In the newly renovated Chamber of War with the glass table, right next to the council chamber, where the map of Essos was displayed, Azaerys intently stared at the Basilisk Isles, making the islands blink.
On the map, the Isle of Butterflies, Island of Ghaen, Dragonport, Egg Island, ruins of Old Ghis, the Isle of Goats close to Old Ghis, the land south of the Worm River stretching as far as the trade route between Lhazosh and Vaes Orvik, and Astapor were lit in a soft light, marking the territories of the Summer Kingdom.
He felt like he was in his dream again, watching the dragonlords of Valyria gather around a similar table, deciding on the fate of the Basilisk Isles after the fall of Old Ghis.
"The Basilisk Isles do not hold much value to us right now, Your Grace," Boros furrowed his brows. "Neither do we have enough manpower to manage and protect them even if we do conquer them."
"I am not thinking about conquering all of them, Ser Boros." The king smiled and then looked towards the Kharzik scouts, who have been keeping track of the pirates, smugglers, and the slavers that attacked Naath and Ghaen. "We need to clear the Basilisk Isles close to the Basilisk Point and make a stronghold on the Isle of Flies. That's all."
His council, including Aegon, who was attending it for the first time, furrowed their brows.
"Why, Your Grace?" Garret Gryffonn, second of the Gryffonn brothers, asked.
"To bring stability to Dragonport and Naath we need to eliminate all the pirate hubs in the Summer Sea. Having our Naath legion patrol the island for twelve nights every moon is not easy, especially when they have to constantly engage with the enemies," Rhaenys informed them. "The journey alone takes them twelve hours on hippogriffs, and then they have to patrol the island every night. It is exhausting. It's either we give up on Naath or create a Kharzik stronghold on the Isle of Flies or the Triplets. On hippogriffs, the Isle of Flies is only two hours away from the Isle of Butterflies. The Triplets are slightly closer. However, there is no foundation of a civilisation on those three islands."
She placed the dragon tokens on the places she mentioned.
"Also, once we have the Isle of Flies and the islands around it under control, clearing the rest of the Basilisk Isles of all the slavers, smugglers, and pirates will be easier and will also deal a big blow to the slave trade in Slaver's Bay. These pirates supply Yunkai, Meereen, Elyria, and Tolos thousands of kidnapped children, women, and men every year. Most of the exotic slaves, such as Naathi are supplied by them."
"Correct," Azaerys nodded to her assessment.
"How are we going to clear these isles?" Boros could not find a way even as he wracked his brains. "Dragons would be the easy option, but now is not the right time to reveal them."
"Dragons are not an option," Azaerys shook his head and looked at the person who was wearing a cloak and a white mask. "White Hand?"
"The Fly Bane is ready, Your Grace. We just need to shower the powder on the Isle of Flies every night for half a moon. It will clear almost all of the flies that infest the island, and this island is safe from the Red Death. The Fly Bane will also affect the people on the island. Nothing fatal, but they will be left weak to resist the Kharzik forces when we decide to take control of the isle."
"Good. Garret and Zikko will be responsible for this mission. Start from tonight. We will take control of the Isle of Flies in exactly thirty days. Make all the necessary preparations." Azaerys assigned the task to the second Gryffonn brother and the Kharzik captain of the sky riders.
"Yes, Your Grace!"
"What are we going to do once we have cleared the Isle of Flies, Your Grace?" Boros asked. "We do not have the manpower to keep the island under control and safe."
"Don't worry, Ser Boros. We won't be compromising on the defence of Dragonport and Astapor. The force needed to keep the island under control has already been arranged."
The man sighed in relief and nodded his head, not asking any more questions.
"Let's say we have the Isle of Flies under control. What would be our next move?" Aegon frowned as he intently looked at the map.
"For starters, we will hunt the pirates on the nearby islands at night. We will terrorise them and force them to leave those smaller isles. And we will spend a year to develop the fortifications on the Isle of Flies where the Naath legion will reside."
