Chapter 239: Magic Dragon Battles Sea Monster, Eddard Fights Euron

The Reach is the most prosperous region in Westeros. Now, the King of the Iron Islands, Euron Greyjoy, has brought a great army of ironborn to ravage the Reach, and has even begun to lay siege to Highgarden. When the news reached King's Landing, Eddard immediately summoned his ministers to the Throne Room to discuss countermeasures.

Eddard sat upon the Iron Throne, while nobles from all over Westeros gathered in the Throne Room, including Margaery of Highgarden, the Knight of Flowers Loras, Kingsguard Commander Barristan, Brienne, The Hound Sandor, Hand of the King Jon Connington, Master of Coin Tyrion, Master of Whisperers Varys, Mother of Dragons Daenerys, Theon, Jon Snow, Roose Bolton, and Stannis.

Margaery wore a tight-fitting, purple-gold bodice dress, with delicate rose patterns carved from freshwater pearls on the chest.

"Your Grace, Euron Greyjoy has usurped the throne and pursues the Old Way, slaughtering innocent people in the Reach and dragging children and women back to the Iron Islands to make them bondmen and salt wives. From the Shield Islands to Blackcrown, Old Oak, Brightwater Keep, Three Towers, and Sunhouse, the shadows of ironborn raiders are everywhere, and everywhere there is blood and wailing."

"I implore Your Grace to send a great army to wipe out the ironborn invaders."

Greatjon Umber said, "The Reach is populous; why can it not withstand the tide of the ironborn offensive?"

Tyrion made a face, "The ironborn have sea monsters, they have nagas, and they have horns that control the waves and storms. Euron manipulates magic; how can the Reach possibly resist?"

"Lord Alester, you shall remain in King's Landing to assist Robb."

"Grace, you and Gillian, the Sea Snake Corlys, and Oakfist Alyn shall depart immediately with the Royal Fleet, the Mermaid Army, and the shrimp and crab soldiers."

Following this, Eddard began to select his generals.

Eddard waited quietly, stroking the weirwood bracelet on his wrist; a giant divine eye appeared in the sky, as if it were a reflection of the Gods Eye, trickling with blood.

Lord Randyll Tarly met Eddard and his great army at Bitterbridge.

As long as Stannis still wore a crown, Alester Florent could fantasize about reclaiming Brightwater Keep and even more fiefs. However, after the Balrog rebelled, Stannis chose to kneel and submit to Stark, discarding his crown, and House Florent could only pin their hopes on Stark to help them reclaim their fiefs and castles.

The ocean witch Grace, Gillian, the Sea Snake Corlys, and the Royal Fleet led by Oakfist Alyn arrived at the battlefield.

Mother of Dragons Daenerys looked horrified, "This is impossible."

The next day, magic dragons circled the Hightower, and at the top of the Hightower, Eddard announced the execution of Euron Greyjoy and Littlefinger.

Sam's eyes widened, and he appeared extremely frightened.

"Why would the ironborn ignore the surrounding castles and choose only to attack the Painted Table Hall?"

Sam's forehead was covered in sweat.

Immediately after, another wizard blew the dragon horn.

The land army commanded by the Knight of Flowers Loras, Brienne, Barristan, Prince Oberyn, and others, along with the Reach armies that joined along the way, continued to advance west along the Mander River, clearing out the ironborn along the route.

Eddard looked toward the south, "I have scouted it; many ironborn longships have appeared in the south."

"Sam, your analysis is excellent!"

Lord Merryweather immediately offered the ancient Bounty Horn, and Eddard felt that this horn possessed formidable magical power.

The ironborn possess formidable naval combat capabilities but lack anti-air capabilities. Eddard's giant eagles, magic dragons, and griffins would make the ironborn pay the price.

Eddard looked toward Hand of the King Jon Connington.

A burst of mocking laughter rippled through the crowd. Lord Alester Florent stepped forward; he wore a silver-white silk robe, with the Florent House's fox-flower sigil carved from gold and lapis lazuli on his chest. He was Lord Randyll's father-in-law and Sam's maternal grandfather.

Eddard said, "But I have chosen you specifically. You are a man of the Reach and are more familiar with the situation in the Reach, are you not?"

Pumpkins, turnips, apples, grapes, watermelons, and more jumped out of the Bounty Horn. Daenerys marveled, and Jon Snow said, "With this horn, will Westeros never suffer from famine again?"

"Attacking the Painted Table Hall must have been for the sake of the Bounty Horn."

