Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal, starting with a blue hand stat panel

Chapter 102 Post-War Punishment

The Battle of Pike Place was extremely bloody; even though the punitive expeditionary force won a great victory, there were still many dead and wounded.

Ser Corvas, one of King Robert's Kingsguard, also died in the siege.

However, the army that quelled the rebellion still achieved a resounding victory.

Including the journey by ship from Seafront, the Iron Throne army conquered Harlo Island and captured Baron's stronghold, Pyke Island, in less than ten days.

Although there has been no news of victory from the other islands yet, with Baron surrendering, the other islands are no longer a problem.

"Long live King Robert!"

"Long live King Robert!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their cheers thunderous, waving the crowned stag battle flag.

From Kingsport to the foot of Pike Castle, all that could be heard were cheers from the soldiers.

A large group of knights and warriors surrounded Arthur, Thoros of Myr, the Great Bear, and others in the very center.

As three brave warriors who charged into the city, they certainly deserve such praise.

Arthur's robe was stained with the blood of his enemies, making the bat pattern appear as if it were swimming in a sea of ​​blood, truly resembling a blood bat.

As for Soros and the bear, they weren't much better off.

Soros's ordinary steel sword was already riddled with nicks, and he also had several non-fatal wounds on his body. The bear was also covered in blood.

"Long live the peace of the river!"

"Long live the Blood Bat!"

"Arthur River, Warrior of the Three Rivers!"

As the first warrior to scale the city walls and unleash his full power, Arthur naturally received the most praise.

The soldiers shouted loudly, their voices so powerful they seemed to sway the stars in the sky.

King Baron was quite flexible; under the cover of darkness, he abandoned his plan to defend the main castle to the death.

The structure of Pike Place consists of a gate tower, a promontory with a stone bridge behind the gate tower, and numerous fortresses at sea.

The most crucial feature is the cape, which is surrounded by stone walls that separate it from the sea and sky. The shore is lined with sharp rocks and cliffs, and a stone bridge leads to the largest island.

The stables and kennels are located here, along with some outer buildings.

The royal army has captured the city gate towers and the promontory, and King Balon is powerless to retaliate.

Baron put down his battle axe, knelt at the end of the long bridge, and listened to the cheers of the army that was fighting the bandits.

Behind him, Victarion also surrendered along with his brother.

In his quest to revive the ancient road and reclaim his throne, Baron paid a heavy price for his vanity and ambition.

The eldest son, Rodrik, and the second son, Malen, died at the foot of the city of Haijiang.

In the Battle of Fairy Island, the Iron Fleet was annihilated.

Iren, Iren's brother, has disappeared without a trace, and Raven's Eye has also vanished without a trace.

Once the anti-bandit army captures Harlo Island and Pike Island, the other islands will be like fallen leaves in the wind, powerless to resist, let alone come to their aid.

Under the dazzling torchlight, King Robert led his entourage in triumph.

The king, clad in silver armor and a golden robe, was a force to be reckoned with, not to mention the victor, while Baron was merely a defeated man kneeling on the ground.

Baron knelt on the ground, kneeling at Robert's feet, who held a warhammer, while Eddard, holding a piece of ice, waited to the side.

Robert gave Baron a disdainful look, then made the sea monster rise.

"How many children do you have?" Robert asked.

"And a son and a daughter," Baron said, his face pale. He knew perfectly well what this meant—a sign that hostages were being handed over.

It's dark and midnight now, so it's not the formal kneeling ceremony yet. The formal surrender ceremony will be tomorrow morning.

King Robert did not rush into the city. Instead, he sent Earl Royce as his representative to quickly take control of the treasury, armory, gate towers, and other places inside and outside the main castle of Pike, thus taking full control of the main castle of Pike.

The next day, in the morning.

Robert, Eddard, and Lord Royce, still exuding their former grandeur, led the important figures of the anti-bandit army into the throne room and long hall of Pyke Castle.

The Sea Stone Position looks like a giant sea monster, carved from a single, dark, glossy boulder.

The drowning priests said that only devout male Ironborn were qualified to sit on the Sea Stone, while impious Ironborn or women were not.

But Robert didn't care about any of that and just plopped down on the Seastone seat.

Sitting beside the king were Eddard and Earl Royce, while the White Knight Jaime stood guard on the other side of the king.

The heroes who conquered the city were also able to stand at the forefront because they completed their missions well.

Arthur, Soros, Big Bear, and Lynn, they now seem more like the king's guards.

These killers had exchanged their robes for the ones from last night, but the stench of blood still lingered on their bodies.

The other feudal lords and knights of the anti-bandit army lined up on both sides of the hall, looking disdainfully at the kneeling Ironborn.

King Baron knelt on the ground, wearing a driftwood crown on his head.

