-Chapter 193-

-Chapter 193-

"Permission to speak freely?" asked Sandor.

"Go ahead, you don’t know how to speak any other way," I said, sitting down in the quarters that had been assigned to me, usually reserved for the commander of Greyguard.

"I find this story about a disobedient commander very suspicious," said Sandor.

"I find it suspicious as well," I agreed with his assessment.

Jaime nodded and said, "I agree with Sandor. This Walton Steelshanks left something out of his account, something that everyone seemed to know except for us."

"I think I already know what he left out," I said, recalling some information Bryan had previously sent me.

"What?" asked Sandor bluntly, something I appreciated about him.

"He’s placed many cousins and former lieutenants in high-responsibility positions. If one of them messed up, it would be in his best interest to cover it up quickly," I said, understanding why Walton decided to keep silent.

"He’s afraid of you," said Sandor, almost as if it was my fault.

‘And he’s not wrong. I’ve been so strict that my vassals are terrified of disappointing me to the point they’re willing to lie to my face out of fear of losing their heads,’ I thought.

"That’s no excuse. He must be punished to set an example."

"I agree in principle, but I still need to consider his punishment. Fear is good for keeping men in line, but not when it prevents them from owning up to their mistakes at the risk of becoming dishonest," I said, thinking of how to teach Walton a lesson, knowing he was completely loyal to me.

"I might have a small idea," said Loras, speaking for the first time since this conversation began.

I nodded, ready to hear it all, and then he began to lay out his plan.

---

-POV Quentyn Martell-

‘Seeing Dorne again after all this time felt almost unreal, but returning with Arianne was even more so, especially in septa’s robes,’ I thought, looking at my sister, who was staring at the water in the Water Gardens in a daze, a habit she had developed since being ousted from the capital and returning to her homeland.

Although I had hated her for much of my life, as we were constantly at odds back then, the wars and Targaryen conflicts that had plunged both of us and House Martell into a storm of trouble had taught me to put things into perspective and forgive.

‘Anyway, in the end, I’m the one who came out on top in all of this,’ I thought, imagining myself soon at the head of Dorne.

‘At least at the head of the Duchy of Martell,’ I corrected myself, briefly recalling the sanctions and new laws promulgated by the Emperor.

This had led to the decline of the status of House Nymeros Martell, formerly the Princely House of Dorne, demoted to the title of Ducal House, putting us on the same level as the remaining Great Houses of Westeros, such as the Lannisters, Tyrells, Arryns, and Starks.

"So, what’s so captivating about this lake, dear sister?" I asked, sitting down next to her.

"Nothing, it’s just peaceful," she said in a tone that was indifferent and defeated.

That dull response immediately wiped the smile from my face. Although we hadn’t always gotten along, Arianne was still my sister, and I couldn’t truly feel happy seeing her in such distress.

"Do you miss your children?" I asked her after a moment, and it didn’t take long for her to collapse into my arms.

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her," she repeated, crying her heart out.

I didn’t need her to explain who she was talking about, as all of Dorne now knew that the Sand Snakes and Ellaria had been pardoned and were now under the protection of the new Empress, Daenerys Targaryen.

‘It’s fate,’ I thought, for Tyene had gained everything after attempting to assassinate the Emperor, while Arianne, foolishly protecting her, had lost it all.

We stayed in each other’s arms for a few minutes, and then she said, "Knowing I lost everything because of her stupidity is killing me, I regret it so much. I thought I had the power to stop her, but... but…"

"But you had no power, except for what he lent you," said my father, not far away, always accompanied by his loyal bodyguard, Areo Hotah. But it wasn’t them that caught my attention; it was the woman whose memories had grown faint as time passed.

"Mother?" I asked, and the lady nodded happily.

Arianne and I stood up in a daze and embraced the woman, who immediately hugged us tightly. Since I had been exiled to the Yronwoods, I hadn’t had any contact with her, and even less so since she had left Dorne to return to her hometown.

"What are you doing here?" Arianne tried to ask.

"I came to support you, of course."

A small feeling of disappointment arose, but it was quickly crushed by the comforting voice of our mother, who said, "And I came to see my boy, who’s no longer a boy now, who I thought was gone, returning from the dead."

I smiled and then said, "It’s been a long time since we last saw each other. Do you plan to stay long?"

A small, sad smile appeared on her face as she caressed our cheeks, her eyes shining with unshed tears: "I’m not leaving you again."

She turned to Arianne and then said, "We’ll make sure you see your children grow up by your side, Arianne. You shouldn’t have to live through what I did."

"Aegon won’t agree," said Arianne in a discouraged tone that drained all the joy from her face that had illuminated it just moments before.

Mother let go of my cheek to cup my sister’s face, and she said:

"Arianne, trust me on this—you will see your children grow up, and no one will stop me."

I don’t know if it was her tone or the look in our mother’s eyes, but it instantly made Arianne break down in tears as she nodded to show she believed her.

Seeing that my father remained silent despite my mother’s bold words, I thought that maybe it wasn’t impossible.

