled with pride. "That's what I wanted to hear."
Obviously, such a party of kings was to have a large guard, but any effect that they hoped to have on the two lone women was evaporated as Meraxes and Oceanwave roared at them, scaring their horses and causing the guards to quake while mustering their courage to stop them from running away.
Rhaenys and Valaena immediately recognized Loren Lannister, but this was the first time that they met who they assumed was Mern Gardener himself. And Rhaenys was not impressed, for the King of the Reach looked like the common knight who believed in his code so much that he was unwilling to bend it in any situation. His clean brown hair and armor, adorned with his crown, was not enough for Rhaenys to change her immediate impression of him. Great. Another empty-headed tourney knight.
"Greetings, ladies of House Targaryen," Mern spoke first. "I am Mern the Ninth of His Name, Lord of Highgarden and King of the Reach. You are already familiar with Loren the First of His Name."
"We are," Lady Valaena crossed her arms. "It is difficult to forget the man who so maimed my son."
"You consider him your son, my lady?" Loren asked. "I thought he was just your husband's bastard."
"There, there, King Loren," Mern stepped in before Valaena had respond in fury. "We are not here to discuss the past. We came here in good faith since the both of you seek peace on behalf of your families."
"You are right in that we do seek peace," Rhaenys said while ignoring that they didn't address her and her mother as queens. I'll have them on their knees soon enough, if they are fortunate to avoid turning into ash. "There is no need for further fighting between our peoples."
"A point that we agree very much on," Mern nodded. "And it shows very much your character that you are willing to extend the olive branch when you have been winning battles. We will always deal with a generous lady with an open hand."
Oh, my. He's boring. "Since I invited the both of you here, it's only right that I offer my conditions before peace can be made between our peoples."
"Very good," Mern nodded. "Please, tell us your conditions. No more blood has to be spilled."
"My terms are very simple, King Mern," Rhaenys began. "You, and King Loren here, will tell your troops to lay down their arms and surrender." She was pleased at how flustered the King of the Reach became, but she was annoyed at how the King of the Rock still maintained his composure with that look in his eye. "The both of you will ride to Goldengrove, where you will kneel in front of my husband, my sister, my brothers, my parents, and myself. That will be the evidence we need that you acknowledge our reign over Westeros. Once you surrendered your crowns, you will march with us against Oldtown, where we shall tear down the very place that sanctioned the war against us. Once every site devoted to the worship of your Seven has been reconsecrated for better use, you will attend our official coronation as your new rulers. And then, you will serve us, and your descendants will serve ours until the end of time."
Mern was at a loss of words, for no one dared a king to surrender his crown and submit himself to such humiliating terms. However, Loren stepped in. "You ask a very steep price. What will you give us? What considerations will you offer us in exchange for us becoming your new vassals?"
"Simple. King Mern here will assume his place as the new Lord Paramount of the Reach, where the line of the Gardeners will continue. And since you have a son, King Loren, he shall take your place as the Lord Paramount of your kingdom. Every lord and every knight who kneel after you will keep their lands, their titles, their goods, everything. From our position, I am offering generous terms."
"I would disagree," Loren said. "We've ruled these lands for thousands of years. You can't expect us to surrender what our ancestors bled and died for so that we can enjoy the fruits of their labor."
"You're very right, King Loren," Valaena nodded. "But it is something that your son and his descendants will have to make peace with if they want to keep what they have. It is humiliating, but you've seen what happened when our opponents have taken the alternative."
"May I ask why you mentioned my son and his descendants?" Loren inquired. "Am I not to enjoy the fruits of my ancestors' work thousands of years before?"
"No," Valaena shook her head. "You will die, King Loren. Blood has been spilled, and blood must be repaid. You cannot expect us to let your maiming of Orys Baratheon go unpunished and your death will be a lesson to those who have the audacity to harm those with our blood."
Loren's guards were about to draw their swords at Valaena's threats, but Loren held out his hand because he was aware that the dragons would kill them if they drew steel. "So… even after I kneel, I will lose my life through fire?"
