How could Tyrion, a man of such brilliance, not understand the principle of "when two clams fight, the fisherman profits"?
According to his original plan, Dorne's alliance with Aegon and Aegon's sacred marriage to Sansa were both top-secret matters.
His strategy was to proceed quietly, win allies in secret, and gather forces—build high walls and bide his time before claiming the throne.
After all, the conflict between the Lannisters and the Tyrells had not yet reached its peak.
Tyrion never expected that with Aegon's reappearance, Cersei and Highgarden would actually go to war. His wretched sister might be foolish enough to start a civil war just to warm up before facing an external enemy, but the rose was not brainless, and the lion was no fool.
When it came to family power and prosperity, the Lannisters could easily look down upon all five other kingdoms combined outside the Reach. The great nobles of the Reach were all descendants of "Beast" Garth Greenhand—one man fathered a nation.
The mighty Tywin, old dog Kevan, little lion Tyrion, and fierce tiger Jaime were well-known, but there were many more Lannisters of considerable ability who simply lacked fame (unfamiliar to readers, perhaps, but renowned throughout Westeros).
For example, Damion Lannister, the acting Lord of Casterly Rock—a Lannister of a cadet branch, unknown to most readers.
Yet it was easy to imagine that if Damion were incompetent, Kevan would never have entrusted their ancestral home to him.
People say the Freys are the most prolific family in the Seven Kingdoms, that old Walder's descendants alone could form a cavalry troop.
In truth, the Lannisters outnumber them all. There's a saying: in Lannisport, if you grab two people at random, at least one will be a Lannister.
To say the Lannisters repopulated an entire Casterly Rock is hardly an exaggeration.
Thus, the lions were never short of talent, and under Tywin's rule, those talents flourished and became part of the family's political and military machinery.
Even with Kevan dead and Cersei's foolishness, the Lannisters' foundation did not crumble.
Therefore, Aegon would never have the chance to see Cersei and the Tyrells truly clash—unless he never appeared at all.
In fact, Tyrion had even prepared for a third-party mediation, perhaps by Randyll Tarly, to bring about a third alliance between Cersei and the Tyrells.
But acting in secrecy could at least dull Cersei's senses and delay her inevitable compromise with the old rose.
By the time Aegon marched on King's Landing, if Cersei then tried to patch things up and ally with the Tyrells, it would already be too late.
It was a solid plan—if not for one man he had overlooked.
Euron.
Euron, by his own hand, exterminated the entire Tyrell family of Highgarden.
Yes, even before meeting the Dragon Queen, the old rose was already done for—or rather, about to be done for. Whether she would truly meet her end depended on the Dragon Queen's judgment.
Two days after the Highgarden upheaval—
"What? Highgarden is gone? How could it just be gone?" the Dragon Queen exclaimed.
Dragonstone.
Inside the Crystal Tower, nexus of the magical web.
On the surface of a pale blue crystal orb, runes flared outward, forming a washbasin-sized halo. The light assembled into Dany's head, glowing like a three-dimensional blue projection.
Strangely, no matter where one stood in the hall, the Queen's head seemed to face them directly.
At that moment, Aegon, Tyrion, Marwyn, the Old Crab, and Bronn were all gathered there, each wearing an expression that blended disbelief with absurd horror.
Since the beginning of the Conquest Wars, when "Blackheart" Harwyn Hoare and his House were turned to ash by Balerion, three centuries had passed—and counting, the number of great houses destroyed since then was terrifying.
Before Robert's Rebellion, things were relatively stable, but in the short span of twenty years since, five great families—Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Arryn, and Tully—had either fallen or were on the brink of extinction.
And now, yet another ducal house of the Seven Kingdoms had been toppled—so suddenly, so impossibly.
The Game of Thrones was addictive, the Iron Throne cursed. Whoever touched it, perished.