‘Let’s hope she knows what she’s doing. Our Emperor is no simple man,’ I told myself, thinking of the man who haunted my dreams.

---

-POV 3rd-

Karlon lay in the best room of the most sought-after brothel in Mole’s Town, a brothel that had been bought by the biggest brothel owner in the kingdom since the 11th Legion had taken root at the Wall.

Lying in a cozy bed while his soldiers fought on the Wall, Karlon had no idea he was about to experience the most humiliating and stressful event of his life.

Meanwhile, the soldiers who were supposed to watch over and guard their leader were busy enjoying themselves in another room with whores they had secretly paid extra to keep quiet, instead of watching the surroundings, they were having sex with women.

Who could blame them? Order and virtue were not their superior officer’s main qualities, and he didn’t really care what happened at night, as no one would dare harm one of Walton Steelshanks’ cousins, undoubtedly one of the most powerful lords after the former Warden of the North, Eddard Stark.

At least, that’s what Karlon thought, and he was about to understand what the word... power truly meant.

---

-POV Sandor Clegane-

I entered the second-rate brothel, far too luxurious for this little shitty village, and asked the first person I came across, "Where’s Karlon Steelshanks?"

The man, slightly drunk, looked me up and down before smiling and spitting on the ground. I did the same before grabbing his head and slamming it against the wall—once, twice, three times—until he stopped moving and breathing.

The prostitute, still clinging to the arm of the man whose brains were now decorating the walls of the brothel, terrified by my appearance, pointed to the room behind me.

"That wasn’t so hard," I said before heading to Karlon Steelshanks’ room.

I kicked the door open, waking the man in question, then grabbed him by the hair and dragged him outside.

Once outside, I let him fall. He quickly got back on his feet and said, furious:

"How dare you…"

The words that were about to come out of his mouth got stuck in his throat when he saw my face, and a look of horror spread across his features.

A loud noise rang out, and a cloud of snow and dust was kicked up by the brutal landing of the Emperor, who had planned everything to make an example of this scumbag.

Once the cloud of snow and dust settled, Rhaegal roared at the man still on his knees, who was on the verge of pissing himself. The noise alerted the entire village, and many legionnaires from the army, enjoying their days off, began to gather.

"KARLON STEELSHANKS!"

The roar of Aegon seemed to wake the unfortunate man at my feet, who was still in a daze. He quickly got up before kneeling properly, like any good legionnaire, with no trace of the arrogance he had shown earlier.

‘At least he’s been properly trained,’ I thought as I looked at the already-dead man who didn’t yet know why he was about to die.

---

"Yes, your majesty," I said, kneeling properly before the Emperor, clearly angry with me for a reason I didn’t understand.

"You have been recognized as a traitor to the Empire. What do you have to say in your defense?" the Emperor asked, looking at me as if my fate was already sealed.

Knowing that I had never betrayed the Empire, I declared confidently, "I have never done such a thing, and if I have, then I am ready to be burned by the fire of His Majesty’s dragon without flinching."

The Emperor, seated atop his dragon, said, "Congratulations, Karlon Steelshanks. Your wish has just been granted... DRACARYS!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the man screamed before being engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes, one question lingering in his mind: ‘Why?’

---

-POV MC-

I observed the legionnaires of my army gathered in this small village, all present to enjoy the pleasures of Chataya’s brothels, and I said:

"From this day forward, all leave is canceled. Just a few days ago, an enemy we all believed to be extinct resurfaced, after millennia of peace."

Everyone hung on my every word, whether because they were shocked to see me, as many of them were former soldiers of the Bolton coalition, or because they were new recruits.

'Or maybe just because they’ve seen a dragon in action for the first time in their lives,' I thought before continuing to address my soldiers.

"I SAY THIS LOUD AND CLEAR: THE WHITE WALKERS HAVE RETURNED. THEY ARE NOT JUST STORIES, JUST LIKE THE GIANTS THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE WILDLING CAMP, THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST WHO HAVE FOUND REFUGE WITHIN THE EMPIRE, THE DRAGONS, THE DIREWOLVES, AND EVEN MAGIC," I shouted, igniting both my hands to produce large flames.

"WHETHER AS A SON OF THE NORTH OR AS AN EMPEROR, I AM CATEGORICALLY FORBIDDEN FROM LETTING THE NORTH AND ITS PEOPLE FACE THIS THREAT WITHOUT PROTECTING THEM AS THEY DESERVE. ARE YOU WITH ME?" I asked my soldiers, who were now kneeling.

"YES!" they all shouted in unison.

Although they were few in number, none of them held back their voices in response to me.

"I count on you to spread the message to all the fortresses: the Second War for the Dawn has just begun, and we have already won the first battle. Cregan Snow has slain a White Walker," I said loudly, giving them a glimmer of hope.

'Spinning this attack as a heroic victory will break the myth of the White Walkers' invincibility and the fear they inspire, at least until they face them directly,' I thought to myself.

"We will emerge victorious from this war; there is no other option but victory," I said just before taking off, perched on Rhaegal, with my guards following behind me.