Capítulo 666: Chapter 666: Negotiations
After the royal army withdrew, the allied Dorne nobility did not pursue. Their numbers didn't hold much of an advantage, and this rebellion in Dorne was merely the activity of a few nobles, without the affirmation from Sunspear.
Their plea, essentially, was for the Iron Throne to return the Dornish who had fled abroad to face trial locally, not to truly rebel. Thus, they dared not pursue too aggressively.
Should they obliterate this royal army in Dorne, their own subsequent days would not be easy either.
Subsequently, the Dornish noble army, primarily led by House Uller of Hellholt, marched into Skyreach City.
"Welcome, Count Harman Uller!"
"My old friend!"
Old Falcon, Franklin Fowler, swapped his blood-stained armor and personally welcomed them outside the city.
The banner of House Uller features crisscrossed flames of yellow and deep red, and Hellholt is positioned in the center of the Dornish desert, near the source of the Brimstone, easily defended and hard to conquer.
Most Dornish castles are strategically located, which is why the Targaryen army faced numerous difficulties after invading Dorne during the First Dornish War three hundred years ago.
Just fighting in the desert alone deterred many soldiers, with the numerous difficulties of combat in the desert - lack of water, intense heat, poisonous creatures - burying countless lives without filling the gap.
This is why Count Uller of Hellholt, with no fear due to his strategic position, has leapt out, opposing the royal authority and supporting the Count of Skyreach City.
After all, there is a proverb among the Dornish: 'Half the Ullers are mad, and the other half are worse.'
"Hmph, I once campaigned in the Riverlands for the Iron Throne!"
"I didn't think that young whelp would betray Dorne."
Harman Uller, a robust man with a touch of grey in his hair, dismounted from his warhorse, embracing his old friend.
"Rest assured, old friend."
"I won't let Jon Connington take you to King's Landing."
Old Falcon, Franklin Fowler, feigned emotion, wiping his eyes, but did not dare to engage in Harman Uller's dialogue. Everyone present knew who the 'young whelp' he referred to was.
In fact, Franklin Fowler regretted the killings, but he didn't want to be taken away like this. That way, once in King's Landing, a dire fate awaited him, forcing him to instigate a rebellion.
Essentially, he still wished for reconciliation with the Iron Throne, harboring a sliver of hope in his heart, not wanting to journey down a path of no return. Therefore, he could only awkwardly laugh in response.
"Ulrick."
"It's been a long time."
Next, Old Falcon cast his gaze upon the slightly younger man beside Harman Uller, his brother, Sir Ulrick Uller.
"Lord Franklin."
Sir Ulrick, his demeanor calm and hand on his sword hilt, shook hands with Old Falcon, then stepped back beside his brother without another word.
"Let's discuss in the city."
"Consider how to negotiate with Jon Connington, how to resolve this matter without disgracing our king."
Franklin Fowler spoke, gesturing invitingly.
"Jon Connington, I met him in King's Landing. Always a cold face, foul and stubborn temperament, not easy to deal with."
"Please—"
"Please—"
Dorne's noble army, hoisting the banners of each House, entered Skyreach City, while those who could not enter began setting up camp outside the city.
"Charge—"
"Charge—"
The sound of horse hooves was chaotic and the colorful banners fluttered in the wind. Dornish soldiers were busy on the mountain, while below, in the royal army camp, the atmosphere was somewhat somber.
"Sir Jon Connington!"
"If I may be blunt."
"The reinforcements from Dorne are here; we can no longer take Skyreach City."
Edwyd Fossoway of the Cider Hall, hand on his sword hilt, spoke. His brother, Bryan Fossoway, nodded in agreement.
"That's right."
"Our supplies are not catching up. If we continue to linger here and Dorne surrounds us, we may face the risk of complete annihilation."
In truth, the army Jon Connington commanded was merely four thousand strong. That they could breach Prince's Pass, penetrating deep into Dorne, was already quite an achievement.
If Jon's four thousand were merely to quell the Fowler family rebellion and escort the Count of Skyreach City to trial in King's Landing, it might be sufficient.
But if other Dornish nobles intervened, their small number would be utterly inconsequential.
Now, House Martell of Sunspear has not yet taken a stance. They neither dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion nor declared support for it.
If House Martell suddenly joined the rebellion, they might never leave Dorne.
Currently, the two thousand legion soldiers following Jon Connington from King's Landing were still spirited, showing no signs of retreat, as most hailed from across the Narrow Sea and held no fear of the Dornish.
However, the local Riverland nobles were already beating a retreat, after all, they had crossed Prince's Pass, deep into Dornish territory. If the Dornish suddenly turned hostile, they wouldn't even have a chance to flee.
Although they were aiding House Cafferen out of a sense of duty, nobody wanted to die, especially not for others.
Hence, they proposed to Jon Connington, the Hand of the King, that they retreat to Prince's Pass, then send envoys to Skyreach City to negotiate, demanding Franklin Fowler's surrender.
Or, Jon Connington should request reinforcements from King's Landing, and they would wait for their arrival at Prince's Pass.
Jon Connington, standing before the map in the central military tent, hadn't spoken from the start, his eyes cast down upon the map.
When the Riverland nobles finished speaking, all eyes converged on him.
The middle-aged man with grey-red hair finally lifted his head, his gaze sweeping across every face present, speaking calmly.
"The Dornish reinforcements are not much more numerous than us."
"They have not fully mobilized, indicating they do not want to resist royal authority to the end for the Fowler family."
"So, if they dare to sortie, we'll take the opportunity to consume them; if they hide beneath Skyreach City, we will besiege them until the end."
"I have sent a raven to King's Landing requesting reinforcements from His Majesty; perhaps the dragons will arrive soon."
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