Viserys imprisoned all the leaders of the bandits together.
That included anyone related to them by blood or entangled in their interests.
These were the people who had rampaged unchecked along the Little Rhoyne River, oppressing the locals and committing countless crimes.
Viserys decided to use their heads to win over the hearts of the people in Gohor.
He planned to gather the oppressed Andal villagers in the area in a few days and publicly execute men like Old Punk as an example.
Until then, the prisoners would be held under tight guard.
After a round of torture, the bandit leaders "coughed up" treasure worth nearly forty to fifty thousand gold dragons.
Ock took a detachment to sweep through their hideouts.
Food, weapons, and other supplies were the top priority.
The Upper Rhoyne and Little Rhoyne Rivers converged at Gohor, together flowing into the main Rhoyne River.
The Andals were mostly concentrated on the western side of the Little Rhoyne, while the Rhoynar occupied the east.
The middle ground, which included the ruins of the original city of Gohor, served as a buffer zone between them.
Though the battle had been a sweeping victory and eliminated most of the armed bandit presence along the Little Lorne, Viserys did not move to seize the territories of the Andal "mountain kings."
Nor did he bother to pursue and root out the remaining bandit leaders. Instead, he led his troops straight to the ruins of the city of Gohor.
His goal was never to control just the Little Rhoyne River Valley.
He wanted all of Gohor.
Besides, the territory of those old mountain kings was too chaotic and populated with a mix of peoples—troubles were bound to arise.
Accompanied by Arthur and Oberyn, Viserys strolled through the remains of ancient Gohor.
The Rhoynar had built their city on high ground.
Crumbled walls could be seen everywhere.
After Valyria destroyed Gohor, the ruins slowly vanished over time. Even the broken walls of the city were scavenged by nearby settlers for stone to build their own homes.
Now, all that remained were wall foundations buried in yellowed weeds—barely ankle-high.
But even with only these remnants, it was clear the scale of Gohor had far surpassed King's Landing.
"Your Majesty, from the looks of it, Gohor must've been at least three times larger than King's Landing," Arthur remarked.
"No city in Westeros can compare with the Free Cities. Even Sunspear is no match for Norvos," Oberyn added, sharing his insights.
Of course, most of what he said came from overhearing his sister repeatedly compare Sunspear unfavorably to Norvos.
Then he turned to Viserys and said, "It seems time has left you nothing. Building a new castle from a blank canvas will take a fortune."
His tone carried a trace of concern.
Not for Viserys himself, but for his sister—he worried she might not even have a proper place to live in the future.
A princess should reside in a castle, not in a mud hut like some peasant woman.
Viserys, however, was quite satisfied with the location. To build a city, one needed the three elements: mountains, water, and plains.
The Rhoynar had chosen the site well. He would build a new city atop the ruins of Gohor.
Smiling, Viserys said, "Prince Oberyn, land's value lies in its location—and Gohor's location is excellent.
It is flanked by water on three sides and backed by mountains. Great rivers run north and south, and major roads stretch east and west.
Countless trade caravans will pass through here. Do you know the Frey family of Riverrun?"
Oberyn, of course, knew the Freys.
Their castle was built on a bridge. They grew filthy rich just from charging tolls.
During the War of the Five Kings, they could even send over two thousand fully armed men to fight alongside Robb Stark.
Had Viserys not appeared in this world, that bridge would eventually host one of the most infamous weddings in history.
"So, you want to collect tolls here?" Oberyn asked.
"Exactly. That's Gohor's true value. It's a strategic hub. If I can fully conquer it, I'll be able to collect substantial tolls," Viserys said, his gaze stretching toward the distant horizon, ambition gleaming in his eyes.
Of course, dreams were beautiful—but he knew very well how difficult it would be to truly conquer this land. In fact, it would be extremely difficult.
After all, this was not unclaimed land. The Andals along the Little Rhoyne and the Rhoynar along the Upper Rhoyne were not foes that could be dealt with overnight.
To claim this place, there were many hard battles ahead.
Even if he managed to subdue it, would Pentos and Braavos simply sit by and watch House Targaryen seize control?
Both city-states had massive trade interests in the region and long coveted control of this transport hub.
Why did Freygo supply him with weapons and resources, and even offer to buy his warships at high prices? Was it because he had money to burn?
Of course not.
He was trying to use a tiger to chase off the wolves—hoping to weaken Pentos's power by leveraging Targaryen strength.
And Pentos would do the same. Having failed in this attempt to suppress the Targaryens, they were sure to strike again.
Viserys knew that even if he crushed the Andals and Rhoynar of Gohor, Braavos and Pentos would not stay out of it.
If House Targaryen wanted to collect tolls here, they would need the strength to defend the toll gate.
He could already foresee it: when he was on the verge of securing full control of Gohor, Braavos and Pentos would join forces to stir up trouble.
Neither wanted the other to control this place—but they especially didn't want a third power to gain it either.
For Viserys, this victory was only the beginning.
.....
Corren Antaryon was a distant nephew of Freygo Antaryon. He had been sent by Freygo to verify Viserys's military results.
In this era, relying on trusted kin was standard practice.
When Corren arrived at the Targaryen encampment, he found the army using prisoners to build fortifications.
Viserys had chosen speed over quality.
So the entire fort was built with a combination of wood and stone.
In less than half a month, the camp had already taken shape. Once Corren saw the number of prisoners, he could roughly estimate how cleanly Viserys had won that first battle.
What baffled him was how the Targaryens had achieved such a result despite being outnumbered.
After reporting his identity, Corren was granted an audience with the young king.
"Your Majesty Viserys," Corren said respectfully, "word of your great victory has already reached us. On behalf of Braavos and the Sealord, I've come to offer our congratulations."
He presented the gifts he had brought—some jewels, several suits of fine armor, and various fabrics.
Viserys accepted them with a cheerful smile, offering modest praise for Arthur and the others' bravery in battle.
But Corren was no fool. After a few pleasantries, he seized the opportunity to ask, "Your Majesty, would you be willing to share the details of the battle?"
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