Chương 39: The End Of The First Conquest
After the garrison of the Arsenal fell to his forces, Aerion spared the few workers who had remained while the rest had presumably evacuated into the city. Then he gathered his fleet for one final push into the core of Braavos which would mark the end of his Great Conquest. Although the constant feeling of battle was exciting, Aerion was even more eager to officially begin his reign and build an Empire that would last.
In his early days, he had always aspired to be a gallant knight like his father and the majority of the Kingsguard. To be among the most skilled swordsmen in the land, to win tourneys and win the hearts of ladies, to be renowned as a hero and to explore the vast world while amassing countless treasures... but, alas, life changes all.
With time, he realised that the Targaryen dynasty needed a King to continue existing... and so, that was what he strived to become. First, his ambition was the Iron Throne which was his by right. Then this ambition extended to reenvisioning the Valyrian Freehold as an Empire and now... this ambition has grown even greater.
Now, his old wishes of knighthood had been pushed to the side for a far grander ambition... becoming the mightiest, no... THE Ruler of the Known World. To create a legendary legacy for himself that would never be forgotten, build the greatest Empire the world had ever seen, unite all under the banner of House Targaryen and to extend the dynasty for many more generations.
The long path towards these goals was far from easy but he was determined to see it through. If one strived for the very sky, then they would certainly find greater results than one who aimed for a mountain peak.
That was precisely what Aerion thought as he stepped onto the Purple Harbour of Braavos.
Upon the presence of their Master, the Soul Knights all bent the knee and presented the prize that they had acquired for him. The Sealord of Braavos and the rest of Braavos to go with him... quite a prize, indeed.
"My Lord, we have cleared the entire garrison by ourselves and captured the Sealord without harming him... much." One Soul Knight spoke.
Aerion smiled. "The entire garrison, across all of Braavos?"
"Well, not quite... some got away but I doubt that they have the backbone to return for another fight."
"I see." Aerion turned to the Sealord. "You seem to be on the other end of your life already, Sealord."
"And you are as young as they say. It is difficult to believe you to be the demon who paved a path of blood across the Free Cities... but... *cough*... here you stand."
Aerion nodded. "What of it?"
"Do you know how many have died and suffered because of your ambition, prince?"
"And do you know how many will prosper after it?" Aerion countered. "It is the bloody path that leads to a brighter future."
"Oh... is it?" The Sealord coughed.
"After King Aegon the Conqueror's unification, the Seven Kingdoms saw peace that would have never occurred otherwise after paving a path of fire and blood in his conquest. For once... the Seven Kingdoms only knew one King and prospered greatly because of it. Of course, the following members of House Targaryen had their own faults which resulted in several conflicts but... did it not create a better Westeros?"
"Even now, after the supposed fall of House Targaryen, the Seven Kingdoms only know one King." Aerion stated. "Why is that, Sealord?"
The Sealord chuckled. "You have a way around with words. Indeed, the Seven Kingdoms benefitted from only having one King... that is something that many agree with. You must believe that the same could be said for the nine Free Cities. That, under one Emperor, both the Free Cities and Kingdoms would find peace and prosperity never seen before... that may turn out to be true as well. However, can you carry the weight that comes with such a title?"
"It is not quite as heavy as you believe. Hmm... though, I suppose a sealord wouldn't know much about being King or Emperor." Aerion smiled.
The Sealord laughed slightly. "Perhaps I was underestimating you... though, I will never know. I, however, know that you are itching to kill me after I defied your rule. Will it be by sword, by wind... *cough* or, perhaps by fire? Whichever way you choose, please do make it quick."
Aerion frowned. "That, I will not do."
"Not only did you defy my rule after having been handed your first defeat, but you also prolonged this conflict resulting in more blood being shed. I can even repeat something you told me earlier..." Aerion smiled.
"Do you know how many have died and suffered because of your foolishness, Sealord? You only had to do one thing to prevent this... and that was to surrender. Now, you see the result of your foolishness."
Aerion opened his left palm as scarlet flames burst forth to burn the Sealord... slowly. These flames were comparable to normal flames except for the fact that they were created through magic. Unlike his usual flames, these flames were incapable of turning people into ash within seconds and would instead roast them to death.