"It's said that Highgarden was bathed in Euron's bloodshed," Marwyn said, his face still pale from disbelief, his voice trembling with fear. "The news isn't yet confirmed. But Cersei in King's Landing moved almost simultaneously—she arrested Prime Minister Mace Tyrell and Queen Margaery on charges of treason.
If the rumors are true, then aside from Loras, who was receiving treatment in the Great Sept, not a single member of the Tyrell family—whose history spanned thousands of years—escaped."
Even though several hours had passed since receiving the news, Marwyn still spoke with a visible tremor of disbelief.
"How did Euron do it?" Dany asked in shock.
Marwyn turned his gaze to Tyrion and Aegon. "Highgarden remains under Euron's blockade, so the specifics are unclear.
Dragonstone only received a few ravens from the lords of the Reach, saying there had been a catastrophe in Highgarden. Even they couldn't confirm whether the castle had truly fallen.
But Varys knows more than we do—he's been in contact with the Prince."
Before Dany could ask, Aegon nodded. "Count Varys contacted me once. The trouble began on the Shield Islands—House Redwyne's fleet was annihilated.
Highgarden may be surrounded, but it might not have fallen completely yet.
Varys warned me to beware of Euron's sea monsters and his dark sorcery. He suggested I take refuge on Dragonstone until the situation became clearer."
"Sea monsters? They've appeared as well?"
Tyrion's expression turned grave. "Varys said it was a gigantic red octopus. Its tentacles rose from the sea, higher than a ship's mast.
It suddenly burst from the waves, wrapped a dozen arms around Lord Redwyne's flagship—a massive warship rowed by four hundred oarsmen—
and snapped it cleanly in half, like a clumsy maid breaking a long loaf of bread. Those were Varys's exact words.
Unfortunately, Ser Willas Tyrell was aboard that very ship. Highgarden lost its heir that day."
"Incredible… I always thought sea monsters were just legends," Bronn said in horror.
Marwyn shook his head. "Ever since the Queen hatched her dragons, the tides of magic have surged, and legendary creatures have grown more active.
For the past three years, sea monsters have occasionally appeared in the Narrow Sea—each time dragging a ship into the depths. No one ever imagined someone could control them."
"Sigh… dragons in the sky, sea monsters in the water—how are ordinary folk supposed to live?" The dwarf rubbed his forehead and lamented.
He recalled that during the War of the Four Kings, when he was still the Hand of the King in King's Landing, he had received reports from customs officials that sea monsters were destroying ships off the Fingers Peninsula.
At that time, he had mocked the official mercilessly. "There are sailors in Lannisport who claim they've seen mermaids. Why don't you catch a couple and bring them back to amuse Emperor Joe?"
"I have a family heirloom, a horn said to be able to control sea monsters," the Old Crab said hesitantly.
"You're not even sure about your own family's horn?" Tyrion asked in surprise.
"No one's seen a sea monster in hundreds of years, and blowing the horn requires a special gift." The Old Crab turned his eyes toward the Dragon Queen.
"When I looted—cough, I mean when I was judging those wicked slave traders in Lys, I also came across a sea monster horn.
I studied it. The runes inside are genuine, and the claim that it can control sea monsters isn't mere superstition. But…"
Meeting the Old Crab's hopeful gaze, Dany shook her head regretfully. "The Dragon Horn subdues dragons with the spirit of a demi-god elder dragon, just as an alpha wolf commands its pack.
But a sea monster horn only seals a fragment of a sea monster's soul within it, using that remnant to control the creature it came from.
In other words, each horn can only control one sea monster. Once that sea monster dies, the horn becomes nothing more than a decoration."
Tyrion flashed a sycophantic grin and said humbly, "Then, Your Majesty, could you perhaps craft a new horn and seize Euron's sea monster for yourself?"
It was, in fact, the first time he had met the Dragon Queen face-to-face since his "betrayal of the revolution" (the liberation of the slaves).
"Sea monsters are of no use to me," Dany replied coolly.
