Chapter 124 -Moat Cailin (IV)

"Things are getting interesting." Aenar Targaryen watched the mystical being before him.

------------

Aenar's words rekindled everyone's morale, especially when they saw his calm, confident face. It seemed that nothing could shake the man in front of them, and that made everyone calm down in the face of the impending war.

"I know many are worried, but the White Walkers are not without weaknesses. Dragon fire, dragonglass (obsidian) and Valyrian steel can kill them easily." Aenar spoke in a calm, deep tone, his purple eyes scanning everyone in the Great Hall of Moat Cailin.

"Fortunately, my queen has conquered Dragonstone, where there is a mineral vein of dragonglass. We can start mining as soon as this war is over." Aenar added with a satisfied smile, remembering Daenerys' actions. The girl's bold move had saved him a lot of time.

The expressions of many eased at the knowledge that they had the means to kill the White Walkers. Valyrian steel was rare, and dragon fire even more so, since dragons had only recently come back to life after centuries of disappearance.

"That's good, Your Grace. I will immediately send a raven to Dragonstone, asking Queen Daenerys to start the mining process as soon as possible. Even if she doesn't have many miners available for the job, any amount of dragonglass will help enormously in the coming war." Tyrion spoke with an incredibly serious tone.

Now that he knew the war wasn't just about the throne, but about the survival of humanity, he was even more determined to end it as soon as possible.

Aenar nodded, agreeing with his Hand's proposal, and continued: "After extinguishing House Frey, the army will be divided into two fronts. The Valley and the Riverlands will be the first objectives to be conquered. We will attack both at the same time."

"I'll follow the army to the Valley mounted on Caraxes. My wives and my grandmother will fly with the army that will march to the Riverlands, to make the Lords there bend the knee."

"The command of the troops marching to the Riverlands will be held by three generals: Lord Eddard Stark, Prince Oberyn Martell and Queen Visenya Targaryen." Aenar announced, looking directly at Eddard, Oberyn and Visenya.

"Visenya, like Rhaenys and Rhaella, has permission to destroy any House that refuses to kneel. At the same time, they also have the authority to grant land to soldiers who distinguish themselves on the battlefield."

Aenar looked at everyone and spoke aloud. His words caused many to express joy and determination.

Feuds were not something common, let alone given out casually. Knowing that soldiers could win fiefs made many sons of lords' eyes light up.

These sons had no right to inheritance, not even fiefdoms. Many became knights-errant, and the luckiest ones managed to become Masters of Arms for some lord.

As for the destruction of the Noble Houses of the Riverlands, they weren't worried. The possibility of gaining fiefdoms and becoming a rightful lord was enough for many there to become true barbarians, willing to do anything.

Rhaenys observed everyone's expressions and couldn't help thinking that her brother really was fit to be king. Something that any lord would treat with caution boosted people's morale enormously. She had no doubt that these people would do anything to gain a piece of land.

"That's the power you and I want, Rhaenys. Look, your brother is deciding the fate of Houses that have survived for thousands of years with just a few words."

Rhaenys heard Arianne's whisper and couldn't help but agree with her. Such power was something everyone wanted to possess.

"Yes, I'm tempted by such power, but don't treat me like a woman of great ambition, Arianne. I don't want to waste my time on stupid palace intrigues." Rhaenys whispered to her cousin with a firm tone.

"You may not want to now, but when your child is born, you will. Every mother wants the best for her son, and, being a prince, he'll need a fiefdom. But do you think only you will have a fiefdom? The other sons of Aenar will also want it, and it will be a fierce battle. And the woman with the most power at court will decide who gets the best fiefdom."

Arianne whispered in her ear with a serious tone. She would not allow Rhaenys to become passive in the future contest for power at court. If that happened, she and Rhaenys would be at the mercy of other women, and that was not to her liking.

Rhaenys' eyes became determined at Arianne's words. Although she didn't want to get involved in a power struggle, she knew that, to ensure a comfortable future, she needed to have at least some influence at Court.

Looking at Aenar discussing matters of war with the lords, her determination grew more and more.

Rhaella watched everything with an interested eye. She knew things wouldn't get to the point of murder, after all, Aenar would never allow anything like that to happen.

Therefore, she would just watch everything with curiosity, without getting involved in this palace struggle.

Aenar didn't know that things were about to escalate and, even if he did, he would just laugh it off, finding it all very amusing. Entertainment was always welcome in his and anyone else's eyes.

"We'll start mobilizing the army in three days. We'll give the soldiers time to relax before the war and we'll march on the fourth day."

Aenar finished the war orders, making everyone nod, especially the lords' sons.

Even if the war was dangerous and many died, they didn't care. What really mattered to these young and middle-aged men was gaining merit and land.

Aenar watched everyone leave the great hall, returning to settle urgent matters of war, and remained silent, glimpsing the variables in this war.

At night, in his room.

Just as Aenar was about to lie down to sleep, Leda, who had remained in the room to ensure her king's safety, moved in an instant. Her figure was no more than a fleeting gray ray in the vision of an ordinary man.

In the blink of an eye, Leda reached the balcony, her sword dangerously close to the invader's throat. Her eyes, sharp and trained, widened for a brief moment as she recognized the figure before her.

"A Children of the forest?" Leda murmured, still incredulous. She had seen so many things that would make anyone doubt reality, but meeting a Children of the forest was something she had never expected to witness in her life.

Aenar, who maintained an unconcerned expression, looked curiously at the woman who had invaded her room. Although he already knew of their existence, it was the first time he had seen a Children of the forest with his own eyes.

"I am Leaf, Sixteenth of My Name and Queen of the Forest Court."

The Children of the forest introduced herself with a surprisingly elegant tone. She bowed to Aenar, while her golden eyes, which resembled those of a cat, stared at him with admiration and a touch of horror.

Even though she had felt his presence before, seeing him in person shocked her deeply. Magic seemed to bow before the human in front of her, as if she were in the presence of a king. It was as if the magical essence itself recognized him as an absolute sovereign.

At the same time, the air around him was incredibly pure. Leaf felt like a fish returning to the sea. The atmosphere around Aenar overflowed with magic, and she couldn't help but deeply respect this dense, vibrant energy.

"Leaf..."

Aenar murmured her name as the lines of the future unfolded before his eyes. He saw countless possibilities, including Leaf's own birth.

He couldn't help but be amazed by that race, which resembled elves, but weren't elves. Honestly, he felt that these creatures were highly susceptible to the influence of the Warp, and that was incredibly dangerous.

However, when he looked into the history of the Children of the forest, he realized that there wasn't a single record of madness among the mages of that race. That was shocking, to say the least.

Getting out of bed, Aenar walked over to the table in the bedroom and sat down, pouring two glasses of wine.

"Come, satisfy my curiosity, Queen of the Forest and the Children of the Forest."

Aenar commented with a smile, staring directly into the golden-green eyes before him.

Leda, upon hearing Aenar's words, put Dawn away in her scabbard and moved back into position behind him. However, anyone could see the glint of curiosity in her eyes as she watched the Children of the forest.

-----------

Read more than advanced chapters in my Patre on!

Read chapters ahead on Patreon. Two chapters are updated every day except Sunday.

P-atreon.com/GOTSW

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)