Vale Four Fingers Plain
After the endless dust settled, the heavily wounded Vale coalition soldiers appeared before the soldiers of the Valyrian Empire. Most of them were hastily conscripted civilians, possessing hardly any combat ability.
Under the charge of the elemental creatures and advanced system soldiers, these soldiers completely lost their courage to resist. The officers supervising the battle were pulled from their horses.
A large number of noble knights were pulled from their horses in the melee by the commoners they had always looked down upon. Faith and rule sometimes do make the people submit.
However, when they faced terrifying supernatural forces, they didn't have the courage to attack the enemy. Thus, a large number of soldiers, along with their lords, surrendered to the Valyrian Empire army.
Subsequently, the mountain clan warriors were sent in to clean the battlefield, burn the corpses, check for survivors, and gather equipment. These guys were experts. Since spring was approaching, Marco had to finish everything quickly to avoid an epidemic.
Fortunately, the fire dragon "Green Dream" was present. One breath of dragon fire could turn the corpses into ashes. Then, some ragged noble knights were brought forward.
Their armor had mostly been stripped off, leaving only some undergarments. If Brynden hadn't stopped it, Marco estimated that these Vale nobles would have been stripped of even their underwear.
Marco stood on top of a small hill. The Crystal Dragon and the Ice Dragon stood behind him and Aegon, baring their teeth at the Vale nobles.
"Let me see... The Lindley Family, with their green serpent on a black field. The Tampaton Family, with a black star. The Cobrey Family, with a red heart and a raven. And the Donig Family, with a red sun rising over the sea. I didn't expect all the families of the Fingers to be here. I thought you'd be in the Vale of Arryn, ready to fight me to the death!"
Jon Lindley, Earl, bristled at Marco's words. "It's because we're concerned for our people. We don't want them to be oppressed by you, a heretic king. We fight for our homes!"
Jon Lindley, Earl's words caused some of the other nobles to unconsciously raise their heads, as if to display their noble character and the pride of the Vale.
"Hahaha... That's rich. I think you just don't want to give up your land and castles. If you truly cared about your people, you'd lead them to surrender to me."
"ROAR..."
As Marco finished speaking, the Crystal Dragon roared in agreement, making the hearts of the Vale nobles skip a beat.
Marco soothed the agitated Crystal Dragon, signaling for it to calm down before continuing.
"I will build a supremely powerful empire, where all its people will never have to worry about food or shelter. This is something the Seven cannot give you. I am the Emperor of the Valyrian Empire, the rider of dragons, the master of magic.
The true Dragonlords of Valyria never believed in gods, for we ourselves are the incarnations of gods. I will allow you to keep your former faiths, and I will give you land and seeds anew. All I ask is your loyalty, true loyalty!"
Following this, Marco summoned an Earth Elemental and a Water Elemental in front of everyone, addressing the stunned crowd.
"The choice is in your hands. Your ancestors came from Essos, or were the First Men themselves. They had the choice to submit and believe then, and I believe you can make the right choice now as well. Many glorious families were once prominent, but because they failed to make the right choice, they became just a page in the history books. I hope you will not become such an existence!"
"Esteemed Emperor of the Valyrian Empire, I am Seven Cobrey of the Cobrey Family, and I am willing to pledge my allegiance..."
"I am..."
Once someone takes the lead, others will soon follow. Soon enough, these Vale nobles knelt before Marco, one after another.
Watching the mass of figures surrounding him, Marco's lips curled into a smile. This was the end of an old power and the rise of a new one.
Vale of Arryn, Ironoaks
Littlefinger stood respectfully beside Robin Arryn. The head of the Arryn Family was happily playing with the hawk perched on a stand beside him.
Anya Waynwood, Countess of Ironoaks, and Yohn Royce, Earl of Runestone, stood near the steps leading to the throne. They were listening to a maester's report on the battle in the Fingers.
"The enemy's army defeated us. The nobles over there have mostly surrendered, and those who refused have fled into the Vale of Arryn."