Lord Randyll Tarly shrugged, "Ironborn longships are everywhere. The damned pirates have now turned into river pirates; almost every town, castle, and village bordering a river has suffered attacks from the ironborn. The Reach has finally tasted the bitterness of the Riverlands being ravaged by the ironborn in years past."

Euron revealed an evil smile, "The magic dragons have come; Oldtown is now within reach."

Daenerys and Jon, on the backs of the magic dragons in the air, were both stunned.

"Your Grace, you have so many maesters under your command; any one of them could manage the ravens."

"Previously, I ordered the Seagard fleet, the Fair Isle fleet, the North Coast Fleet, the Westerlands fleet, and the Riverlands fleet to attack the Iron Islands. How is the war situation?"

"Of course, Sam is now Your Grace's foster son; how he is arranged is entirely up to Your Grace's decision."

Varys wore a syrupy smile, "According to the news brought back by the little birds, Euron has placed crabs in the bellies of Balon, Iron Fleet Commander Victarion, Aeron Greyjoy, and Asha. Whoever dares to defy Euron's will, these crabs will dig and dig inside their bellies, causing them pain beyond endurance."

Subsequently, Lord Alester Florent smiled at Eddard and said, "Your Grace, may I lead the men of House Florent to follow Your Grace and march together to the Reach?"

Prince Oberyn smirked, "The Reach and Dorne are ancestral enemies. Duke Mace and the Queen of Thorns have always resented me, saying I crippled Willas's leg. Now, the Dornish are to help the Rose of Highgarden resist the ironborn invaders; this is the benefit of a unified dynasty!"

Euron, on the *Silence*, saw the magic dragons and immediately ordered the wizard to blow the Storm Horn.

The Balrog and the naga fought in the sea, and the entire ocean began to heat up and boil. The magic dragon Flying Wolf, Koi, and Viserion seized the opportunity to break free and fly back into the sky.

The naga dove into the seabed and disappeared. The Balrog, having lost its opponent, began to attack the Iron Islands fleet wantonly.

Originally, all six magic dragons were under Eddard's mental control, but they were instantly dominated by the dragon horn. Koi, Eagle Eye, and Viserion began to shriek and fly toward the sky above Euron's fleet.

Under the gaze of the divine eye, the weirwood forest appeared. Under the gaze of the Old Gods, Eddard used his will to reclaim control of the magic dragons.

Euron Greyjoy stood on the deck of the *Silence* at the mouth of the Honeywine, gazing at the distant Hightower.

The Hightower of Oldtown was like a burning sword piercing the sky, blazing fiercely. Oldtown was brightly lit, and candles and torches flickered in the Citadel, the Town Hall, the Starry Sept, the Sept of the Seven, and the Outer Sept.

The red priestess Melisandre said, "Your Grace, I have seen it in the holy fire: you will achieve a decisive victory over Euron in the Reach. To catch the bandits, first catch the ringleader; once Euron is captured, the Iron Islands can naturally be pacified easily."

"My uncle Euron has always been a madman. It seems that after returning from the Valyrian Ruins, he has become even more cruel and heartless, actually doing such cruel things to his own kin."

Sam, standing to the side, said, "Your Grace, House Merryweather possesses a magical Bounty Horn. Euron has always been obsessed with collecting magic horns. He attacked the Three Sisters previously to seize the Wave Horn from the Sistermen, and he attacked Lord Celtigar's Crab Isle to seize the Kraken Horn."

"The Reach is my homeland; as everyone knows, House Florent has been the lords of Brightwater Keep for generations."

"The magic of the Hightower can defend against sea monsters, but it cannot defend against magic dragons."

Eddard, Daenerys, and Jon rode the magic dragons and landed above Bitterbridge; the residents and soldiers of the town of Bitterbridge let out bursts of shouts and cheers.

Taking advantage of the Balrog pinning down the naga, Eddard manipulated the magic dragons to attack the *Silence*. The *Silence* was ignited by dragonfire, and the wizards fled in panic; the dragon horn, the Storm Horn, and the Kraken Horn all stopped.

The magic dragon, trapped by tentacles, attempted to attack the naga with dragonfire; the dragonfire ignited the surrounding seawater, yet the naga remained unmoved.

That sound seemed to come from the abyss, extremely terrifying, and the magic dragon instantly lost control.

Rhaegal, Flying Wolf, and Drogon began to flap their wings continuously, attempting to throw the riders off their backs.

"Sam, you shall accompany me on the expedition and be responsible for managing the ravens."

Randyll said disdainfully, "A maester? A man should never forge a slave's chain and then serve others in a castle. If it were up to my plan, I would not let Sam become a maester; he is better suited to be a swineherd."

