Chapter 152: The Stepstones of Wright

Most of the Tyroshi soldiers were defending the city walls when they were incinerated by dragonfire, which also ignited the stored wildfire on the ramparts, leaving them no chance to escape.

The remaining defenders were hunted down by the Seven Kingdoms' soldiers flooding into the city. The king was humiliated, and the city was bathed in blood. The nobles, driven by their loyalty to the king and their honor, fought desperately, to the point that even Robert hesitated to speak.

The inner walls had been destroyed, and the inner city was engulfed in flames. The once-grand district where nobles had gathered was now reduced to ruins. Odahviing circled the skies again, but there was nothing left to burn. Wright had already landed, removing his helmet and holding it in his hands, his face filled with sorrow as he watched the raging fires and the black smoke billowing from the wreckage.

A large number of mercenaries threw down their weapons and knelt in surrender. Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Seven Kingdoms ruthlessly plundered the homes of the common folk, killing anyone who dared utter a word of complaint.

The looting continued until nightfall, when a horn sounded. Soon after, countless horns echoed throughout the city, accompanied by cheers that spread across the entire Tyroshi mainland. The siege of Tyrosh had come to an end.

There was no proper place to hoist the crowned stag banner, so it was hung atop the tallest building in the port. The warships docked in the harbor began to set sail, making room for the supply ships arriving to reinforce the rear.

Amid the ruins of the inner city, countless soldiers continued to dig through the debris, searching for anything of value. Even melted chunks of metal were worth something, and perhaps they might even unearth a solid ingot of gold.

The nobles cleared out a warehouse near the port, turning it into a temporary meeting hall. Captives were continuously brought in to face the king's judgment—those with luck were imprisoned to await ransom payments, while the unlucky ones were beheaded and their bodies thrown into the sea.

All ransom payments belonged to the armies of the Seven Kingdoms. Wright stood aside, discussing the division of lands with the nobles.

The Tattered Prince was brought before Robert. He was an old man now, and he bowed respectfully:

"Your Grace, King of the Seven Kingdoms!"

Stannis and several commanders sat beside Robert, occasionally whispering to remind him of the identities of those brought before him.

"The commander of the Windblown! Impressive! You fought well!" Robert had already bathed and changed into clean clothes, yet he still vividly remembered the Windblown's performance in battle.

The Tattered Prince replied, "We are mercenaries; we fight for whoever pays us. Had the Seven Kingdoms hired us, we would have fought to the death for you. But the Seven Kingdoms did not hire us."

Robert laughed. "Hah! True enough. I grant you your lives. But according to the rules, you lost the war, and now you are prisoners. You know what that means."

The Tattered Prince bowed once more. "I am grateful for Your Grace's mercy! I will pay my own ransom, as well as the ransom for my men. However, our wealth is stored in the banks of Myr, so we will need someone to retrieve it."

Robert nodded. "No problem."

Stannis interjected, "You and your officers, along with your surviving soldiers, will remain here. You may choose a few men to accompany the royal fleet to Myr."

"That is only fair."

Robert then had the Tattered Prince stand aside and identify the mercenaries among the prisoners. Those who were not mercenaries were immediately beheaded.

The king personally handled prisoners of rank, while others were dealt with much faster. They were stripped of their armor and clothing, then dragged to the docks, where a single stroke of the sword severed their heads, their bodies tossed into the sea. The waters of Tyrosh's harbor were soon filled with floating corpses, and various scavenging fish leapt from the depths to feast on the remains.

Some captives had their clothes stripped away, their limbs severed, and their bodies piled onto carts, which were then wheeled into the inner city to feed the dragons.

The soldiers of the Seven Kingdoms had already taken up residence in the city's homes. Gathering loot and dealing with prisoners lasted until the fifth day.

The ravens released by Tyrosh had already reached distant lands, causing pirates and mercenaries to flee in all directions. With Wright commanding a hundred-meter-long dragon, staying in the Stepstones meant certain death. They fled north and south, while the fleet of the Seven Kingdoms seized control of the entire Stepstones.

Wright looked at the report brought by the maester accompanying the army. Only 38,796 women remained in all of Tyrosh; every man was dead.

With a completely different culture and faith, centuries of war with the Seven Kingdoms, constant pirate raids, and the nobles' hatred reaching its peak, the only way to occupy Tyrosh was through these means. Any future population would have to be migrated from the Seven Kingdoms.

Wright glanced at the list of land grants.

"Robert, is this the final version?"

Robert replied, "The Westerlands and the Iron Islands only want spoils. Only the nobles from the Reach, the Stormlands, and the Crownlands are willing to come to this forsaken place."

Renly scoffed. "Short-sighted fools! They only see the current wasteland that is the Stepstones. Right, Wright?"

Wright grinned. "Other than its small landmass, this place is a goldmine. I could make money in my sleep!"

Robert took a swig of Tyroshi pear brandy, wincing at the burn. "This stuff is awful. Wright, you'll be Lord of the Stepstones after this. Any objections to the land grants?"

Wright studied the names on the document. "Too many Reachmen."

Renly shrugged. "The Reach and the Stormlands provided the bulk of the army. Their contribution speaks for itself. But Garlan Tyrell told me that if we swap his fief for Bloodstone, he can convince them to reduce one name from the list."

"Now that's someone who knows how to negotiate," Wright said, crossing out a name with his steel-tipped pen. Instead, he added his apprentice's name—Ashara Dayne. Her talents were undeniable, and Wright would rather reward his own than let an outsider benefit.