After stammering through the raven's message, Maester Kommon quietly retreated to the side. He felt his heart was about to leap from his chest. As a maester, he knew the terror of dragons.
Yet, Littlefinger had proposed holding the Vale of Arryn, filling Maester Kommon with worry. The direct descendants of the Arryn Family were almost all dead, with only the frail and sickly Robin Arryn remaining. Maester Kommon didn't want his liege's family to end, but thinking of his failure to save the former Duke Jon, Maester Kommon felt a pang of heartache.
Maester Kommon had witnessed the scheming and backstabbing of the nobles in King's Landing and knew that Littlefinger was no good. However, his position was low, and he didn't dare to voice his opinion.
Just as Maester Kommon was lost in thought, Yohn Royce, Earl of Runestone, walked to the center of the throne room. He first bowed to Robin Arryn and then spoke respectfully.
"My Lord Robin! Our situation is dire. To defeat that heretic king, we must gather all the forces of the Vale. Only then do we have a chance to beat them. If we can defeat their ground troops, we can negotiate directly with them and preserve some of our rights. I hear this heretic king has a completely different system. If our families are to survive, we must eliminate the enemy's forces in one fell swoop."
"Lord Baelish! What do you think of this plan?"
Having heard Yohn Royce's words, Robin Arryn finally turned his gaze from the swift hawk towards "Littlefinger" beside him.
"My honored Lord Protector, my dearest child, I believe Earl Yohn's proposal is absolutely correct. That heretic king dares to undermine our sacred noble order. I believe our brave knights of the Vale will surely destroy those invaders and let them know the might of House Arryn."
"Littlefinger" replied to Robin Arryn with utmost humility. The sight of his devoted demeanor made Anya Waynwood, Countess, and Earl Yohn Royce shudder. These Vale nobles thoroughly detested "Littlefinger," an outsider.
If he, "Littlefinger," had simply assisted Robin Arryn in peace, it would have been fine. But since his arrival in the Vale, things had only gotten worse. The nobles were suspicious of each other, and the previous harmony was gone.
Especially Earl Yohn Royce, who had firsthand experience of "Littlefinger's" terrifying methods. Originally, House Royce and the Arryns of Gulltown had already suppressed House Grafton to the point where they couldn't even lift their heads.
Ever since Littlefinger took power, the Grafton Family had become increasingly brazen. They first replaced the members of the Arryn Family in the City Watch, and then expelled two vassal families of the Royce Family.
If Marco hadn't suddenly marched troops from White Harbor, Gulltown would likely have been the first to erupt in conflict. Upon hearing that Littlefinger had agreed to his plan, Yohn Royce, Earl, was filled with disbelief.
"Esteemed Earl Yohn, I am not versed in military matters. I leave the rest to you. I hope you will lead the Vale's warriors to victory. The Duke and I will await news of your triumph here."
Littlefinger bowed to Yohn Royce, then leaned in to whisper a few words to Robin Arryn. Bored, Robin Arryn immediately displayed a look of anticipation.
"Countess Anya Waynwood, Earl Yohn Royce, I'm feeling unwell and would like to rest. You two can handle the rest of the matters."
After Robin Arryn said this, Yohn Royce and the others took their leave. As they departed, Yohn Royce gave Littlefinger a curious look.
In Yohn Royce's memory, Littlefinger had always been at odds with him, never agreeing with any of his opinions, even when those opinions caused Littlefinger no harm.
But Yohn Royce then reconsidered, realizing he seemed to have fallen into a cognitive trap. The Vale was now on the brink of turmoil. Continued infighting would benefit no one.
Earl Yohn Royce walked out, a little excited after understanding the situation. He had been planning this since the naval defeat in the Fingers.
The Royce Family had stood in the Vale for a thousand years because of their foresight and strength, just like their family motto, "We Remember."
The Royces throughout history remembered their responsibilities and missions. Although they were highborn nobles, they never forgot to treat their people and vassals well. This was the foundation of the Royce Family's enduring legacy.
