Ice and Fire: Reign of the Dragon.

Chapter 398: The Aftermath of the Blackfyre Rebellion

Waves pounded against the rotten planks of the prison ship, and Aegor opened his eyes in the darkness.

His knees were festering, and the high fever blurred his vision. The chains rubbed against his festering flesh, but he no longer felt the pain. The cabin was filled with the smell of salt, blood, and rotten wood, and the only light came from the bleak moonlight that filtered through the cracks in the deck above his head.

Then, the darkness moved.

A shadow emerged from the corner—not walking in, but gathering like mist. The man was dressed in the rough cloth of an ordinary sailor, and his face was so ordinary that one would forget it, but Aegor knew who he was.

“Faceless.” He laughed hoarsely, with bloody phlegm rolling out of his throat. “Igor sent you to kill me?”

The man didn't answer, but walked out of the shadows with a bowl of water in his hand.

Aegor stared at the bowl of water and suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter echoed in the narrow cabin, like the wail of a dying beast. "When did the Thousand-Faced God become so stingy? You want to buy my life, but you only give me a bowl of water?"

"I didn't buy it." The Faceless Man's voice was as calm as a windless lake. "It was a gift, Lord Aegor."

Aegor's smile froze. He stared at the bowl of water, his face reflected on the water - turbid purple eyes, tangled beard, and dried blood on the corners of his mouth. But gradually, the water surface began to change, and another scene emerged:
Three silver-haired boys stood beneath the black walls of Volantis, while a beautiful silver-haired woman crowned the eldest with a crude crown of gold and brass.

"Damon's bloodline." Aegor's breathing became rapid. "You want to go find him?"

The Faceless Man remained silent and just handed the bowl of water closer.

Aegor suddenly understood everything. He grinned, revealing his bloody teeth. "Okay." He panted, "Take it. I'll be waiting for you in the depths of the seven hells."

He took the bowl and drank it all.

The water was sweet, like the mead my mother brewed, like the warm summer breeze in the river, and like the clouds that passed by my ears when I first rode on the sheep thief.

Then, the world began to spin.

Aegor felt his consciousness being peeled off, like taking off an old piece of clothing. He saw the Faceless Man's hand on his forehead, and saw that ordinary face gradually twist and change, and finally became -

His own appearance.

"Tell them." Aegor's last whisper dissipated in the salty sea breeze, "I am waiting for you in the depths of the seven hells."

The Faceless Man, now wearing Aegor's skin, looked down at the gradually cooling body at his feet. He reached out and touched the festering wound on his knee, and the flesh and blood immediately began to heal, the bones reconnected, and the skin became smooth again.

The red crystal on his chest dimmed. The Faceless Man smiled and threw the red crystal out of the boat.

There is no need to keep magic items that have run out of magic power.

When the first rays of sunlight penetrated the deck at dawn, "Iger" pushed open the hatch and stretched his body towards the rising sun. His purple eyes were still sharp, but his steps were no longer staggering.

As if he knew what was going to happen, the captain rubbed his hands in a somewhat flattering manner: "Sir, you really don't need your legs."

"The miracle will convince those people." The Faceless Man smiled, his voice exactly the same as Aegor's. "Besides, a dragon rider who can still ride a dragon - at least in the eyes of outsiders, is valuable. If I go to Braavos now, someone will take me to where I should go."

Conquer land.

The war was over, and when the Duke of Pole died in a castle destroyed by dragon fire, the lords who had been supported by Aegon III in the conquered lands were uprooted. The "Royal Party" was finished.

Now is the time for finishing touches and final reckoning.

The courtyard of Leaf Lake Castle was filled with damp musty smells and the smell of blood. The silver wings of the morning light drew a cold arc among the low-hanging clouds. When Lady Daenerys Varese jumped off the dragon's back, her silver hair fluttered in the wind like a flag. Although she was already an old woman, her back was still as straight as a sword and her eyes were as cold as ice.

