[Chapter Size: 1100 Words.]
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On the following night, the great bells of King's Landing suddenly rang out again and again.
Theon glanced at Myrcella, who was awkwardly trying to put on his armor. The sight amused him, she could barely lift the heavy plates, yet stubbornly insisted on fastening them herself.
Once Theon had donned his armor, he instructed Myrcella to stay in the chamber and not leave under any circumstances. Three hundred Knights of the Sun were fully armed and guarding the area around her quarters.
"Amice, no matter who comes for Myrcella, if they dare to break in, kill them on the spot."
Amice immediately struck his chest with his right hand. "Lord Messenger of God, no one will ever take Her Highness, the Holy One!"
Clapping Amice on the shoulder, Theon mounted his horse and galloped toward the Mud Gate.
…
The Mud Gate blazed with torchlight, soldiers rushing everywhere in preparation. A mass of infantry had formed up behind the city gates, while archers lined the walls above.
When Theon arrived, he found Tyrion staring out across the dark sea.
"You didn't summon the king?" Theon asked. "I thought you'd bring him to rally the soldiers."
Tyrion shook his head. "Better he hides in the castle. If he shows his face and falters again, it would be disastrous for morale."
Theon nodded knowingly. "You understand the king well, haha."
Tyrion laughed aloud. He knew Joffrey's character all too well.
Then he turned to Theon. "Why don't you give a speech to rouse your men?" He gestured toward the thousands of infantry standing not far away.
Theon waved dismissively. "No need. My presence alone is worth more than any words. It motivates them better than gold, believe it or not."
Tyrion smirked. "Ah yes, who are you? You're Theon Greyjoy!"
Theon gave no further explanation. He knew that once Stannis's soldiers landed, the Mud Gate could never hold. The open ground behind the gate would become the decisive battlefield.
Theon's 8,000 men consisted of 3,000 Eternal Summer infantry and 5,000 Ironborn. They were outnumbered, but they had one advantage, they were rested and ready.
Suddenly, Tyrion's eyes fixed on the horizon. A dark fleet emerged from the sea, black as the abyss. As the enemy drew closer, Tyrion immediately signaled.
A great ship drifted slowly toward Stannis's fleet.
"Archers, ready!" cried Ser Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight.
Scores of archers prepared their bows. Davos squinted at the oncoming vessel. "Hold… steady!"
As he shouted, the archers aboard his ship raised their bows, waiting for the command to fire.
But as the massive ship drew near, Davos suddenly caught sight of a strange green liquid seeping along its hull.
"Gods… wildfire!" His face tightened with alarm. Spinning around, he bellowed, "Wildfire! Get down!"
Even as he spoke, a flaming arrow arced down from the sky. A thunderous explosion followed, and the entire surface of the sea burst into brilliant green fire.
Tyrion's face was caught between fear and awe. He had not expected wildfire to be so devastating. In a single strike, it wiped out thousands of Stannis's men.
Yet Stannis was no stranger to battle. Even amid the carnage, he quickly rallied hundreds of warships and drove them forward, straight toward King's Landing.
King's Landing stood only a few hundred meters from the enemy's landing point on the coast. Faced with the dense mass of Stannis's forces, Theon narrowed his eyes. It was the first time he had ever faced a siege of such scale.
The enemy was composed entirely of infantry, an excellent chance, Theon thought, to test his own army.
"Tyrion, later you must open the city gate," Theon said suddenly.
Tyrion turned to him in disbelief. "Are you mad? We're supposed to be defending the gate!"
"You hold the advantage on the city walls with your gold cloaks. Don't let the enemy scale them. Leave the ground to me. The Mud Gate won't hold more than a few minutes anyway, will it?"
Tyrion stared hard at Theon, then bellowed: "Open the gates!" After giving the order, he shot Theon a sharp look. "You had better hold!"
"Of course I'll hold. Just make sure you keep the walls secure. Don't let them climb!"
With that, Theon descended from the wall to stand at the head of his army, barely ten meters from the city gate.
Turning his back to his men, he faced the slowly opening gate. He raised his voice and cried out the Ironborn words: "What is dead may never die!"
The moment the words left his lips, the ranks behind him erupted into motion, shifting into battle formation.
"What is dead may never die!" The soldiers' roar thundered across King's Landing. It was the fruit of two months of drilling, their chants rang out as one, their momentum undeniable.
"Oh, gods!" Tyrion flinched, startled by the sudden roar, staring at Theon speechless.
Yet inwardly, Tyrion was pleased. This was one of the few armies he had ever seen that could rival the disciplined formations of the Westerlands.
Theon's gaze fixed on the enemy pressing toward the gate, silver-white light glinting in his eyes.
As the first of Stannis's soldiers pushed forward under the rain of arrows, a sudden roar shook the air. A dark shadow swept past, and in an instant, gleaming armor encased Theon's body.
Theon had not charged first, but the Ironborn who witnessed the transformation were electrified. For most, it was the first time they had ever seen the process with their own eyes.
Until now, they had only heard rumors from noble lords or veterans who had fought at the Battle of Riverrun. The sight before them shocked them no less than when Jorah had first laid eyes on dragons.
Theon raised his sword high and pointed it toward the gate. Fired by his display, the Ironborn surged forward to meet the advancing troops.
Meanwhile, the Eternal Summer Infantry formed up in disciplined ranks around the city, encircling and suppressing the enemy. For a time, Stannis's army was bottled up at the gate.
Outside the walls, Stannis himself directed his soldiers to assault the city.
When he saw the gates of King's Landing swing open on their own, he hesitated. Having just been burned by Tyrion's wildfire trap, he was wary. Rather than commit the bulk of his forces, Stannis sent only a vanguard forward to test the defense.
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