Subsequently, Randyll saw Sam in the crowd.

Margaery raised her voice, "Lord Alester, during the War of the Five Kings, you led House Florent to defect to Stannis of the Stormlands. Highgarden has already stripped the Florents of their fiefs and bestowed them upon my second brother, Garlan."

Euron and Littlefinger could only jump onto a small boat to escape, but they were caught in a fishing net, and mermaid warriors and shrimp soldiers and crab generals emerged from the water.

Littlefinger smiled and said, "Compared to His Majesty Euron, Eddard is still far behind, a useless coward!"

Jon Snow frowned, "Painted Table Hall has no strategic value; why would the ironborn attack Painted Table Hall?"

Euron said gloomily, "Then don't waste time, kill me quickly! The Great Other is summoning me, and I will be reborn in the land of ice and snow!"

On Stannis's side, Alester Florent is Stannis's Hand of the King, and his niece Selyse is Stannis's Queen; House Florent holds a prominent position, yet the price for all this is that House Florent's castles and fiefs in The Reach were all seized by House Tyrell.

At this moment, the Magic Dragon Koi, Viserion, and Eagle Eye had already flown above the Iron Islands fleet; the magic dragons returned to Eddard's control, and Eddard used his mind to control the magic dragons, spewing Dragonfire.

Eddard controlled Rhaegal, Feilang, and Drogon to join the chorus of burning longships; under the gaze of the Hightower and the god's eye, the Iron Islands fleet screamed repeatedly.

Euron Greyjoy said smugly, "This is the Dragon Horn dug out from the Valyrian Ruins; compared to the Valyrians, what do Eddard and Daenerys know about Dragon-binding? Once I make a move, I easily grasp all of this."

Euron Greyjoy and Littlefinger were instantly dumbfounded.

One night a few days later, Eddard rode the magic dragon Feilang and arrived above Oldtown.

Roose Bolton whispered, "Your Majesty, Balon is still alive; Euron seized Balon's Driftwood Crown and Seastone Chair, and Euron personally led the expedition to The Reach, leaving Balon to guard the Iron Islands. Why would Balon be so submissive to Euron?"

The ocean witch Grace said, "My Sea Snake, Oakfist, Mermaid Army, and shrimp soldiers and crab generals can help Your Majesty defeat Euron and the Iron Islands fleet."

Quaithe, wearing a Red Lacquer Mask, said, "Besides these magic horns, Euron Greyjoy also has the Dragon Horn in his hands. It is said that once the Dragon Horn sounds, it can control magic dragons."

"Prince Oberyn, Brienne, Ser Barristan, The Hound Sandor, the Lightning Lord, the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, the sharpshooter Fellan, Domeric, you all follow me and set out together."

Eddard said, "How is the war situation in The Reach?"

Euron and Littlefinger on the Silence saw the magic dragons defect and betray Stark, and they clapped and laughed.

The Dragon Horn could no longer control the magic dragons; Euron was furious and personally blew the Dragonbinder.

Stannis said, "The Royal Fleet awaits His Majesty's orders. After being equipped with cannons and firearms, the Royal Fleet's strength has greatly increased. We can send the Royal Fleet to the Arbor and use the Arbor as a base to counter the ironborn along the coast of The Reach."

This time, what was summoned was a Naga.

The ocean witch Grace shook her crystal-colored dress and left the hall with her subordinates.

Many villages along the rivers were reduced to scorched earth. If it weren't for Randyll Tarly holding Bitterbridge with his army, many castles west and south of Bitterbridge would have been occupied by the ironborn.

Eddard said, "He is responsible for the ravens; I intend to send Sam to the Citadel to study; he will become a Maester in the future, or even a Grand Maester."

Eddard said, "Theon, according to the law, after Balon, you are the Heir to the Iron Islands; Euron stole what belongs to you, but rest assured, I will definitely help you win it back."

A few days later, Eddard rode the magic dragon Feilang, Daenerys rode on Drogon's back, and Jon Snow rode the magic dragon Rhaegal, soaring in the sky; on the ground, ten thousand elite troops marched majestically along the Rose Road toward The Reach.

The Reach does not lack soldiers, but it lacks the means to deal with the ironborn longship fleet; coupled with Euron's Magic, the ironborn longships are simply invincible on the oceans and rivers. Today, the ironborn longships threaten Brightwater Keep, approach Highgarden, and travel up the Mander River; even the tributaries of the Mander River, the Goldtree River, the Blueburn, and the Honeywine, have the presence of ironborn longships.

