Game of Thrones: Second Son of House Targaryen

Chapter 264: Casterly Rock Fleet

The fleet from Casterly Rock was one of the most formidable in Westeros. The Lannisters had fully mobilized their forces to strike at the Stepstones, with the Warden of the West, Lord Tywin Lannister, leading the charge. The fleet consisted of more than 200 warships, 70 of which were converted merchant vessels. The Westerlands had contributed the largest share of forces to this campaign, with over 40,000 troops on land and sea. Back in the Westerlands, more than 10,000 new recruits were still in training, ready to reinforce the war effort.

The fleet had also transported vast amounts of supplies—everything from weapons and food to bows, arrows, and even warhorses. At noon, the warships with their distinctive scarlet sails began to sail into the Blackwater Rush.

On the advice of Maester Pycelle, Robert had arranged for tens of thousands of civilians and nobles to line the banks of the Blackwater Rush, welcoming the fleet's arrival. Among the noble contingent was Ardrian, who, while greeting Tywin, was also scanning the crowd for any sign of Viserys.

"Ser Celtigar, what are you looking at?" asked a young man with silver hair. It was Lord Monford Velaryon of Driftmark.

Like House Celtigar, House Velaryon had been loyal vassals of House Targaryen since the days of Valyria. However, the once-great house had dwindled over the years, now consisting of only Monford and his young son, who was not yet seven years old.

Viserys had considered visiting Driftmark, given its proximity to Dragonstone, but circumstances had not allowed it.

"Oh, it's nothing," Ardrian replied casually, though he couldn’t shake the strong feeling that Viserys was nearby.

Ardrian glanced up at the sky, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Little did he know that the giant who had recently appeared in his living room was indeed close by. Perched on a nearby tree branch, Viserys's seagull watched the proceedings with keen interest. This grand welcoming ceremony had drawn together the top nobility of the Seven Kingdoms. Viserys couldn’t help but wonder what their expressions would be if he suddenly leaped out and mocked them.

Meanwhile, Tywin Lannister stood at the bow of his ship, his face impassive as he surveyed the city he had once ruled and plundered. Near the King's Gate in King's Landing, the closest point to the sea, Robert Baratheon waited with his retinue for Tywin's arrival. Robert and Cersei sat in chairs, with their three children and Jaime standing behind them.

In truth, Robert hadn’t wanted to come, but both Maester Pycelle and Eddard Stark, still vigorous despite their age, had persuaded him otherwise. They insisted that Robert’s presence was crucial to show his commitment to the war. And so, he came to greet Tywin at the King's Gate.

Cersei and her three children were, of course, present, and nearly all the realm's nobles had gathered as well: the Starks, the Red Viper, and his fellow royal advisers, Edmure and Brynden Tully, Stannis, Renly, and others.

Lord Tywin basked in the early glory of being hailed as the "savior of King's Landing." The crowd had come to greet him not only because of his power and position but because they all knew they were now in the same boat, facing the same looming threat.

Cersei and Jaime were genuinely pleased to see their father. Standing together with their three children, they looked like a perfect family at first glance. Both had blonde hair and green eyes, and apart from the slightly chubby Tommen, who bore a slight resemblance to Robert, the other two children didn’t share even a hint of his features. When they noticed that no one was watching, they exchanged a quick, secret glance. But their subtle action didn’t escape Littlefinger’s notice.

Littlefinger had no intention of stirring trouble over their petty gestures for now. He figured his time with Robert was running out, and his priority was to quickly align himself with Viserys. The Baratheon ship could sink at any moment, and when it did, there wouldn’t be time to flee.

Meanwhile, Robert, growing impatient with Tywin’s delay in disembarking, turned angrily to Ned and snapped, "You son of a bitch, if you hadn't talked me into it, I wouldn’t have bothered to look at that old man!" He nearly blurted this out in front of Cersei and the children standing nearby. Both Cersei and Jaime were displeased by Robert’s lack of discretion. Cersei’s expression turned icy in an instant.

"If you had killed Viserys, my father wouldn’t have had to leave Casterly Rock," Cersei retorted with a sneer.

"What did you say?" Robert barked, whipping his head around so fast his eyes seemed ready to pop out and devour her.

Ned quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Your Grace, now more than ever, you need Lord Tywin’s support," he murmured, speaking softly enough to ensure no one else overheard.

Ned wasn’t one to lose his temper easily, and though he disliked Tywin, it was only because Tywin’s cunning and treachery clashed with the straightforward values cherished by the people of the North.

Behind his back, Prince Oberyn’s fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He longed to burn Tywin and the Mountain alive, just as Viserys. But he had never mastered fire magic, despite Viserys insisting he possessed the potential. His talent in fire magic was severely lacking. Instead, he pinned his hopes on mastering water magic.

'I am a descendant of Nymeria. I will definitely learn water magic.' the Red Viper said to himself, trying to cheer himself up.

On the other side of the river, Grand Maester Pycelle was an entirely different story. He was a huge admirer of Tywin Lannister. To him, Tywin was a king who had never worn the crown. When Aerys, Viserys's father, hesitated to allow Tywin's army into King's Landing, it was Pycelle who persuaded the king to let Tywin in. Later, Tywin led his forces in sacking King's Landing and ordered the Mountain to kill Elia and her children. Yet, Pycelle seemed to feel no remorse for these actions.

When Tywin disembarked from the ship, the way Pycelle looked at him could have melted steel. A group of guards carried the crimson Lannister banner, while Tywin himself rode a tall horse. As the horse walked, it pulled at its reins, and dung splattered on the ground. The guards walking behind it did not avoid it, bearing their disgust as they stepped in the mess.

When Tywin was still ten paces from Robert Baratheon, one of the guards fell to his knees. Tywin used the soldier's back as a step to dismount from his horse, then walked slowly toward Robert.

"Your Grace, the army of the Westerlands will obey your call," Tywin said, bowing slightly as he paid his respects.

Robert clenched his jaw, struggling not to show his disgust. "There will be a banquet in your honor this evening."

'Banquet? That's good. Then I'll set fire to the ships after you've eaten and drunk your fill,' Viserys thought, watching everything unfold clearly from his perch in the tree.