Chapter 191: The Four Dragons Arrive Together

"Aunt of the Beautiful School!" Arthur exclaimed involuntarily as he looked at the beautiful scenery before him.

The beautiful Daenerys asked in return, "What does that mean? Why don't I understand?"

Arthur let his young aunt's feet face upward and began his assault before replying:

"It doesn't mean anything, just a simple compliment to you."

Of course, he would not tell Daenerys that this phrase had to be read backward in Chinese.

Given the Dragon Queen's temperament, it wouldn't matter even if she knew; at most, she would just praise Arthur for being very long.

The battle inside the tent was still continuing, but in the sky outside the tent, there was a different sight.

A thick, incomparably purplish-gray comet, trailing an exceptionally long celestial body, appeared abruptly in the starry sky.

Because of the comet's advance, sometimes one or two drops of stars, sometimes several, fell simultaneously, causing the unexplored autumn sky to tremble slightly; the entire starry sky seemed to become delirious.

For the first half of the night, the comet slid across the sky. Advancing at the final moment, it suddenly illuminated a slit at the corner of the sky as if in a decisive battle, seemingly piercing the eternal darkness and letting in and lingering with some milky light.

As the remaining light dissipated, the twilight firmament swayed a few times before closing up again, and the quiet, lazy stars returned to their original positions, smiling down upon the entire military camp and Casterly Rock.

"Shall we stop discussing military matters for tonight? I see you are already physically exhausted."

Arthur, having had his fill, asked.

Daenerys Targaryen, who had already reached the peak of her life, glanced lazily at her great-nephew and waved her hand gently to signal him to leave.

No wonder he dared to marry two wives.

The satiated Dragon Queen estimated that even if two more came, Arthur's body could still handle it.

After tidying his appearance, the King dutifully tidied the clothes for his "aunt," Daenerys Targaryen.

"You came in a hurry, and there aren't many maids in the camp. I'll have Margaery send a handmaiden to you, and we can talk about it when we return to King's Landing. How about that?"

Arthur asked.

Although the handmaiden Margaery would send was ninety-nine percent likely to be a spy, Daenerys could not live in the military camp alone, so this matter would just have to make do.

The Dragon Queen, who had finally caught her breath, nodded slightly, effectively agreeing.

It could not be blamed on her for not speaking; the pitiful yet happy Daenerys could no longer open her mouth.

After finishing what needed to be done, the King left the tent. The Dragon Queen's temporary residence was right next to the King's grand tent, and with nearly a hundred elite soldiers guarding the side day and night, there was no need to worry about anything happening.

It was already midnight, and Arthur I still had to go find Queen Margaery.

Her purpose in following to the military camp was to conceive in time, so she demanded that Arthur come several times every night.

Naturally, the King could not refuse this request.

There was no help for it; with great power comes great responsibility.

If he satisfied Margaery early, he would still have to go find the Princess of Dorne.

The unremarkable night passed just like that.

Two days later, outside the Westerlands Army camp outside Casterly Rock.

Although the Lannister stronghold was large, it had been dug out of the mountain bit by bit; except for the noble residences, the vast majority of the space existed in the form of mine tunnels.

Casterly Rock was not designed as a large military camp from the start like Harrenhal, so the tens of thousands of troops of the Westerlands could only be stationed outside the city.

In the afternoon, upon receiving news that the enemy army had set out, Kevan immediately began to summon the nobles and officers to prepare for battle.

"It looks like the Dragonrider is going to make a big move this time, but we are not afraid!"

In the commander's tent, facing the numerous Westerlands nobles, Kevan said with great vigor.

His confidence lay in the tens of thousands of Lannister elites, including 3,500 heavy cavalry, 4,000 heavy infantry, 1,500 light infantry, 1,000 light cavalry, and the equally famous 1,000 men of the Lannisport Garrison.

This was an elite force rare in the entire continent, and having been tested by multiple wars, its combat effectiveness was proven to be formidable.

According to intelligence, the Dragonrider's army was composed of three major parts: the Riverlands Army, the Frey army, and House Tyrell. Except for the fact that the army of the Tyrells could compete with the Lannister army in equipment, the noble knights of the remaining two parts were the only ones whose armor surpassed the heavy cavalry of the Westerlands.

Adam the Oarman, this heir to House Marbrand, also loudly boosted morale:

"Only by winning this battle can we hope to keep our lands and mines; if we lose, then everything is gone. Most of our families in the Westerlands have been passed down for thousands of years; how can we let the family be humiliated in our hands?"

Another Lannister member who had been exchanged back not long ago also firmly supported fighting before negotiating.

"That's right, if we can kill the Dragonrider in this battle, the predicament of the Westerlands will be directly resolved." The young Daven thought even further.

Months of life as a prisoner had left him full of fire; this war must be a chance to vent his anger.

Because of the strength of the former liege lord, Duke Tywin, the vast majority of the Westerlands nobles only obediently followed the command of House Lannister.

Since Kevan, who was in charge of the army, and two powerful figures supported the war, the dozen or so Westerlands nobles had no choice but to comply.

