20 19: The Siege of Storm's End

On Dragonstone Island, an old man and a young boy were in conversation. The old maester relieved Viserys' inner anxiety, telling him that no matter what he encountered in the future, be it joy or sorrow, he must maintain inner peace. Only by remaining calm could he make the most accurate judgments.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed since Viserys had arrived at Dragonstone. Life on the island was tranquil and peaceful, devoid of war and power struggles. The idyllic environment made one want to give up the fight and live out their days in quiet contentment.

Although Viserys no longer felt the anxiety he once did, a sense of urgency still lingered. He knew that the Baratheon family on the other side of the sea would not leave them be. During this time, Viserys trained in swordsmanship under Ser William and also studied with the old maester to broaden his knowledge.

Through the maester's teachings, Viserys deepened his understanding of the world. He had once looked at it through a hazy lens, but now he was gradually becoming part of it. The maester told him that what a noble should learn was not how to govern their land, develop the economy, or advance agriculture. These things could be learned from the maesters of the castle or through correspondence with the Citadel.

Instead, the maester urged Viserys to study the history of noble families, remember the lessons of the past, and memorize their sigils and words so as not to cause offense when meeting them in the future. For the nobility, this was of the utmost importance—even for a king.

Viserys was somewhat perplexed by this reasoning but had no choice but to follow the advice. His mother, Queen Rhaella, personally supervised his studies as all her hopes and expectations rested on her youngest son.

Viserys bore the weight of these expectations, feeling immense pressure. Queen Rhaella, who had already been pregnant when they left King's Landing, was beginning to show after three months. Far from the horrors of war and fear, she could now focus on nurturing her unborn child, no longer having to worry about her husband's abuse or the outcome of the war.

Now, all Queen Rhaella hoped for was that the child in her womb would be a girl. Having raised only Rhaegar and Viserys, apart from the children who died young, Rhaella wished for a daughter to fill the void in her life.

Life on Dragonstone was peaceful, with the last Targaryen fleet guarding the sea, blocking the entrance to Blackwater Bay. The Baratheons, now without ships, had inevitably slowed their pursuit.

On the continent of Westeros, with no sea to hinder them, the rebel forces that invaded King's Landing had become the legitimate rulers. The royalist forces faced a rapid decline and were in constant retreat.

Two months after the fall of King's Landing, House Tyrell of the Riverlands finally reached a peace agreement with the usurpers.

The siege of Storm's End was lifted.

With the mournful and lingering sound of the horn, the southern army that had besieged Storm's End for a year finally withdrew, preparing to return home.

Following the Tyrell army were knights from the North.

Rumble—

The banners of the Direwolf fluttered, appearing on the horizon, followed by a dense mass of soldiers as far as the eye could see.

Countless warhorses trampled the grasslands, and the raised spears shone with an icy chill in the sunlight.

Leading the Northern army was Eddard Stark, the Lord who had argued with Robert and left King's Landing. The man carried the ancestral weapon 'Ice' on his back and sat atop a towering warhorse.

Without losing a single soldier, the Northmen lifted the siege of Storm's End without any battle.

Rumble—

The gates of Storm's End, closed for a year, finally opened once more.

Stannis Baratheon, who had been stubbornly resisting within Storm's End and restraining the southern army's main force, was even forced to eat rats.

However, after the siege was lifted, he received a new mission.

His elder brother Robert ordered him to build warships and train the royal navy at Storm's End.

He was to cooperate with the recently surrendered Lord Redwyne and the fleet from the Arbor that had been blockading Storm's End from the sea.

Their goal was to attack Dragonstone and capture the fleeing Rhaella and Viserys Targaryen.

Robert, who deeply hated the Targaryen family, swore to eradicate them root and branch. He did not want any silver-haired, purple-eyed individuals to remain in this world and was determined to chase them to the ends of the earth.

However, Stannis, who had been trapped in Storm's End and forced to eat rats, was not a magnanimous person. He was silent and stubborn, like a rock in a toilet.

The fact that he didn't kill the detestable fat Mace Tyrell and Lord Redwyne at the victory feast showed that he was extremely calm.

Stannis would never cooperate with the Arbor fleet, but he knew the importance of capturing Dragonstone and exterminating the Targaryens.

Thus, the stubborn man wasted no time. As soon as the siege of Storm's End was lifted and supplies began pouring in, he set about building the Baratheon fleet and training the navy.

Lord Eddard, who had lifted the siege of Storm's End, wore no smile on his face. His serious expression kept people at a distance, and he didn't even crack a smile during the victory feast.

This was because his most important concern was unresolved: his sister Lyanna Stark, who had been abducted by Rhaegar Targaryen and was also Robert's betrothed, was still missing.

After arguing with Robert in King's Landing, Eddard led his troops south to finish the remaining battles, while also searching for his sister's whereabouts.

Now that the war was over, Eddard received a clue that Rhaegar had arranged for Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, Ser Oswell Whent, and Kingsguard Captain Ser Gerold Hightower to escort Lyanna towards Dorne.

However, Dorne denied any knowledge of Lyanna Stark's arrival and made it clear that she was not welcome.

Eddard suspected that the three Kingsguard might have hidden his sister somewhere along the border between Dorne and the Riverlands.

Yet, Eddard did not want to wage war against the powerful Dorne, especially considering that even the Conqueror, Aegon, had faced troubles in that region.

The Lord of Winterfell was deeply troubled by this situation.