---

Under clear blue skies, the rubble had been cleared from the plaza outside the ruins of the Tyroshi stronghold. Robert sat at the center on a sturdy chair, surrounded by nobles ranked according to status. Behind them, soldiers stood at attention, banners of their houses fluttering in the wind, armor and weapons polished to a mirror sheen. Their surcoats bore their sigils proudly.

Perched on a distant hill was a hundred-meter-long dragon.

Today was the day to distribute spoils and reward merit.

Barristan Selmy, overall commander of the campaign, held a thick stack of documents. The scribes had prepared tables and chairs to record the proceedings.

Robert rose to his feet, and the rest followed.

"I, Robert Baratheon, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, hereby declare—the Stepstones now belong to the Seven Kingdoms!"

"Long live the King!"

"The Seven Kingdoms are invincible!"

The division of spoils was as follows:

The Westerlands, the Reach, the Stormlands, the Crownlands, and the Iron Islands each received 17%.Dorne received 6%.The North, the Vale, and the Riverlands split the remaining 9%.However, as punishment for defying orders, the Ironborn had to forfeit three-quarters of their share to be redistributed.

Next came the knighting of those who had distinguished themselves in battle, personally bestowed by King Robert.

Barristan called out, "Wright Baratheon!"

Wright rose from his seat and knelt before Robert on one knee.

"Wright Baratheon," Barristan continued, "Eight years ago, you devised a masterful plan. For two years, you provided detailed intelligence. You secured an alliance between the Seven Kingdoms and Volantis, delaying the forces of Lys and Myr. On the day of the siege, you rode a hundred-meter dragon, breached the walls, and burned the city to the ground. By these deeds, witnessed by the Seven!"

Only now did many of the nobles realize that Wright had been plotting the conquest of the Stepstones since he was thirteen—just after the Greyjoy Rebellion. They murmured in amazement. Either he was a prodigy, or Robert was exaggerating his achievements.

But now, with a dragon under his command, Wright's claim to the title of Lord of the Stepstones was unchallenged. No one could contest it.

Robert did not use a sword. Instead, he rested his warhammer on Wright's shoulder.

"I, Robert Baratheon, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, hereby declare Wright Baratheon the Lord of the Stepstones and Tyrosh! Warden of the Narrow Sea!"

"Wright Baratheon of House Baratheon, forever loyal to the King, serving the Kingdom, standing against and vanquishing the Kingdom's enemies. Any breach of this oath shall be cursed by the Seven Gods."

As the crowd prepared to congratulate him, Barristan raised his hand to silence them, unfurling two exquisite scrolls.

"Volantis recognizes the Stepstones as the Seven Kingdoms' territory and is willing to form an alliance with the Seven Kingdoms! Signed by the Three Consuls of Volantis!"

"The Council of Lys, representing the city of Lys, recognizes the Stepstones as the Seven Kingdoms' territory and is willing to form an alliance with the Seven Kingdoms!"

The room erupted in surprise. Barely days after winning the war, the two great city-states had already acknowledged the Seven Kingdoms' new territory—another triumph for Wright.

"Hahaha!"

Wright rose, exchanging hearty chest thumps with Robert, while Renly draped his arm over Wright's shoulder, shaking him with joy. Stannis, too, patted Wright on the back.

The nobles stood and applauded, congratulating the Seven Kingdoms on a new Lord and protector, marking the first time the Seven Kingdoms' territory had officially expanded to the Stepstones. The moment was historic, and the accompanying scribes hurried to record everything.

However, Wright wasn't as excited. There were no spoils to divide, no riches to be had. The city that should have been his prize lay in ruins, the labor force decimated, leaving fewer than 40,000 women. The future would be a struggle, and he needed to figure out a way to make money.

Turning to address the gathered nobles, Wright placed a hand on his chest and gave a noble bow before speaking.

"I am deeply grateful to the brave warriors of the Seven Kingdoms," he began. "You fought here to rid the seas of pirates, to cleanse the enemies of the Kingdoms who have plagued us for centuries. You have all upheld the honor of the Seven Kingdoms! You are the greatest warriors of our time!"

The crowd laughed and applauded—praise well earned.

Wright raised his voice again, "To express my gratitude to all of you, my fellow warriors, I, Wright Baratheon, Lord of the Stepstones and Tyrosh, Waarden of the Narrow Sea, hereby announce..."

He paused, letting the anticipation build, knowing how to capture the attention of the gathered nobles and make the moment unforgettable.

"From this day forward, any vessel of the Seven Kingdoms—be it a warship, merchant ship, or fishing boat—will dock at the port of Tyrosh for free!"

"Good!"

"Wright is generous!"

"The Governor is wise and just!"

Trade duties for goods entering and leaving the Seven Kingdoms belonged to the Crown, and while Wright was responsible for collecting them, he would now be in charge of them. He could make a lot of money this way—without needing to adjust rates, he could simply delay things by a couple of days, and his own goods would sell out first.

And they didn't even know that free was often the most expensive!

As for the docking fees—the fees that other places collected just to park a carriage—Wright was abolishing them altogether. From now on, every ship would come to Tyrosh, and aside from that flying one, there would be food, drink, entertainment, and even a dragon. If Wright ran out of money, no matter; the moment they arrived, they wouldn't take anything back.

Wright grinned widely, laughing to himself, his spirits lifted once more.