Although their combined forces totaled less than 3,000 men, and they were mainly newly conscripted farmers.

In fact, Kevan also knew that he didn't really need the nod from the noble lords, but to ensure the rallying of hearts, this prior mobilization was held.

After confirming that a major battle was to be fought, the Westerlanders began to arrange the battlefield situation.

"Adam will still command the heavy cavalry and remain in the center army to listen to my command. The light cavalry will also remain in the center army."

Kevan issued the first order.

Then, he looked at the Westerlands nobles, "The armies of you lords will be with the Lannisport Garrison, serving as the left army. These 4,000 men will be commanded by Ser Terrence Crakehall."

Ser Terrence, chosen by Kevan, was the eldest son and heir of Roland Crakehall, Lord of Oxcross, and could be considered a noble with significant influence.

Possessing the family's consistent tall and sturdy bloodline, Terrence agreed heartily, "Please rest assured, my lord; when I am to fight, I will certainly charge at the front."

"As for the right army, it will be commanded by Daven. 4,000 heavy infantry and 1,500 light infantry will all be given to you. You may be facing the Reachmen, so I have given you more soldiers," said the gray-haired Kevan.

After the liege family arranged the matters on the ground, a noble raised a question.

"Should we be guarding against the dragons? I heard the Dragonrider has summoned his aunt, that Dragon Queen far away in Slaver's Bay, and three dragons have followed as well."

The arrival of the four dragons made some Westerlanders feel afraid, while it made others feel arrogant.

They thought it was because the Dragonrider feared the military might of the Westerlands that he had summoned all the dragons to participate in the war.

"The battle that took place at the Dragonpit previously demonstrated to us the combat capability of that Alduin; it can ignore archery, but dragon scales cannot defend against high-powered crossbows."

Kevan said with full confidence.

Although the five or six-meter wingspan made the dragons look terrifying, when it came down to it, those four dragons were still just hatchlings less than two years old.

Adam the Oarman nodded slightly, "Yes, the Knight is right. The defensive capabilities of hatchlings are just so-so. As for their offensive power, a single burst of flame can barely cover one person. Soldiers wearing Iron Armor don't burn that quickly. As long as the Dragonrider dares to let the hatchlings attack, our ballista operators can turn them into a dragon-less rider."

The shadow of the dragons had always loomed over House Lannister and the people of the Westerlands, so their high command had decided on a plan to defend against dragons very early on.

In addition to several hastily made ballistae, there was a considerable number of Heavy Crossbows, the kind that required two or three people to pull the bowstring.

"Our ballista operators will be distributed among the three armies; when the hatchlings come, we will slay the dragons."

Kevan also imitated his brother Tywin's manner, issuing the order to start the battle with great authority.

Afterwards, the entire Westerlands Army camp sprang into action. Attendants helped the Knights put on their full sets of Plate Armor, especially fastening key parts like the gorget, while the common soldiers put on their armor with the help of their companions and auxiliaries.

Some of the servants in the camp began to pack up their things; once the main army left, most of them would flee west to enter Lannisport to avoid the war.

Although the port no longer had the protection of a garrison, it was still much safer to hide among the civilians than to stay in the camp.

Before the enemy slowly arrived, the Westerlands Army finally set up its battle formation.

……

The army of twelve thousand slowly spread out, and the four dragons kept moving in the sky, either flapping their wings to fly high or gliding low.

Arthur, riding a giant golden horse and wearing a suit of golden armor, looked through a Monocular Telescope for a good while before saying to the vassals beside him: "The enemy has launched their full force, so we don't need to hold back either."

He turned his horse's head to let the vast majority of the nobles see the King's face, then announced loudly:

"We are changing our plan slightly. The Tyrell, Beesbury, and other houses will face the enemy's right flank, the Folei Marquess army will face the enemy's left flank, and I will lead the remaining forces in the center, ready to support the left and right at any time."

East of Casterly Rock was a small plain, with only some terrain consisting of slightly rising hills.

Unfortunately, the Westerlands right flank, which was deployed in a north-south direction, happened to be on one of these hills.

If the soldiers of the Tyrell and other houses fought the Westerlands infantry first, the terrain would be quite unfavorable for their side.

But fortunately, the Westerlands right flank happened to be in the south.

According to the wishes of Arthur I, no matter who the enemy in the south was, it had to be the soldiers of the Tyrell and other houses who faced them and started the fight first.

So he slightly adjusted the distribution of the soldiers.

"Once we take the Westerlands and Casterly Rock, the gold is yours to take, and the mines and territories are yours to divide." The King offered the greatest temptation.

The nobles who received the orders left one after another, and then, almost equally divided into three parts, slowly and chaotically formed the posture of three armies.

There was no help for it; the leading nobles and soldiers came from over a dozen houses large and small, and they were not very familiar with each other, so it was still a bit difficult to ask them to cooperate closely.

The Commander of the Tyrell forces was Leo Tyrell, and his wife Alys also came from the Beesbury family, so the King's right flank was actually coordinating quite well.