Behind Baron are the Portley chieftain, the Winch chieftain, and Baron's few remaining relatives from the Pike Island vassal families.

Baron brought out his son and daughter as well, Asha, and Theon the Chameleon.

Robert took a slice of ale, drank it with relish, and then looked at Baron with a half-smile.

"You can take my head!" Baron told Robert. "But I am not a traitor. House Greyjoy never swore allegiance to House Baratheon!"

Robert looked at Baron. "So now you are. Take the oath. Otherwise, I'll take your stubborn head."

"I, Balon Greyjoy, Lord of Pyke and Chief of the Iron Islands, solemnly swear that House Greyjoy will be loyal to King Robert and House Baratheon, and that the Iron Islands will kneel before the Crowned Stag. This is true today, and it will be true every day. If I break this oath, may I be taken by the sea and die a gruesome death." Balon's face was ashen as he read his oath, word by word.

"From this day forward, the Iron Islands will kneel before the crowned stag. So it is today, and so it will be every day." Baron's relatives and the Iron Islands leaders also began to recite, each one with heartfelt emotion.

Commander Victarion of the Iron Fleet also knelt on the ground, muttering incantations.

Arthur looked at Baron, who had shrunk considerably; there was no way to persuade this madman to stay.

Baron was also very patient, but he would never admit his mistake, because the Ancient Road was a curse that haunted the hearts of all Ironborn.

But Robert is Robert; he was always very magnanimous, and his charm in turning enemies into friends was world-renowned.

As for Ed, he was actually quite chivalrous, and surprisingly didn't suggest sending Baron to the Wall.

Since both of them were like this, Arthur didn't have much to say.

However, some of Robert's pardoned men were staunch supporters of him, while others, such as Varys and Balon, were venomous snakes through and through.

"Rise," Robert said. "You are still the Son of the Wind, the Great Chieftain of the Iron Islands, ruling over the Iron Islands. But think carefully, lest you seize the Iron Throne."

"Yes." Baron dropped the crown and threw it on the ground.

Robert stood up and strode forward.

Robert's boots stepped on the driftwood crown, crushing Balon's crown and Balon's ambition to smithereens.

Although Baron was still unpredictable, Robert and Eddard left a huge psychological scar on him while they were alive.

"Though I have pardoned you, you still need to be punished," Robert said. "Hand over your heir, Theon, who will be taken to Winterfell as a hostage, a bargaining chip to guarantee your loyalty!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Baron knelt again to confirm.

The little boy Theon was a bit confused, but he roughly understood what it meant.

He heard the tremendous sound of the city walls collapsing and saw flames raging in the sea tower.

"Where is your second brother, Croweye?" Robert asked.

"Crow Eyes is a loner, and I don't know where he went," said Baron with the bitter face.

"Never mind," Robert waved his hand. "He can't find him, but I have good news for you: your brother Ellen is not dead. He's currently imprisoned in the Westerlands, receiving his punishment."

"I understand, Your Majesty." Baron lowered his head, feeling the endless humiliation.

But today's events have shown him that iron is nothing more than fish and meat.

Robert suddenly seemed inhuman, and with Eddard, the Kingslayer, and the Blood Bats around him, each of them appeared to have ill intentions.

To save his life, Baron swallowed his anger.

"The ransom must be paid, Baron," Robert said coldly. "As the price for your rebellion."

"Yes."

In reality, King Robert didn't get much money; even with the ransom, the profit wasn't much.

Iron is a valuable resource, and it's all stored in the chieftain's treasury.

If they confiscate property and exterminate the entire clan, they can still make a lot of money.

After so many years of plundering iron, the treasury still has a high gold content, which is quite tempting.

Even savages can get a lot of good stuff if you squeeze them, let alone these pirates.

However, the order generally accepted by the Seven Kingdoms is tolerant, and those who are ruthless like Tywin Lannister and Bloodraven are few and far between.

Even if there is a rebellion, there will still be punishments such as the division of territory, heavy fines, and reduction of titles, but it will not lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire family.

Another point is that the Iron Throne's punishments for remote regions like the North, Dorne, and the Iron Islands have a somewhat lenient feel to them, as they are beyond the reach of the Iron Throne.

House Ellenwood, for example, has rebelled with Blackfire several times and is still alive and well with very little damage.

In contrast to the Batwe family, who were cut to the bare minimum, this is a different story.

"Also, our young soldier Arthur Hoan is brave and fearless. I have already given him the ruins of your King's Port. You can go and claim King's Port after we leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Baron could only nod repeatedly.

Given how things have unfolded, the punishment for the Greyjoy family is roughly as follows.

They are just waiting for the rest of the army to gather on Pike Island so that the Ironborn can be dealt with together.