Through the enchanted crystal that allowed them to communicate, everyone could see her face, though the expression they saw varied from person to person.
To Tyrion, the Dragon Queen's expression remained indifferent, as if she had no interest in speaking to him at all.
"How can they be useless? A single sea monster could decide the outcome of a sea battle," he said with an awkward smile.
"Instead of wasting time and effort hunting sea monsters, it would be better spent on improving oneself."
The ocean was vast and unfathomable—finding one sea monster would be a near-impossible task.
"Is there any magic that can deal with sea monsters?" Aegon asked.
"Dragons feed on sea monsters. If anyone dares use the same trick they used against the fleet of the Arbor on Your Majesty, Your Majesty could easily teach Euron a lesson," the Old Crab said proudly.
"What about wyverns?" Aegon asked quickly.
"Well, perhaps… you could try?" the Old Crab said uncertainly.
Try? That would be a death sentence. If you failed, you'd never return.
Aegon fell silent, his face expressionless.
"In fact, dealing with sea monsters isn't so hard," Dany said with a smile. "When the sea monster twists a ship apart like wringing a towel, have your wyverns swoop down and drop a few jars of wildfire. I guarantee the result will be spectacular.
Even without wyverns, store a few hundred pounds of wildfire and several sacks of flour in the hold. When the sea monster attacks, scatter the dry flour through the air and ignite the wildfire—magnificent!"
In this world of fantasy, even dragons were not invincible, much less sea monsters.
Tyrion nodded thoughtfully. "That might actually work."
"Aunt Dany," Aegon said anxiously, "Euron also has dark sorcery. Do you have any way to counter it? I can't keep hiding on Dragonstone."
"Storm's End was built by Brandon the Builder. It's one of only two castles in Westeros that ward off evil. Seeking refuge on Dragonstone instead of there is putting the cart before the horse."
"Remember to secure the sewers," Aunt Dany reminded warmly. "Don't let any sorcerers sneak into the keep through the bay."
In all of Westeros, though many noble houses had castles, only Winterfell and Storm's End had spellbound walls that could block magic from passing through.
Storm's End itself was said to have been built to resist the wrath of the Sea God and the Storm God.
"Wasn't Dragonstone built with Valyrian stonecraft? It can't ward off dark sorcery?" Tyrion asked in surprise.
"Different crafts for different purposes," Dany said. "Dragonstone is indestructible, but its power to repel evil is far weaker than Storm's End's.
Of course, now that it has a magical network hub, anyone who dares to cast blood magic near Dragonstone will quickly learn what it means to reap what you sow."
"Is there a protective amulet? I'm getting married and will have to lead armies. I can't stay at Storm's End forever," Aegon said.
The Dragon Queen thought for a moment and replied, "On your wedding day, I'll have someone deliver you a suit of enchanted Valyrian steel armor.
And honestly, defending against blood magic isn't complicated—keep well-trained hounds for early warning and arm your guards with Valyrian steel weapons."
Before her young kinsman fully matured, Dany would do everything she could to protect Aegon.
"Aunt…" Aegon was deeply moved. "Once I take King's Landing, I'll bring Sansa personally to pay you a visit."
Dany glanced at the dwarf and thought, You should be taking her to visit your uncle instead.
"Your Majesty," the dwarf said, rubbing his hands and smiling awkwardly, "I was wondering if you could—"
"No," Dany interrupted sharply. She knew exactly what he wanted and rejected him without hesitation.
P.S. In the ancient First Age—long before the Long Night, when gods still walked the earth and their children ruled kingdoms—the first Storm King, Durran Godsgrief, abducted the daughter of the Sea God, Elenei, a mermaid princess. Her enraged father pursued him. (Durran himself was no ordinary man; legend says he ruled the Stormlands for over a thousand years.) Storm's End was built to withstand the Sea God's vengeance.
(End of Chapter)
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