"One of you, keep him still. The rest of you follow me."
"Yes, My Lord."
Aerion looked into the distance, where a certain and easily distinguishable bank stood, as he walked through the streets of Braavos. The company he brought with him neared fifty men, most of the Mad King's crew along with the Soul Knights he took back. This 'company' was certainly more than enough to crush whatever remained whilst not being too slow.
"So this is the Iron Bank." Oswell remarked. "I wonder, what is it that you wish to do with it?"
"Oh... nothing much. I only intend to put the organisation in its place."
Aerion opened the rather large doors to the bank and strolled inside, leaving some of the guards at the entrance. He walked through the corridors until he noticed a section of intrigue. There was a table where a group of men quietly sat. Apart from them, he had not seen any other faces.
As he walked closer, one of them finally spoke.
"What brings you to the Iron Bank today, prince of the Seven Kingdoms?"
"I would like to claim complete ownership of the Iron Bank or we might have a minor... conflict which may or may not involve destruction," Aerion stated. "Many have made the wrong decisions before as they continued to doubt my abilities... I hope that both you and your superiors understand this and understand it well, for all of your sakes."
The man nervously laughed. "Well, there won't be a need for that, my Emperor. We are the men behind the Iron Bank so you needn't look further."
Aerion's eyes widened slightly for a moment. "So you've been expecting me?"
"Why, of course, we have been. It would be disrespectful for us not to personally welcome our new ruler. We are willing to grant you complete control over the Iron Bank... on a few conditions."
Aerion nodded. "As long as they are within reason, I am willing to accept them."
"The two conditions are that we must maintain our previous positions while serving under you and that you will not waste the Iron Bank's money. We do not wish to vanish after so many generations of existence and prosperity, you see."
Fair enough.
"You have my word that the Iron Bank will not lose its long-term value under me and that I will not meddle with your positions or those below you unless there is a proper reason behind it. Is that fair, my dear bankers?"
"It is more than we could have hoped for, my Emperor."
"Wonderful, I will return here at a later date to discuss the future direction of the Iron Bank. For now, you will all operate as usual."
Aerion turned and walked back to the exit through the gap that his guards had made. Afterwards, they followed him from the back.
That was easier than I thought... though, I suppose the Iron Bank couldn't hope to defy my will. Not after Braavos fell.
Aerion returned to the port where the roasted body of the Sealord laid on the ground. His emerald flames emerged and took the Sealord's soul for later.
"He was a screamer, that one." The Soul Knight watching over the Sealord stated.
He looked at his navies' ships, most of which had unloaded the men aboard after he left for the Iron Bank. Due to his connection to those he resurrected, there was little need for words when it came to ordering them around. The majority of them were out and looking for any who dared to continue the fight while the rest were cleaning the bloody harbour while placing the dead in suitable storage locations.
The corpses from this battle may as well be utilised. My stay in Braavos doesn't have to be too long... the Sealord was capable enough while sick. I wonder what he could be capable of as a Soul Knight...
In truth, it had been too long since he left his home so he wasn't too keen about staying in Braavos for a long period, despite all its beauty. Sunspear... it had been a whole year and a half, from the eleventh moon of 294 AC to the fifth of 296 AC. For others, it was a relatively short span but for Aerion, this year and a half changed his entire life.
No longer did he have to cower in Dorne because of the Usurper's shadow, no longer did he lack in terms of land, gold and manpower. No longer was he just the 'Rightful King' or 'Prince of House Targaryen'... no, he had gained enough gold to buy armies, enough manpower to conquer Kingdoms and nine Free Cities to go with that. His name and the tales that go with it now echoed across both Westeros and Essos. He was no longer a prince with nothing to his name... no, he was the magnificent Emperor Of New Valyria, the undefeated Dragon of the Sea, the feared Stormcaller and even the mighty Silver Khal.
The person who humiliated the Usurper by taking his Warhammer, leaving a burn mark of House Targaryen on his face, emptying the treasury, taking back his ancestral home and even taking his daughter for assurance... Aerion no longer cowered in his shadow, that was for sure.
Now, even the Usurper had good reason to be careful around him beyond the safety of his daughter.
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