"But the rest of your family will be spared," Rhaenys pointed out. "Who knows? We might also lend you much-needed assistance against the rebellion of Lord Reyne."
"Who you instigated."
"King Mern, on the other hand," Rhaenys continued. "Has not done anything against us to earn our personal ire. If he takes our offer, he will become a very powerful man in the new realm. We guarantee that."
Mern sighed. "I might not have done anything against you, but you have done exactly that when your bastard brother killed my son. My wife is still in mourning over her boy and I will find it incredibly difficult to explain to her why I surrendered to Gawen's murderers."
"Murder…" Rhaenys said aloud. "I would say that you're acting very emotional about all of this, King Mern. Your son's death was regrettable, but it was war and you're taking it much too personally. I know how your son died." Valaena looked at her daughter, shocked at how heartless she was sounding. "Wasn't his chest caved in and all of the emeralds shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, all of which were taken as plunders of battle?"
Rhaenys didn't actually intend to insult Gawen Gardener because she had some understanding of how precious a child was. However, after seeing how Mern was behaving, she pondered how to provoke him. And seeing his face grow red and some of his veins showing through his forehead in anger was doing the trick.
"You… dare to insult my son's memory?"
"Oh, I know how precious life is, since I'm a mother myself," Rhaenys kept up the appearance. "Then again, you should've considered how precious your son's life was when you decided to support the Faith declaring a holy war against us and for holding that summit at the Arbor. Everyone lost someone in this war, including you, and if we have to place blame, you put Gawen Gardener's life in danger and therefore, you also have responsibility in his death."
Mern was seething and his hand turned into a tight fist. "You want to fight me? Go ahead, but if you do, you will not live to see the end of this week."
Mern exhaled and it took a while for him to get himself under control, but he glared at Rhaenys. "Then in that case, we shall fight. And piss on your offer."
Valaena laughed. "Finally, some rage from the over-glorified tourney knight."
Not wishing to hear anymore, Mern and Loren turned around and rode off in a huff, with their guards close behind. "I never thought you had it in you to provoke Mern."
"I never actually intended for them to take our offer. Many things will have to change, and do you seriously think that those two will be trustworthy in our new realm?"
"Still, looks like you're not the only one that has changed. And I like it," Valaena patted her shoulder. "Continue like this, and you'll make a fine queen. I guarantee it."
Rhaenys kissed her mother's cheek. "Shall we rejoin our family then?"
"Let's go." And with that, Rhaenys and Valaena flew back up into the sky and back towards Goldengrove.
Mern rubbed his forehead in frustration. They had the numbers, and they were fighting on their homes, but all of that was still not enough to dislodge the dragons' armies from their positions around Goldengrove. Adding to his difficulties was the dragon queen having the gall to demand that he and his armies disband, that he surrender his crown to the dragons, and he could become their representative in the Reach. He knew that Rhaenys knew that he would refuse, and the only reason why he didn't have her killed was because she had all of the dragons behind her, with her mother Lady Valaena providing support while watching nearby. Why do things have to become so complicated?
Not helping matters was Ser Adwyn paying him a visit in his tent. After agreeing to train his sons Hugh and John in the ways of knighthood, the captain of the Warrior's Sons was starting to force his way into the council meetings. He might have considered himself a holy man, but his fanaticism was starting to annoy Mern.
"Why did we withdraw from the attack?" Ser Adwyn asked. "Why? The gods did not favor them. The gods alone determine the results of battles."
Mern was not in the mood to trade words with him, but his eldest son Edmund stepped in.
"The results of battles are determined by the gods, but also by preparation, numbers, the absence of disease, and the availability of water. One cannot maintain a siege with the enemy behind, a danger that is increasingly become likely since we are not sure where their reinforcements are. Tell me, Ser Adwyn. You might criticize us for the conduct of how we're dealing with this battle, but can you say that you performed to the best of your abilities? Your holy men and the troops we provided suffered heavy casualties when they assaulted their ramparts, did they not?"