Eddard said, "You are evil to the core, slaughtering the innocent, and taking pleasure in abusing others; I already have the Sea Snake and Oakfist, what use do I have for you?"

Eddard said, "The Bounty Horn consumes Element Power; only those who have mastered Element Power can blow the Bounty Horn, and each time it consumes a lot of Magic. However, this Magic can indeed be used to solve the food problem. If one possesses the Bounty Horn during a siege, there is no need to worry about food and fodder."

Eddard patted Sam on the shoulder to show encouragement.

The naval battle at the mouth of the Honeywine completely destroyed the main force of the Iron Islands fleet; in this battle, Victarion, Asha Greyjoy, and Aeron Greyjoy were all captured.

Jon Connington said, "Your Majesty, according to the news brought by the raven from Seagard, after our fleet entered Ironman's Bay, it encountered a storm. Helene Pyke said in the letter that many ships were destroyed by the storm, the gunpowder on the remaining ships was all soaked by the rain, the cannons malfunctioned, and the fleet could only retreat to ports like Seagard, Fair Isle, and Blacksmith City to find opportunities to attack again."

"Euron, Littlefinger, you have been captured."

Ice slashed off Littlefinger's head, and the corpse was thrown down from the Hightower to feed the seagulls and crabs.

"Quiet!" Eddard ended their argument.

Eddard said, "Jon, tell me, what is the sigil of the Merryweather House of Painted Table Hall?"

Jon Snow thought for a moment, "A golden Bounty Horn, with plums, onions, carrots, turnips, leeks, and colorful fruits overflowing from the horn."

Lord Alester Florent said, "Sam, with His Majesty backing you, you don't need to fear Lord Randyll."

Randyll Tarly said disdainfully, "I have seen that Bounty Horn several times; it is just a gold-plated horn, what kind of Magic could it have?"

Littlefinger was stunned, "Your sea monsters cannot destroy the Hightower that possesses magical power; the magic dragon reinforcements have arrived, how will you counter the magic dragons?"

The Onion Knight said, "Euron Greyjoy is as evil as the Storm God; he can create storms. Will the Royal Fleet encounter the same fate as the Iron Islands fleet?"

Eddard said, "Daenerys, the Dragon Horn is indeed a hidden danger, but rest assured, we will thwart Euron's conspiracy and win the final victory."

Painted Table Hall is not far from Bitterbridge; Eddard, Daenerys, and Jon Snow rode the magic dragons and flew above Painted Table Hall.

Theon clenched his fists.

Lord Merryweather, together with his Myr wife, greeted Eddard. Lord Merryweather said, "Your Majesty saved my wife, son, and relatives; if Your Majesty had come a day later, the castle would have fallen, and my family would have been humiliated and slaughtered by the ironborn."

Eddard said disdainfully, "Compared to your evil deeds, death is a mercy to you."

Randyll Tarly nodded, "The ironborn are besieging the Merryweather family's castle, Painted Table Hall."

Today, Eddard's lineup of wizards has been further strengthened: the Red Priestess Melisandre, Quaithe wearing a Red Lacquer Mask, the Black Flame Moqorro specializes in fire magic, the Golden Lady specializes in metal magic, and the ocean witch Grace specializes in water element magic.

After Eddard's army arrived in The Reach, the ironborn voluntarily withdrew from the Mander River and its tributaries, and the ironborn army continued to assemble toward the Shield Islands and Oldtown. The next day, Eddard, Daenerys, and Jon Snow immediately took the magic dragons and headed to Oldtown.

Lord Alester Florent said indignantly, "Back then, the Tyrell family of Highgarden supported Renly Baratheon in usurping the throne; aren't they traitors too? What right do you have to accuse the Florents of being traitors?"

"My father, Lord Randyll Tarly, is fighting in The Reach; if he saw me responsible for managing ravens instead of wearing armor and fighting with a sword in hand, my father, Lord Randyll, would definitely scold me."

Eddard said calmly, "During my expedition, Robb will remain in King's Landing."

"Sam actually followed His Majesty to The Reach; may I ask, what can Sam do?"

After night fell, Eddard, Daenerys, and Jon Snow returned to Bitterbridge, and in front of the Weirwood Heart Tree in the Godswood, Eddard blew the Bounty Horn.

Euron said, "Daenerys's dragons and Stark's dragons will all be my dragons, because I have the Dragon Horn."

Thousands of Naga tentacles flew more than ten fathoms out of the sea, grabbing the Koi, Eagle Eye, and Viserion, and the magic dragons fell into the sea screaming.