Rhaenys pointed at the ruined fort on the Isle of Flies.
"We will restore the Darkhold. It will take exactly ten moons. Ser Boros, before the Tyrells arrange the Sunset Hills for us, you will lead the Blackstone Builders to restore the Darkhold. Once it's restored and fortified, you will leave directly for Westeros. Ser Jaremy and his merchant company will help you with anything you need."
"As you say, Your Grace." The knight accepted the task.
"The pirates won't leave the Basilisk Isles. They will still have Talon and other islands." Aegon furrowed his brows, and Azaerys smiled at watching his little brother using his brains.
"The goal is to push these pirates and smugglers to the eastern isles, restrict them to Talon, Isle of Toads, and the smaller isles between them and the Ax Island. And we will then deal with these concentrated areas by using some other methods." Azaerys glanced around the glass table. "I want all of you to come up with some ideas during the next session."
"Yes, Your Grace!" They all nodded to his words and were then dismissed by the king.
Only Rhaenys and the man with the white mask and a white glove on his right hand stayed behind.
His codename was White Hand, and he was the person in charge of the Dark Pyramid and all its activities.
"How's the progress?"
"The White Death will be ready in four moons, Your Grace. Enough to kill everyone on Ax Island, Talon, and in other pirate dens."
"I remind you again. The disease must not be contagious. We don't want it to spread outside of the Basilisk Isles." The princess furrowed her brows.
"Rest assured, Your Grace. The tests we have conducted so far have yielded desirable results. The White Death will be spread on the islands through the drinking water and the powder showers at night, and it will only work on people. It will make the people on the islands extremely weak, consume them in fever, weaken their eyesight, and cause them to have white spots all over their bodies. Easily distinguishable. The only two ways it can be passed from person to person is through the exchange of saliva, blood, and sexual intercourse," he informed the princess. "The more the victim pushes their body, the more the condition aggravates. Men will suffer the worst of it by physically exerting themselves. Eventually, everyone infected will die within three moons if they are not fed the antidotes."
"Good," Azaerys nodded. "Help Garret and Zikko with the Fly Bane. Make sure everyone takes an antidote before going on this mission. Once we have the Isle of Flies under control, Zikko will form a secret legion of sky riders to shower White Bane on Talon and other Basilisk Isles. We will leave Skull Island, Howling Mountain, and Ax Island for later years. Do not bother with the Isle of Tears."
"Understood, Your Grace."
"A man will come to see you on the day after tomorrow. A warlock. And you will give him the White Death to contaminate the drinking water sources on Talon and other islands. He will not give you his name, no matter how much you insist on it, and he will have a mark of flame on his right shoulder."
"I understand, Your Grace." The man bowed to him and took his leave.
"We need more forces, Az. We have dragons, but dragons can not actively defend cities and territories, and keep order," Rhaenys spoke as soon as they were alone in the chamber.
"I am aware, my sweet sister." He smiled at her and handed her an unopened letter.
It was from Ser Myles Mooton, who was, just like Ser Jaremy Rykker, a hidden knight and on a mission.
"Ser Myles has been purchasing slave warriors and sailors from Qarth for the past several years. His Salmon Company now has thirty-six hundred slave warriors and sailors. A hundred people who have been trained in the art of assassination at Asshai, and a hundred warlocks in his company as well. Six hundred horses and twenty-four ships."
Rhaenys' eyes widened when she read the report.
When she started reading the numbers, she was curious how Ser Myles was managing such a large mercenary company on his own, but now she understood what was really going on.
Those warlocks and assassins were helping him manage it. However, there was something in the letter that shocked her.
"The rulers of the House of Undying are gone?"
"Dead." The king smiled. "Our presence and the presence of our dragons weakened the spells that they had placed on themselves to live their long lives. Magic is constantly growing strong now, and since they had bet against it, they lost their lives. The House of Undying is now called the House of Warlocks, and a union of bloodmages, shadowbinders, aeromancers, pyromancers, hydromancers, terramancers, and the healers control it. There are three heads of each discipline."