"Prince Edmund, we were not able to triumph against the enemy because you didn't provide the troops we needed when our moment came. We were close to a breakthrough and you didn't support us," Ser Adwyn said.
Edmund shook his head. "I would disagree. It was because you were unprepared. It is because you decided to take charge because you thought you had the blessing of His Holiness. You believe that just prayers and sheer conviction alone would be enough for you to carry the day, but you forget that we are dealing with issues that affect the world here. We're not in the sept right now."
Ser Adwyn narrowed his right eye, taking offense. "If you think that way, if you don't have the conviction to carry on with the callings of the Seven, you shall not be the heir to the richest temporal kingdom on Westeros for long."
Mern Gardener and his brother took great offense, with the latter standing up before Mern shook his head. He might not have appreciated the Warrior's Sons' captain's impertinence, but he could not afford to alienate him.
As for Edmund, he stared right back into his eyes. "If that is the case, I quake for the Seven, especially since my brother Gawen died for them and you're not showing the proper appreciation for his sacrifice. No one will doubt your bravery, but don't think that you alone can determine how this battle will turn out. Thank you for your visit, Ser Adwyn." The captain of the Warriors' Sons did not budge, for it was clear that he had more to say. However, Edmund took a step forward and extended his hand. "Thank you for your visit," he said with a firmer tone.
Finally, Ser Adwyn took his meaning and grasped the offered hand. "You promised. Your father the king promised. Everyone promised, those who decided to take the sword and offered it in service to the gods. You promised to destroy the dragons with everything you have and to wipe the abominations clean from our lands. Don't forget your vows. All of you." Ser Adwyn took one more look around the tent before leaving.
Edmund sighed. "Father, it's not my place to question to question your decisions. However, if we do not end this soon, who knows how much longer we can control unrest forming amongst the ranks, especially the Warriors' Sons and the Poor Fellows who died in that first strike?"
"We have to be prudent, Edmund," Mern's brother said. "Lord Bryan Rowan reached an agreement with the dragons, in which he promised to not attack them in exchange for food. Therefore, all of their defensive strategy is focused on countering us."
"I can't blame Lord Bryan," Mern added. "However, he's not going to find favor in my court after this war is done. A generation will pass before a Gardener will allow a Rowan to show up at Highgarden."
"A sentiment I share, father," Edmund stated. "At the same time, we can't change the fact that we are really running out of time. Many of the lords are getting impatient, our coffers will not last for more than a few moons, and the northern half of our kingdom has been taken. Our credibility as the rulers of the Reach is being threatened, especially since many are interpreting our recent setbacks as failures on our part as their overlords."
"Not only that, King Loren had to send some of his best troops back up north to deal with a rebellion in his kingdom. Thus, our combat capabilities have become greatly limited."
Mern shook his head. "Madness… unrest in the ranks, demands from the Faith, and our Lannister partner not being able to commit his full army to bear. The gods must surely be actively against us for such obstacles to be risen up against this family."
"Father, now is not the time to deal with what the gods' want," Edmund pleaded. "We must show that we are still in control and the only way for that to happen is to lead an attack on them now."
"With what?" Mern asked. "We might have trebuchets, but they have dragons that could easily burn them away. They have the stronger positions and the men have been demoralized at seeing the holy warriors be repelled so easily. Let's not fool ourselves on how they actually performed."
The supposed merits achieved by the Faith Militant were very much disappointing to all who held them in high regard. They might have performed well in an open field, but when it came assaulting fortresses, they fell below expectations. Ser Adwyn might have trained his two youngest sons, but his standing among the knights had been thoroughly affected.
"On top of that, Rhaenys Targaryen's boasting has much merit. Their reinforcements are coming and if we don't beat the force arrayed against us before the northmen, Valemen, riverlanders, and our traditional enemies in the stormlords arrive in full force, our chances of winning becoming very, very low," Edmund's uncle emphasized. "In fact, we will face a decisive result in which everything that is keeping the Reach together will collapse. That is why we cannot lose here, for we're already in enough trouble with our lordly houses and with the Faith."