After the soldiers had set up their formation, the Dragon Queen Daenerys, who was also riding a horse to the side, asked:

"Do you need me to ride Drogon and take the other three dragons to burn the enemy's rear?"

Drogon's body length was not even seven feet, just enough to carry the Dragon Queen.

And Arthur was over seven feet tall, which was more than two meters and one, so it seemed the dragons could not bear the weight, which was why Daenerys did not doubt the identity of the fake nephew as a member of House Targaryen.

"No need, you just stay obediently with me in the safest center army. As for the four dragons, just let them fly in the sky; this is called 'screening the formation'."

The King already knew about the good deed Daenerys had done on the road; the Dragon Queen had burned to death the only Magister of Volantis who had treated her with any kindness, which allowed the city-state's election to be moved up.

Given the atrocious behavior of the orthodox Targaryen toward the Magister, the replacement Magister elected by the Volantis Free Folk would inevitably take a hardline stance against her, against Westeros, and against Slaver's Bay.

This great battle was unavoidable.

Moreover, the hatchlings had not yet shed their dragon scales many times; the current dragon scales and dragon skin were far from the strength of Balerion the Black Dread, which was impervious to swords and spears and could not be pierced by ballistae. Therefore, letting the dragons fly in the sky to continuously cause psychological deterrence to the Westerlands soldiers was the proper choice.

Arthur was still observing the enemy's situation with the Monocular Telescope when the War Minister, Innes, suddenly ran over.

"Your Majesty, we should start the battle as soon as possible!"

He probably knew that the King had an extremely powerful trump card, so he understood that this battle was a sure win.

But in order to reduce the casualties of the soldiers, he still proposed his own idea to the King.

"Why?" the King asked.

Arthur I had not received news that Sir Bernard Brune had arrived with Tyrion Lannister and a portion of the Rowan soldiers, and he still needed to delay for a while.

Folei Marquess pointed to the sky, "Your Majesty, please look. It is now the afternoon, and the sun is still overhead, but by late afternoon, the blinding sunlight will shine from the west. At that time, our operations will be quite unfavorable, and the soldiers' casualties will increase greatly."

The weather on the day of the decisive battle was naturally clear enough; in fact, it could be described as cloudless for ten thousand miles.

Innes's military experience was quite rich, and he had noticed this crucial problem.

The King looked up at the sky, then stared fixedly at Innes's shiny bald head for a long time, and only asked when he saw that Folei Marquess was feeling uneasy:

"How long can we delay at most?"

The War Minister performed his role, "The soldiers of the Tyrell and other houses are lined up in a loose formation. Only when they are completely scattered and enter into individual duels will the sun's influence on us be minimized. If we count the time from the attack to this process as one hour, then we must attack in at most another half hour, otherwise today's trip will be in vain."

Arthur I blinked, his brain working as never before, considering the current situation.

Several days ago, he had ordered the leading Knights of the Rowan and Oakheart houses to pick out one thousand elites and secretly send them over from outside Sarsfield to launch a surprise attack on Casterly Rock.

The arrival of this army was an absolute secret; after today, it would likely be known to the Westerlands Army.

And Garlan was also ready; the five thousand Reach Cavalry he led and an equal number of infantry were not far to the south, ready to launch an attack at any time.

"Half an hour is enough." Arthur finally made up his mind.

He beckoned Daenerys to come closer, then whispered in her ear: "You ride the dragon to the south now, to a place about two or three hours' ride away. A Reach army is waiting for my orders. It is very easy to find ten thousand people in the sky..."

He gave detailed instructions to the Dragon Queen, making the orders clear.

Since they were about to start fighting, they had to ensure that the Lannister army could not retreat into Casterly Rock.

Therefore, Garlan's five thousand Cavalry had to break in from the side and rear of the Westerlands right flank, which was the southwest direction. The infantry ran slowly, so perhaps they could circle in an arc to intercept the Heavy Cavalry of the Westerlands center army as well.

The afternoon's operations still had to be delayed; only after the Westerlands people discovered that Casterly Rock had fallen would they possibly surrender.

The King told his requirements to Daenerys and asked her to relay them to Garlan.

"Satisfy the requirements as much as possible, but how exactly to fight is up to him; I won't interfere too much."

In the current situation, Arthur's side was in a position to win the field battle steadily, so he did not restrain Garlan, but let the Reachmen formulate their own battle plan.

The incomparably beautiful Dragon Queen remembered the requirements, then summoned the largest Dragon, Drogon, and mounted the dragon under the gaze of thousands of eyes.

In order to deceive the people of the Westerlands and Kevan, Daenerys Targaryen naturally would not fly directly south; she had Drogon ascend high enough to first circle above the Westerlands Army several times before speeding off to the north.

……

In the center of the Westerlands Army, Kevan, Stafford, and others gazed at the enemy troops and the Dragon in the sky, then engaged in a heated discussion.

"There are twelve thousand men in front of us, that is without a doubt, so what has that Dragon Queen gone off to do?"

PS: Seeking recommendation votes and monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)