Aegon picked up the green wooden crown at his feet. The texture in his hands was unlike any ordinary wood—it felt more like the slippery, cool scales of a fish.
The chip in his mind quickly began scanning it, and soon, the crown's detailed attributes appeared before him:
[Item: Driftwood Crown]
[Type: Accessory]
[Quality: Blue]
[Rating: 59]
[Function: When worn, grants the ability to breathe underwater. The crown will generate a map in the wearer's mind leading to the Water Palace.]
[Note: You have obtained the opportunity to meet the tentacle monster!]
After reading through the information, a question surfaced in Aegon's mind: Lodos, the son of the Drowned God, had entered the deep sea wearing the Driftwood Crown. With its underwater breathing ability, had he truly died? Or had he, as the legends claimed, actually reached the palace of the Drowned God he so devoutly believed in?
Aegon stood in thought for a moment before shaking his head, discarding the idea of putting on the crown and diving into the sea to find out.
Whatever the truth, the Drowned God didn't seem like the benevolent sort—there was no need to take that kind of risk.
By then, the Targaryen army had already landed on the island.
The two noble houses of Old Wyk—House Drumm and House Goodbrother of Shatterstone—saw that the tide had turned and chose to surrender without a fight.
Corlys brought them before Aegon, who calmly accepted their oath of loyalty.
The two lords prostrated themselves on the ground, pouring out words of flattery and praise.
Aegon lightly raised his hand, signaling for them to rise. He asked the two heads of house to serve as his guides, as he had grown curious about the island's history and legends.
The head of House Drumm led the way.
Aegon noticed that Lord Drumm was doing most of the talking, while Lord Goodbrother showed clear deference in both words and manner.
"Your Grace, among the Ironborn, Old Wyk is considered the holiest of the Iron Islands. The kingsmoots have always been held here," Lord Drumm began enthusiastically, pointing toward the bay. "That bay is called Nagga's Cradle. Legend has it that during the Age of Heroes, the Grey King lured the sea dragon Nagga to these shores with food, and then slew it right here on the beach using a magical weapon.
"Your Grace, if you look there—those white bone pillars rising from the Hall of the Grey King—they are said to be the ribs of Nagga herself."
"The kingsmoot had been suspended for centuries, but in recent years, rebellion in the name of the Drowned God revived the old rite. Tens of thousands of Ironborn died in the strife, and we of Old Wyk suffered greatly. If not for Your Grace, the true and supreme king, descending upon the Iron Islands, who knows how many more years the three pretenders would have fought over the throne."
"This way, please..." Lord Drumm bowed deeply and led Aegon toward a nearby hill.
With Corlys and his elite guards surrounding him, Aegon followed Lord Drumm up the steep slope. The hill was covered in wild grass, and from its summit, one could see all of Nagga's Cradle stretched out below.
From here, Aegon could also see the surrounding coastal waters of Old Wyk. He noticed disturbed stones on the ground—evidence that someone had recently been here. Perhaps Lodos, the son of the Drowned God, had visited this place before vanishing.
Lord Drumm continued his explanation, "This is Nagga Hill, the site of the kingsmoot. Those who seek the throne stand upon... yes, this very stone platform to give their speech and win the support of the Ironborn captains. The one who gains the most support becomes King of the Iron Islands."
Aegon stepped onto the kingsmoot platform. It was a massive rectangular slab of dark stone, its material unknown. He spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
"From this day forward, there shall be no more kings of the Iron Islands—only the king of the Targaryens!"
Lord Drumm and Lord Goodbrother exchanged glances. Under the watchful gaze of Corlys and the surrounding guards, they obediently knelt before Aegon, who stood upon the stone platform, and swore their allegiance in unison.
With that, the War of Conquest in the Iron Islands could be considered complete.
The three great Ironborn factions had either submitted or been destroyed beneath the ironclad might of the Targaryen fleet. All had bowed to their new king.
Of the Iron Islands' eight major isles, only the two most remote—Lonely Light and Blacktyde—remained unconquered.
Aegon did not continue the northern march. Instead, he sent ravens to those two islands, ordering their lords to come to Old Wyk and present themselves before the Dragonlord.
These two islands were of little value within the Iron Islands and held the weakest power among the isles. Upon receiving Aegon's orders, they dared not show the slightest resistance.
Aegon commanded that the Hall of the Grey King be carefully restored. In this hall, rich with symbolic weight and history for the Ironborn, he hosted a grand banquet to celebrate the victory in the War of Conquest. It was here he intended to bestow new titles upon the lords from the Riverlands, the Reach, and the Westerlands.
Originally, Aegon had planned to hold the investiture ceremonies for the two dukes in the newly constructed city of King's Landing, to enhance the sacred prestige of the future royal capital. However, due to the scale and grandeur of its design, King's Landing was still far from complete.
Even after three or four years of construction, the three outer court palaces meant for handling state affairs had yet to be roofed.
At the banquet, several beautiful daughters of Ironborn noble houses moved gracefully through the hall, pouring wine and entertaining the lords from the green lands.
Aegon kept one arm gently wrapped around Lady Raedelle's slender waist, raising cups and toasting freely with his vassals.