Mern rubbed his temples, for they were just saying facts that they all knew but to hear them aloud didn't make matters all that better. Despite having the larger army, all of the advantages were in the favor of the dragons for they chose the location and were able to force them to respond to their movements. And they were able to effectively neutralize the Lord of Goldengrove as a participant without killing anyone, so the depth of their underestimation of the dragons had really began to hit them. To describe the dragons as effective hunters was not even sufficient, for every action they took was calculated and they were astute enough to develop plans that took many factors into account. They also had very skilled warriors at their fingertips as well as possessing the ability to turn several of their clashes towards their advantage, even with the odds stacked against them.
However, at that moment, Edmund examined their mapping of the dragons' fortifications again. Looking over them more closely, Mern and his brother were also intrigued.
"What is it, son?"
"I think I got it," Edmund said as he pointed to a gap in their ramparts. "Here, this is probably the only place where I spot a weakness in the dragons' fortifications. The north side of this hill could not be included in their works and they placed a camp with a few thousand men on steep and disadvantageous ground. Moreover, they couldn't completely connect their ramparts due to the river."
"And how is that a weakness?" Edmund's uncle asked.
"This is how we breach their fortifications. Now, I know this part is too narrow to charge in ten thousand soldiers all at once, but if we can surprise them at night like they have so many times before against us, we will be able to annihilate them. A small force of men-at-arms and other infantry can be enough to surprise them and breach them."
"An attack at night? Something we have never attempted before?" Mern asked.
"Loren has led this sort of attack before it worked spectacularly. I'd recommend that we have him and his troops be the advance force, especially him since he's going to have involve himself more in battle with many of his best troops marching back home. Once he's able to punch through their lines, we'll support him with everything we've got."
"But do we get our foot and our horse moving against the direction of the river? As you know, it isn't shallow and the currents are very powerful," Mern pointed out.
"It's a chance we have to take. But unless you have a better idea, please let me know, father. I'm very open." Mern started at his son, who had just gave a plan that rivalled those formed by his son Gawen.
"Will King Loren agree to even do our dirty work? He's going to insist on one of us leading."
"That won't be necessary." They were all surprised to hear King Loren's voice, who entered their tent without someone announcing his presence. "Besides, someone aggressive and willing to fight amongst his troops should be honored to lead the attack that can finally end this war once and for all."
Mern, his brother, and Edmund all didn't miss his implicit insult, but they all shrugged it off. "So, you will lead the attack?"
"Of course. Since I am the one with the most success against the dragons so far and have attacked them at night in the past, I will do it. That is, if you intend to lead them yourself."
"Don't worry, King Loren." Mern approached his counterpart and rival. "Once we see your success against their breach, I shall personally lead all of my forces to support you. This ends tonight."
Loren shook his head firmly. "As you wish. I shall ready my men, but be prepared to offer that support in the future. I shall need it when I return to exact my vengeance on the riverlands."
Mern frowned, but he nodded. "Of course. As we are still allies, I shall honor you request when the time is right."
As the Lannister king left the tent, Mern and Edmund moved to don their armor while preparing the other Gardener boys for battle. It would indeed be the final clash outside Goldengrove and by morning, they would either have triumphed or have burnt to ash.
Before addressing his lords, Mern knelt down and prayed to the Seven. "Oh, Father. Grant me victory against the enemies we face. Please, your children are doing your work and we desperately need your blessing. We cannot do this without you. Please."
A/N: And the battle has truly begun, with Aegon, Jaenyx, and Visenya repelling the Warriors' Sons and damaging their reputation.
Oh, man. Who would've thought Rhaenys would dare provoke Mern over Gawen?
Mern is now emotionally compromised. But unlike Spock, he's not going to stop.
Next... the final part of the Field of Fire!