"And the bloodmages, shadowbinders, pyromancers, terramancers, and healers answer to you." She guessed. "That's fifteen out of twenty-one people who control the warlocks."
"Sixteen. An aeromancer has submitted to me as well." He smiled when she rolled her eyes at his words. "We control the House of Warlocks in Qarth. Their influence will soon rise to the level of the Thirteen and the Ancient Guild of Spicers. In coming years, they will even be able to rival the Pureborn. They are already very powerful in the city and the Pureborn were quick to reconcile with them before the others could open their arms."
"We are not going after Qarth, right?"
"No, we are not. Neither are we going after Volantis. However, we will keep our influence in the two cities, in case they force our hands." He smiled. "I will be receiving envoys from both cities in the evening. They intend to form an alliance and test my attitude towards them."
She was relieved when she heard his words.
If they started going after Qarth and Volantis, they would have no time to focus on Westeros.
"We still need more men."
"What's the rush, sweet sister?" Azaerys smiled as he picked her up by her waist, and then placed her on the glass table.
Rhaenys pulled him down by his collar and kissed him, and the king replied to her need until she was satisfied and pulled back.
"We need to focus on Westeros as well, Az. If we keep focusing on Essos..."
"You don't need to worry about Westeros, Rhae." He gently cupped her cheek. "Let's focus on what we control right now. Let's focus on the Summer Kingdom."
She pouted at him.
"So, you plan on making Ser Myles the lord of the Basilisk Isles?"
"Eventually, yes. He will be in charge of all the Basilisk Isles to the west, north and east of the Basilisk Point. The Isle of Tears, the two islands close to it to its west, one in the north, and the Isle of Toads will belong to Zikko. His family will rule it. The grasslands and hills on the Isle of Tears are perfect for the hippogriffs."
Rhaenys curiously looked at the map.
"What about the Red Death? The Isle of Tears is too large and..."
"We have the cure for the Red Death," he informed her, much to her shock. "And it's important for the safety of our Kharzik forces and the hippogriffs that the disease remains on the Isle of Tears."
The princess understandingly nodded her head.
"What about the Ax Isle, Howling Mountain, the Skull Island, and the unnamed isles between them?"
These were the eastern Basilisk Isles, mountainous and volcanic.
"These islands will be under the control of a branch of the Gryffonn family. Little Gaius Gryffonn and his children will rule them. The Skull Island, Ax Island, and the Howling Mountain are perfect homes for the griffins. The Black Fort on Ax Island will be rebuilt, but it's something we don't have to address for the next ten years."
Rhaenys nodded her head and stared at the map of Essos.
"Az."
"Yes, Rhae?"
"We will return to Westeros, right?" She frowned and glanced at her brother when he did not answer her.
"Not all of us." He smiled after a while.
"Allyria does not want her children and Viserys to return to Westeros," she informed him. "She wants to live in Siren. In peace."
"I am aware."
"Mother wants the same."
"I know."
She hesitated and clenched her fists.
"Az... Dany told me about what Quaithe said to her..."
Azaerys chuckled at her words and leaned in to nudge his nose against hers.
"We will have a son, Rhae. He will bear the Targaryen name, and he will have his own kingdom, here in Essos. You and I will raise him with great care..."
Rhaenys stopped him from speaking more by capturing his lips, and her heart was finally at peace.
There was a blush on her cheeks when she pulled back, and she smiled a little.
"Arianne, Rhaemon, and Aegon have requested me to plead to you on their behalf..."
"They wish to visit Astapor and see the newly formed Armoured Elephant and Giant Ape legions?" He guessed.
"Yes."
"Do you wish to go as well?" He softly asked as he kissed her lips again.
"May I?" She mischievously grinned.
"Go. Take Aro, Seth, Horus, and a hundred Kharzik sky riders with you. Also, take the third Gryffonn brother as well. Glenn has been yearning to see his oldest brother."