In the eyes of many insightful Vale nobles, dragons were impossible for ordinary people to fight. Although the Valyrian Empire's dragons were not yet fully grown, every successful dragon slaying was accompanied by a large number of casualties.
Yohn Royce was only thinking of securing more benefits for his family at the future negotiating table. Initially, they had no intention of resisting, but after hearing about the Valyrian Empire's system, they had to raise the banner of rebellion.
Watching the two great nobles depart, Sansa Stark, hidden behind the curtain, slowly emerged. With her were two beautiful women of ample… endowments.
They went to Robin Arryn's side, and after bowing to the little duke, whose eyes had already widened, one of the women went forward and embraced him, leading him towards the bedroom.
During the process, Robin Arryn couldn't wait to bury his head in the woman's bottomless bosom, found an opening, and began to "drink" deeply.
The beautiful woman holding Robin Arryn looked at him shyly, enduring a strange sensation in her body as she walked into the bedroom with her companion.
Sansa Stark watched the scene, now accustomed to it. She used to blush when she saw such things, but now she had learned to control her expression and protect herself.
Littlefinger looked at Sansa, nodded with some satisfaction, and then asked with a smile, "Alayne (Sansa's alias in the Vale), do you know why I don't oppose Bronze Yohn's plan?"
"Because that heretic king is our common enemy. We must defeat him first to have a chance to truly control the Vale, and letting them deal with that heretic king will cause them heavy losses."
Sansa answered with some surprise. It was an obvious answer, and she didn't understand why Littlefinger would ask.
"No, no, Alayne, you're wrong again. There's no one in this world who can defeat a dragon. The Dornish and the Three Sisters Kingdoms only succeeded in slaying dragons through luck. I never put my future in the hands of unpredictable luck.
The information I have is more than they know. That heretic king possesses terrifying magic, the same magic as the ancient Valyrian Dragonlords of legend. Dragon riding is just one aspect of his magic."
"This power isn't the trickery of street performers, but a truly deadly, mysterious force. Though I'm reluctant and even a little unwilling, I can only yield in the face of such terrifying power."
As he spoke, Littlefinger's expression flickered, displaying emotions Sansa had never seen before. It was clear he had received some extraordinary information.
In Sansa's memory, Littlefinger had always been confident, as if everything in the world was under his control. This made Sansa subtly intrigued by Marco.
Littlefinger looked at Sansa, nodded slightly, and then continued, "Do you know, Alayne, that a truly useful person can survive in this world? Varys was such a man. The reason King Robert didn't kill him was because he was useful.
Ever since I witnessed that miraculous magic in the Eyrie, I knew the world was on the verge of a new era. For a king who wants to rule the entire world, anyone who can help him govern the country is extremely useful. And what I need to do now is prove my worth."
Then, Littlefinger looked at Sansa with a hint of pity, his eyes filled with a strange mixture of affection, hatred, and a touch of reluctance. However, this expression finally solidified into determination.
"Alayne, Marco Belarys claims to be the Emperor of the Valyrian Empire and the incarnation of a god. Although he has five wives, they are all humanoid, non-human races, not a single true human."
"In the future, the majority of those he rules will be human, and humans will only acknowledge a human king and their heir. So, do you want to become the sixth queen of this powerful empire? If you succeed, you'll likely become the most powerful human woman in the world. Tell me, are you willing?"
Sansa Stark listened to Littlefinger's question, feeling a bit bewildered. She didn't understand why Littlefinger placed so much importance on this king she'd never met, even to the point of offering her up.
Sansa had always known of Littlefinger's interest in her. Initially, he wanted to use her as an excuse and bargaining chip to attack the North. Later, her only value was her identity as the former daughter of the Warden of the North, and her Stark bloodline.
Sansa didn't resist this arrangement. On the contrary, she felt a little pleased. At least her value had increased significantly, and she didn't have to worry about Littlefinger sending her off to some great noble.
Vale, Gulltown, Grafton Family's ancestral castle
"Who exactly are you?"
Jero Grafton, the head of the Grafton Family, and his steward, Luth Grafton, were staring at the person before them with excitement, their voices trembling as they asked.
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