Naturally, all the food and drink served at the feast had been thoroughly inspected by Aegon's personal guard beforehand. He had no intention of allowing any attempt at poisoning to succeed—a single incident could wipe out the Targaryen rulers and spell total ruin.
Within the Hall of the Grey King, Aegon conferred the following titles:
House Tully was granted the title Lord Paramount of the Trident, governing the riverlands and Harlaw. Blacktyde, meanwhile, was assigned to House Frey of the Reach.
House Hightower was named Lord Paramount of the Reach, with authority over the Reach's coastal territories from Highgarden outward, half of Great Wyk (the other half now belonged to the Westerlands), and Saltcliffe.
House Lannister of the Westerlands received the other half of Great Wyk. The Ironborn lands in this region held valuable iron ore, leading Loren to feel that the fifty pounds of gold he had offered had been more than worth it.
The islands under direct Crown control now included Pyke, Orkmont, Old Wyk, and Lighthouse Island. Lighthouse Island was granted to House Velaryon and placed under the authority of the Crown's vassals.
Pyke possessed the Iron Islands' richest iron deposits, while Orkmont and Old Wyk also boasted significant natural and mineral resources.
For the court of the Targaryen dynasty, it was a celebration all around. Nearly every noble who had participated in the War of Conquest had received their share of spoils and reward.
But for the native lords of the Iron Islands, the mood was quite different. Each of them now had a liege lord imposed over their heads.
Aegon, of course, noticed the sour looks on the local nobles' faces—but it was all within his expectations. He mused silently: If you don't stir up trouble or cause unrest, how else will I find a reason to weaken the great houses of Westeros?
During the feast, Loren, Lord of the Westerlands, proposed that he and the two newly appointed dukes adopt male heirs from the Ironborn vassal families as foster sons, to foster stronger ties between the native lords and their new overlords.
Aegon sat at the head of the hall, privately amused.
He saw clearly how, upon hearing Loren's suggestion, the native Ironborn lords nearly burst into flames. It was as if they might leap forward any second to hack Loren to pieces.
The two new dukes considered the idea, then nodded in agreement. After all, the Ironborn had opposed them for millennia—there was no telling when a rebellion might flare again. Keeping one or two noble heirs close as hostages would serve as a useful countermeasure.
At that moment, all eyes turned to Aegon, waiting to see how he would respond. If Aegon disapproved of the plan, the other three lords would certainly back down from taking Ironborn heirs.
But Aegon was too busy whispering and flirting with Lady Raedelle to pay any attention to the room.
Seeing this, the three lords understood clearly—Aegon had given his silent approval.
The Ironborn, meanwhile, sank into silent gloom. Inwardly, they came to a bitter realization: the new king had little affection for these conquered vassals.
After three days of celebration on Old Wyk, the Targaryen army, under the command of the three lords, began to disperse and return to their respective fiefdoms in the Iron Islands.
After all, the newly acquired territories needed to be explored to see what resources or valuables they held.
Aegon, meanwhile, returned to Orkmont with Lady Raedelle. For centuries, House Hoare had treated Orkmont as the royal seat of the Iron Islands, and compared to Old Wyk, it was far more comfortable and pleasant.
The three lords accompanied Aegon to Orkmont, issuing orders to their troops via ravens.
Aegon remained on Orkmont after returning, just like the three lords, who did not immediately head back to Harrenhal. As the newly annexed Iron Islands still required the king's presence to suppress unrest, Aegon planned to stay until the situation stabilized before returning.
In his second month on Orkmont, Aegon received a letter from Queen Visenya. She reported that the rebellion in the Three Sisters had been quelled by the combined efforts of the Vale fleet and Visenya herself. She inquired when Aegon planned to return to Harrenhal. Aegon replied only that the Iron Islands still needed his presence and that his return date was uncertain.
With the submission of the Three Sisters and the Iron Islands, all of Westeros south of the Wall had come under King Aegon's rule—except for Dorne.
Aegon instructed Visenya to lead the effort to persuade the Kingdom of Dorne to surrender. He dispatched an envoy made up of high lords, Maesters, and Septons to Sunspear to negotiate with Meria Martell, the "Yellow Toad of Dorne," presenting the many advantages of joining a unified realm.
Aegon expressed his willingness to grant House Martell the title of Lord of Dorne. At the same time, he issued a stern warning: if Dorne still refused to yield by the time he returned from the Iron Islands, House Martell would face the same fate as the Iron Islands—not as an independent duchy, but divided among the vassals of House Targaryen.
After sending the letter, Aegon once again lost himself in the tender embrace of Lady Raedelle.
Months passed quietly. Even Rhaenys, who was now pregnant, began urging King Aegon to return to Harrenhal.
After months of effort, Lady Raedelle had finally conceived the king's child, and her body had begun to show clear signs of pregnancy.
During those months, the Iron Islands indeed became plagued with problems.
After all, it was the Green lands that had conquered the Ironborn, and many of the Ironborn remained unwilling to accept the rule of Westerosi lords. From time to time, rebellion would flare up. Nobles from the Reach, Riverlands, and Westerlands were frequently targeted in assassination attempts, and some Ironborn even formed raiding parties dozens strong to attack the residences of the three lords.