"Thank you." She placed a kiss on his forehead and quickly jumped off the glass table to go and deliver the good news to her cousin and younger brothers.
"You must not stay in Astapor for more than seven days. I have to leave for Vaes Dothrak at the end of the moon."
"We will come back in time." She promised.
At noon, Rhaenys took her handmaidens, Queen Arianne, Prince Aegon, Prince Rhaemon, Prince Oberyn, Ser Garlan, Ellaria Sand, Margaery Tyrell, Alla Tyrell, Elinor Tyrell, and Leonette Fossoway with her to Astapor, and a hundred and twenty hippogriffs left with them.
The king chose to have his meal in his room, but he was not alone.
After the maids left, the girl sitting across from him, wearing a dark green robe, took off the red mask from her face and pulled her hood back.
Azaerys locked the door from inside with a wave of his hand and then smiled at the girl who removed her glamour, revealing a flawlessly cute and fair face, and fiery red hair and red eyes.
The two ate their lunch in silence, not speaking a word, and when they were done eating, they cleaned their hands and the girl accepted his invitation to take a nap together.
Quaithe soundly slept on top of him, in the safety of his arms, and did not wake up until the sky had darkened.
Azaerys knew that there were people waiting for an audience with him, but he waited until she woke up, and after planting a kiss on her head, he changed his outfit and left the room.
When he entered the great hall, the envoys from Volantis and Qarth, who were sitting on the sides, at the white stone tables, enjoying wine and snacks, stood up and bowed to him.
He did not pay attention to them and climbed up the stairs and sat down on his throne. Once there, he removed his hood and took off his mask, allowing the envoys to take a look at his face and Valyrian features.
The women who were in the delegations were stunned at his appearance. Tall, broad, handsome, with long black hair with lots of platinum blonde streaks, and despite themselves, they could not hide their smiles.
None of them had seen a man as handsome as him.
By now, the rumours about his appearance were already rampant, and almost everyone knew that he was of Valyrian descent. It was part of the reason why the Volantene Old Blood were interested in him and his family.
At his signal, two golden guards climbed up the stairs and approached him. They handed him the scrolls, which were the letters from the rulers of both the Free Cities.
Azaerys did not pay attention to the envoys, and only after reading both the letters, did he look at the Qartheen and the Volantene delegations.
"Dragonport is willing to have trade relationships with both Volantis and Qarth on equal terms. The alliance is agreeable as well, but the trade and gifts involving hippogriffs and griffins are off the table. Importantly, despite what some might have you believe, I would like to make it clear that my Summer Kingdom has no interest in the conquest of Volantis, Qarth, and their territories." He smiled at the Qartheen delegation. "Port Yhos is safe from us."
"What about Meereen and Yunkai, Your Grace?" A bald man, with a beak of a nose, crested with rubies, opals and jades, politely asked and bowed when the Summer King's eyes landed on him. "My name is Xaro Xhoan Daxos, and I represent the Thirteen of Qarth."
"What about them?" Azaerys smiled.
"Does His Grace have plans for them that involve conquests?"
"It all depends on their attitude, Xaro Xhoan Daxos. Do Meereen and Yunkai want war with my Summer Kingdom?" He asked but did not wait for an answer. "If they do, then they are welcome to band together, find as many allies as they want, and attack Astapor and Dragonport. I promise them death and ruin."
His words weighed heavily on their hearts.
"And if they seek peace?"
"Then peace is what they shall have. However, Astapor will never return to its old ways. That's not even up for discussion." He made his stance clear.
Soon, the door of the great hall opened, and an old man with a pure white beard and long white hair walked in, carrying a large scroll in his hands.
The old man knelt to his king and then stood up and spread the scroll on the massive round stone table in the centre of the hall.
"Take a look at the map of the Summer Kingdom," Azaerys said to the envoys, who curiously walked towards the table and looked at the regions that had been marked as the territories of the Summer Kingdom.