Beneath the black-and-red dragon banner, victors and vanquished sat together on the ground, encircling the walls of Viserys Fort.
"Bring some food," Viserys ordered.
Ser Roland Lake had already instructed the servants and soldiers to bake bread. The aroma of freshly baked loaves wafted from the ovens.
There wasn't time to prepare fresh roasted meat, so they made do with the strips of salted meat they had brought from Braavos.
"Eat. Fresh bread."
"And local wine from Andalos."
Hot bread and salted meat, washed down with the tart local red wine—it was a satisfying meal. Hunger bit sharper after a hard fight.
Viserys's best-performing soldiers and the wounded ate the best.
Those with average performance ate slightly less well. Finally came the newly surrendered Andal prisoners.
Having been briefed by Viserys, the Westerosi soldiers harbored little resentment. After all, if they wanted to establish a foothold here, young and strong manpower was essential.
The Andals on both sides of the Narrow Sea were originally one family. Except for the North and Dorne, Andal culture had effectively assimilated Westeros.
Now that the soldiers shared the Faith of the Seven, Viserys's veterans naturally discriminated less against the Andal integration.
Even so, the Andal prisoners were flattered and surprised. Prisoners in this era usually had zero rights.
Torture or indiscriminate killing of captives was commonplace.
When Andal tribes fought each other, there was always the temptation to secretly capture people and sell them as slaves for profit.
However, on the surface, due to the Faith of the Seven, such behavior was shameful and kept in the dark.
"Long live Viserys!"
"Viserys!" The Andal prisoners chanted Viserys's name between bites of food.
With a soft hand and a hard hand, plus the persuasive power of religious faith, these Andal prisoners were quickly assimilating into new warriors.
"You truly are a genuine knight, Your Grace," Bishop Ebony said with relief. The King possessed both the fearlessness of a warrior and a kind heart.
He finally didn't have to worry about this batch of Andal prisoners being sold off.
"Treating the faithful of the Seven kindly is the duty of all good men and women. Selling slaves is spat upon by all decent folk," Ser Roland Lake said to the proper Bishop Ebony of Andalos.
Regardless of their faith, Andals and Rhoynar opposed human slavery.
Within this framework, they were naturally excellent targets for recruitment and alliance.
"It seems the local Andals have engaged in selling their own kind before?" Viserys asked.
Bishop Ebony nodded sheepishly. "All decent Andal men and women despise the slave trade, but some desperate and wicked individuals will secretly sell captives to slavers for profit. Not only that, but Dothraki bandits and Tyroshi slavers also come here to raid for slaves."
After hearing this, Viserys felt the native Andals truly had it rough.
Slavers scouring the hills and wilds fit the Tyroshi habits perfectly.
The slave trade in Tyrosh was thriving, and its slavers were known for their belligerence. They even sailed Beyond the Wall to capture wildlings for slavery.
"You will be the King's subjects, not slaves," Viserys promised Bishop Ebony. "Followers of the Seven, Andals shall never be slaves."
"Yes, Your Grace," Bishop Ebony nodded excitedly. "The Andals should unite. May the Seven bless us to regain our glory."
These Andal villages would provide Viserys with population and taxes; in return, Viserys would provide military protection.
"It seems a war with the slavers is inevitable," Viserys thought. He just hadn't expected it to come so soon.
Because developing the lands of Andalos meant destined conflict with those human traffickers, slavers, and Dothraki bandits.
The Seven Kingdoms hadn't had slaves for thousands of years. Both the Old Gods and the New regarded slavery as an abominable monster and an embodiment of evil.
Even if Viserys wanted to capture a group of Unsullied or Dothraki, he would need to liberate them first, which meant challenging the institution of slavery.
The anti-slavery stance was destined to be Viserys's choice, whether out of respect for the sentiments of the followers of the Old and New Gods, to protect the Andals, or simply to acquire an army for free.
"What is the work of you septons like?" Viserys asked curiously.
"Simple, yet tedious," Bishop Ebony replied. "Anyone who can recite The Seven-Pointed Star and various prayers is competent to be a septon. An ordinary septon presides over weddings and hears confessions for the villagers, who in turn provide him with food and lodging.
For example, I perform sacraments for the commoners of several nearby villages, so I know the villages and manors well—the nameless hamlets, the hills and flat ridges, the streams and caves, and every rugged path not found on any map."
"You are true ascetics," Viserys admired Bishop Ebony. He spoke of it lightly, but it was hard work.
Religion filled the gaps where classical political administration couldn't reach.
While many wealthy high-ranking septons had long since become corrupt, these ascetic priests who comforted the people maintained the face of the faith.
"These true septons are good men. I want these devout ones," Viserys said. "I need their help."
These approachable priests could add a halo of faith to Viserys and serve as living maps and cultural liaisons in the Velvet Hills.
"When I return, I will contact my clansmen, those septons, and the village elders. I will have them fight under Your Grace's banner. The Andals have fallen for too long; we cannot sink any further," Bishop Ebony said.
"Good." Viserys looked at the smooth yet devout Bishop Ebony and nodded in satisfaction. "I believe Bishop Ebony will bring back the answer I desire."
"Rest assured, Your Grace. I will spread the gospel of the Seven throughout the Velvet Hills and lead the Andals to follow your guidance," Bishop Ebony promised.
Seeing the treatment and promises from Viserys's side, Ebony now had much more confidence in recruiting people back home.
The immediate task was to return and recruit suitable villages and manpower for King Viserys, then continue expanding.
Viserys arranged for a small portion of the prisoners to accompany Bishop Ebony back.
As for the other prisoners, they would immediately begin repairing Viserys Fort under Viserys's direction.
These prisoners had no intention of leaving. Even as captives, they had pledged loyalty to the new Warrior leader, and besides, there was food and drink here.
Under the morning sun, Viserys looked at the damaged gate and the breached stone walls.
Viserys already had a new concept for fortification.
The best defense is a double wall. Additionally, Viserys intended to upgrade the wooden defensive towers into stone ones.