The rescued Lord Eustace Osgrey knelt in the mud, the chains on his wrists leaving dark purple bruises that had not eased even after being freed for a long time. His beard was disheveled, and his left eye was so swollen that he could hardly open it, but when he looked up at Danyla, his cloudy pupils still burned with stubborn fire.

Daniela could see that the checkered lion was trying to show her its sympathy. How could the old lion still look so miserable after being rescued for so many days? But it didn't matter. Daniela admired people who would fight for their own interests.

"Ma'am." His voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. "The Blackflame rebels. They burned my granary, hanged my steward, and turned my castle into a flea nest flowing with pus." His Adam's apple rolled and he couldn't finish his words.

Lord Red Tully, who was as lean as a vulture, stepped forward. "Too much blood has been shed in the conquest, my lady. The Blackfyre rebellion spread like wildfire. They colluded with the Second Sons' mercenaries. Even..." He lowered his voice. "Some say they have found new allies in Volantis. Even though they have failed, my lady, the Second Sons are still on the run."

The civilians in the courtyard began to stir, and an old woman wrapped in a tattered cloak suddenly fell at Danyla's feet, grabbing her boots with her skinny fingers. "Please, Lady Dragon, my son was taken to be a soldier by them, and my daughter..." Her crying was interrupted by a cough.

Daenerys did not step back or help her. She just stood there, letting the old woman's tears wet the toes of her boots.

"The royal family will not abandon the conquered land." Her voice was not loud, but it pierced everyone's ears like icicles in winter. "Food will be delivered, the city walls will be rebuilt, and the traitors -" her eyes swept across the crowd, and several merchants huddled in the corner trembled subconsciously, "- will pay the price. The same goes for their allies."

Just as she finished speaking, the sound of flapping wings was heard in the sky.

A raven swooped down and landed on the herald's arm armor. Its feathers were as black as night, and the tip of its beak was frost-stained from a long journey. The herald untied the letter box tied to its leg. On the wax seal was the emblem of a silver dragon and laurel leaf.

Danella unfolded the parchment, her expression unchanged, but her fingertips tightened slightly.

She raised her eyes and her voice was as calm as iron.

"Volantis has fallen into the hands of the Tigers. The archons of the Elephants were massacred. The Tiger nobles sold the children of the Elephants into slavery. A warlike Volantis has been reborn. Braavos, Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, Norvos and Qohor have reached an alliance and are sending troops together." She paused, a hint of coldness appeared at the corner of her mouth. "House Varezes, on behalf of the royal family, will send five dragon riders to flatten the Black Wall of Volantis."

The courtyard was dead silent, and then a noise of fear and ecstasy broke out. Merchants whispered to each other, calculating the profits brought by the war; knights gripped their swords tightly, their eyes burning with fighting spirit; while the common people, parents who lost their children, and farmers who lost their homes, looked up at the sky blankly, as if they had seen the dragon flame dyeing the clouds red.

Lord Osgrey suddenly laughed, his laughter hoarse as if a rusty knife scraped against bones. "Good...good! Let those bastards have a taste of dragon flame!"

The old earl saw his hope of becoming Duke of Osgrey.

Danyla did not respond to his enthusiasm. She simply raised her hand, and Dawn immediately lowered her body, her silver scales glistening like pearls in the dim sky. She climbed on the dragon and pulled the reins, and Dawn raised her head and spread her wings. The hurricane overturned several tents, and people had to squint their eyes to avoid the flying dust.

Before the shadow of the dragon wing disappeared, Lord Tully the Red suddenly shouted: "Madam! If all the dragon riders go to the east, and the remnants of Blackfyre invade the conquered land again, what should we do——"

The sound of the wind swallowed up the tail end of his words, but Danyla's answer still pierced everyone's ears clearly.

"Then let them come." Her voice was filled with the arrogance and cruelty unique to the dragon clan.

"See how many rebels there are. Enough for the five dragons to burn a second time."

(End of this chapter)