Thirty longships were besieging Painted Table Hall; the magic dragons Feilang, Koi, Eagle Eye, Rhaegal, Viserion, and Drogon spewed Dragonfire, igniting the longships; the ironborn on the ships screamed as they caught fire and burned, and the ironborn's catapults were also completely destroyed.

The tentacles grabbed toward the more distant magic dragons Rhaegal, Drogon, and Feilang; Eddard on Feilang's back drew the greatsword Ice, and a flash of ice instantly froze the tentacles in the air.

The Knight of Flowers, Loras, said, "You and House Florent are both traitors to The Reach; how dare you still claim to be from The Reach?"

A dozen longships burned instantly; Euron could only manipulate the wind direction and waves to let the Silence avoid the magic dragons' attacks.

Subsequently, Eddard chanted a spell, and the sword light struck the night sky; the night sky turned crimson and tore open; under the burning sky, a huge fireball smashed into the sea and turned into a Balrog.

House Florent is a high-ranking great house in The Reach and even in all of Westeros, but it is a pity that in the War of the Five Kings, House Florent stood on the wrong side twice in a row; at first, like their liege lord House Tyrell of Highgarden, House Florent supported Renly Baratheon in wearing the crown, but later, when Renly showed signs of decline, House Florent immediately changed their stance and defected to Stannis.

Euron Greyjoy smiled obsequiously: "Eddard, spare my life. I know the location of the Pirate King's treasure. I can sail for you, and conquer for you."

"Stannis should have been the best candidate to lead the Royal Fleet on the expedition, but Stannis still needs to help my son Robb to defend King's Landing, the Crownlands, and the Stormlands. I believe that with the Sea Snake Corlys Velaryon and Alyn of Hull leading the army, plus the escort of mermaids and sea soldiers, the Royal Fleet will surely be able to defeat the enemy."

The sea witch Grace rode upon a giant sea turtle.

These words aroused the dissatisfaction of Margaery and the Knight of Flowers, Loras.

Littlefinger wept: "Your Majesty, I am a friend of Catelyn and Edmure Tully, and the foster son of Hoster. The Blackfish knows me well. Please, spare me!"

The sea witch Grace said: "Your Majesty, there is no doubt that Euron Greyjoy used Magic to create this storm."

Euron Greyjoy's Valyrian Steel Armor, Wave Horn, Storm Horn, Kraken Horn, the Naga, the Sea Monster, and all the rare treasures aboard the Silence were all taken into Eddard's possession.

Littlefinger said: "King Euron, Eddard has arrived in The Reach with his Magic Dragon, giant eagle, and Griffin. The Ironborn cannot contend with the Magic Dragon. I suggest we take the army and retreat to the Iron Islands immediately."

"Knight of Flowers Loras, this time the army is entering The Reach to fight. You are a warrior of House Tyrell of Highgarden, so you should serve as the vanguard. I will assign three thousand cavalry to you."

The gale blew fiercely, like an impatient lover, tearing at the clothes of Eddard, Daenerys, and Jon.

Eddard saw the chubby Sam in the crowd.

While Eddard marched, Brynden Tully and Roland Crakehall led the Westerlands Army along the Ocean Road into The Reach. Count Vance, Count Piper, Count Bracken, and the Riverlands army led by Black Walder entered The Reach from Stoneway. Prince Doran of Dorne also sent an army into The Reach to resist the Ironborn.

"Your Majesty, I request that you dispatch troops quickly to defeat Euron Greyjoy, force the Ironborn to surrender, and annex the Iron Islands."

Eddard, riding on the back of the Magic Dragon Feilang, said to Jon Snow on the back of Rhaegal and Daenerys on the back of Drogon: "Euron Greyjoy has the Dragon Horn in his hands. He is very likely to use the Dragon Horn to attempt to control the Magic Dragons. You must be careful."

Eddard said: "The Ironborn are after the Bounty Horn. Hand the Bounty Horn over to me; otherwise, the Ironborn will continue to attack your lands and castles."

Eddard said: "In the hands of an ordinary person, a Magic horn is just a common collectible, but in the hands of Euron Greyjoy, it is very likely to possess Magic."

The Ironborn's individual combat capability at sea is unrivaled. Many of Eddard's Naval Fleet have been equipped with firearms and cannons, which is an advantage when fighting the Ironborn.

Eddard turned to Euron Greyjoy, "Do you have any last words?"

Ice severed Euron Greyjoy's head, blood dripping, and a streak of black mist shot into the sky.

Thanks to Flying Baby, TCOGMX, 20220830052652985, and 20200729190501619 for the monthly tickets. Thank you for your support!

(End of this chapter)