Although several Westerosi nobles were killed or wounded, all uprisings were eventually crushed. The reason Aegon and the three lords had not returned to Westeros was precisely because they were busy rooting out these rebel elements.
The prisons on Orkmont began to fill to capacity.
Conditions on the other seven islands of the Iron Islands were likely even more dire, with the number of criminals continuing to climb.
Though the Targaryen dynasty had used iron-fisted tactics to suppress the unrest, a new problem emerged—what to do with the ever-growing number of Ironborn prisoners. A massacre would only further fuel ethnic tensions between the people of Westeros and the Ironborn.
Rather than intervening directly, Aegon delegated the task of dealing with the prisoners to Corlys.
During a gathering of the three lords and the Master of Ships, Corlys put forth an idea.
Corlys said to the lords, "Rehabilitation through labor.
They're strong and unruly, aren't they?
Send them back to Westeros to build the Kingsroad. His Grace Aegon now plans to construct a great road connecting the Seven Kingdoms to promote trade and communication. The Kingsroad will soon begin construction. And in winter, who among the people of Westeros would volunteer to build roads? These criminals are the perfect labor force!"
"Right now, we've got perfect candidates coming straight to us. It's the same in the North—wildlings beyond the Wall are being captured and brought back to build roads and shovel snow."
Lord Loren clapped his hands in sudden realization after Corlys's suggestion. "Exactly! All we need to do is assign different lengths of labor reform based on the severity of their crimes.
I know a few slave overseers from Volantis—we won't have any trouble keeping these ironborn in line."
Lord Tully spoke up hesitantly, "Is it really appropriate to use slave overseers? After all, they're just criminals…"
Lord Loren scoffed dismissively, "They committed treason. In any lord's domain in Westeros, treason is punishable by death. We're giving them a chance to redeem themselves—they should be grateful."
Lord Hightower nodded in agreement. "That makes sense."
And just like that, prisoners who were once seen as a burden suddenly became highly valued. The three lords began arguing over who would get more of them.
...
During this time, another crisis hit the Iron Islands—a famine.
In the past, during winter when harvests failed, the ironborn would sail to the coasts of Westeros to raid and steal grain. But now that their lords had been incorporated into the Targaryen dynasty, such lawless acts were no longer tolerated.
As a result, the ironborn lost their main source of food, and they now faced the harsh prospect of starving through the winter.
With a population of over a million, the famine forced hundreds of thousands into becoming refugees.
As the crisis worsened, despair spread rapidly among the ironborn. They gathered in growing numbers, voicing their anger and frustration over their dire circumstances, harboring deep resentment toward Targaryen rule.
Tens of thousands of refugees surged toward Orkmont like a rising tide, begging King Aegon for help. They pleaded for food or asked that the ban on raiding be lifted so they could return to the coasts of Westeros to fend for themselves.
Aegon didn't respond immediately, and more and more refugees gathered outside the palace on Orkmont—including many ironborn nobles—falling to their knees and pleading desperately.
If not for Balerion, the great dragon guarding the island, that starving mob might have already stormed the palace.
A few days later, Corlys arrived at the square outside the palace with Aegon's decree.
Corlys announced loudly, "King Aegon is merciful. He has agreed to aid the ironborn refugees. But this food will not be handed out for free—you must work for His Grace to earn it."
At first, the refugees stood in stunned silence, unable to believe what they'd heard. But after a moment, cheers erupted like thunder.
"King Aegon is our savior! He is truly a merciful ruler!" cried an elderly man with trembling voice and silvered hair.
"In this moment between life and death, only King Aegon is willing to save us! He is the greatest king the Iron Islands have ever known!" the crowd shouted in unison, their voices soaring into the skies.
Aegon's policy of labor in exchange for relief was undoubtedly a bold and unprecedented move.
The Targaryen navy swiftly mobilized, transporting the tens of thousands of refugees gathered on Orkmont. Some were sent to construction sites in King's Landing to help build the capital; others were dispatched to the gold mines in the Westerlands and the iron mines on Pyke to work in extraction.
Aegon's father, Aerion, who oversaw the Federal Council, took charge of purchasing large quantities of grain from the continent of Essos to ensure the refugees didn't starve. The white sugar invented in Harrenhal was now mainly exported to several Free Cities in Essos, providing ample funds.
The three lords followed Aegon's example, adopting the same method to manage the refugees in their territories—some were sent to work in the mines, others to build King Aegon's road.
This grand road connecting all Seven Kingdoms was a task personally assigned by Aegon. Each territory was responsible for a segment, and any lord who lagged behind in progress would face penalties in taxation.
That winter, ship after ship loaded with iron ore sailed from the Iron Islands to the Crownlands of Westeros.
Aegon standardized the purchase price and bought all the ore.
At the time, the Iron Islands were too far from Volantis for efficient trade, allowing Aegon to purchase iron at extremely low prices—laying the foundation for his next phase: constructing road and rail networks within King's Landing.
...
[Up to 20 chapters ahead for now]
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