The Age of Daenerys Targaryen

Part 30: Preparations

"...and finally the blades are coated with a thin layer of chrome", said Illyrio Mopatis proudly as he guided Daenerys through one of the huge factories where weapons were mass-produced. "It's not as good as Valyrian steel, but better than anything forged in Westeros."

"Very impressive, Illyrio", said the Empress as they watched the workers at work. Most of them were former slave artisans who now put their skills to the service of the Empire. The art of chrome plating, for example, originally came from Yi Ti and west of the Bone Mountains only a handful of men had mastered it, who had been bought by the Ghiscari and Qartheen for a high price on the slave markets of the Jade Sea - and who became citizens of New Valyria after their liberation.

"The production should be more than enough to meet the needs of the Army", said the chamberlain. "Grey Worm's new recruits will be well equipped."

Daenerys nodded in satisfaction. To the east of Volantis, in a strictly shielded place, a new army was gathering in great secrecy. This was already well over a hundred thousand strong and was still growing. The day was not far off when it would be used against the Alliance. It was about time. Meanwhile the enemy had taken Valysar and was now advancing against Volon Therys. As a result, the Empire had lost control of many of the corn-growing areas along the Rhoyne. That was dangerous.

In addition, the Empress was painfully aware of how much her people suffered from the atrocities of war. Especially by Septon Corban's fanatics, who plundered, pillaged and raped unrestrainedly and called it holy war. People were already wondering why their ruler didn't stop that when she had a dragon. It was easy for them to talk! It was simply impossible to keep so many raiding parties in check in such a large area. Daenerys knew that if the tide was not turned quickly, her authority would soon be openly challenged.

Everywhere Gendry looked, columns of smoke rose against the horizon. Each of them represented a village, winery, or homestead that had been destroyed by Alliance forces. The Lord of Storm's End knew the residents had either been killed or enslaved by the League of Free Cities. So it had come to that, he thought with disgust. Now the noble knights of Westeros worked hand in hand with slave traders and even helped them hunt people.

Once he had spoken to Lord Royce about pillage and enslavement, but the Master of war had only brusquely reminded him of King's Landing. "What about the hundreds of thousands of innocents Daenerys slaughtered for no reason? Now it's her people who get to feel what war means."

The war on the Rhoyne was still going well for the Alliance, but the betrayal of the Iron Islands and the Lys disaster severely weakened the strategic position of both Westeros and the League of Free Cities.

The conflict had now reached proportions that Gendry would hardly have thought possible before. From the Sunset Sea in the west to the Bone Mountains in the east, all nations were involved. It was probably the greatest war ever ... a world war. How could it have come to this? King Bran had been against the war. The Lord of Storm's End remembered taking Queen Sansa's - and Lord Tyrion's - argument in favor of fighting Daenerys. At the time it had seemed the only sensible thing to do. But now he had doubts. If the Alliance set half the world on fire for fear of the Dragon Empress, were they really better than her?

Gendry looked to the southeast, where the walls of Volon Therys loomed on the horizon. Lord Royce wanted to take this town before the month was up. That would call the dragon onto the scene. Experience so far had shown that Daenerys really seemed to fear the scorpions that the Alliance forces carried with them. Once Gendry had seen a bolt miss Drogon by a hair's breadth, whereupon the Empress hurriedly withdrew from the barrage. No comparison to the huge, cumbersome, slow-reloading machines that Cersei had used in the defense of King's Landing. Volon Therys could be the place where the dragon would finally be killed ... and thus the war would be decided.

At least that was obviously Lord Royce's plan. However, Daenerys had to be aware of that too.

Daenerys' parry was a moment late. The shaft of Grey Worm's spear hit her in the face and dropped her to the ground. Groaning, she got to her feet again and rubbed the dirt off the black tunic with the Targaryen emblem on her chest. She felt blood run from her nose and wiped it off with the back of her hand.

"My Empress, are you hurt?", asked Grey Worm.

Daenerys shook her head and picked Flame, her short sword made of Valyrian steel, from the floor. "I told you not to spare me. But I think it's enough for today."

"Yes, my Empress."

Daenerys had started to practice combat lately. Mostly she trained with the members of her Imperial Guard, with her opponents sometimes using a sword, sometimes a mace, ax or spear. Often also daggers, because they were the preferred weapon of assassins. Daenerys, meanwhile, had chosen the short sword as her weapon.

Here, in the camp of the Imperial Army, a few miles south of Volon Therys, she had taken the Field Marshal as a training partner. It couldn't hurt to face as many different opponents as possible.

They went to the map tent, where no one was at the moment.

"They're going to attack soon, aren't they?", Daenerys said while looking at the map table.

"The reports from our scouts leave no doubt about it", nodded Grey Worm. "Almost two hundred thousand men advance on Volon Therys."

"I just hope that our own shielding measures have worked and that the enemy does not know our real strength", mused the Empress.

"Nothing about the behavior of the Alliance suggests that they know about our fresh troops. Yohn Royce acts like someone who is certain that he is numerically superior. From their point of view, Drogon is the greatest threat, which is why they brought hundreds of scorpions with them. You should be very careful, Your Majesty."

Daenerys grinned. "I always am. Then I will have to leave most of the work to your men and women."

"You can do that with confidence, my Empress", assured Grey Worm.

"Fine. I want to celebrate my sons' third name day knowing that Volantis is safe."