High Tide, Chapter 36: Slaver's Bay (Patreon)

Viserra

Seventh Moon, 98 AC

“Dracarys!” Viserra commanded as Dreamfyre dived. Instantly, a column of blue flames emerged from her maw. A rain of fiery death pouring from the sky. Within minutes, the enemy fleet had been reduced to smoldering planks and cinders burning on the sea.

Fools, Viserra thought. The Ghiscari had forgotten the might of dragons and had thought to defy them yet again. She looked back to her fleet which now sailed north for Velos completely unopposed. Corlys must be disappointed that his fancy new wildfire flamethrowers were not seeing any use, but why have flamethrowers on your ships when you had a dragon in the sky?

Their journey from Tyrosh had taken them five months, and when they had rounded the Doom and arrived in the Gulf of Grief, they had been confronted by a massive fleet flying banners and standards Viserra had recognized to be from the Slaver Cities of Astapor, Yunkai, Meereen, and New Ghis. The very same that had sacked Velos all those years ago.

The coming of House Velaryon was well known in Essos. Word had spread quickly and Slaver’s Bay had been aware of their approach months in advance due to how far the distance was. Not that that foreknowledge would save them from their wrath.

Following their plan, Viserra flew over the Velaryon Fleet as it sailed for the ruins of Velos. The water was a blue so deep it appeared to be almost black, and as they approached the southern shores, it changed to be a shimmering blue turquoise. The beaches near Velos were full of pale sands that reminded Viserra of Driftmark.

When they finally arrived, Viserra immediately understood why her husband had taken Velos’ loss so personally. She had not seen the outpost before its destruction, but she had heard of his descriptions of it. In her mind’s eye, a part of her expected to see the port they had rebuilt, the inns and bazaars that had sprouted up, the ships that had filled the harbor. A modest but prosperous town that Corlys had spent years building up as a waystation during his voyage. Years’ worth of work, destroyed by the greed of slavers. Only charred ruins and rubble remained now.

At her command, Dreamfyre landed gracefully in a ruined courtyard shortly before the Tide Guard rushed in. Corlys and Aurane walked into the courtyard soon after that and they stopped in front of the charred ruins of a house. Before it was burnt, Viserra might have called it a manse, if a modest one. It had clearly been larger than all the other buildings surrounding the courtyard.

She walked up to her husband and goodbrother. “Anything particularly important about this house?”

“This was our cousin’s house, before the sack. Lucerys… he followed me on many of my voyages back in the day. After the sixth, Velos had sprouted up into a small but increasingly prosperous town. It needed a steward. Lucerys volunteered to be its governor, and I gave him the position gladly, because I trusted him. It led him to his death,” Corlys explained.

“It wasn’t your fault alright?” Viserra said grabbing his hand gently. “The slavers did this. Ghiscari filth killed your cousin and everyone else here. We will avenge them now.”

Perhaps weary of the heavy discussion, Aurane changed the topic. “The slavers are more foolish than I thought. We expected to face a garrison when we landed, but the island appears to be devoid of any men.”

“More’s the pity,” Viserra said darkly. “Dreamfyre would have enjoyed roasting them all.”

“It’s better this way. We can save the roasting for when we move to the mainland in a few days. In the meantime, the Isle of Cedars is the perfect base for our men to rest after the long journey and to restock our provisions,” Corlys said.

“When we first arrived here, the island’s animals had no fear of men and would approach us eagerly. Including wild boars and pigs. We filled our larders up with salted pork, smoked ham, and bacon,” Corlys explained as they walked.

“The men would enjoy those I’m sure,” Viserra said.

“They’d enjoy the monkeys less. Damnable pests infested Velos back then, and they’d come to the ships as well, making a nuisance of themselves stealing food and swinging between spars,” Aurane said.

“There were rumors of ghosts and horrors in Velos when we first came here years ago as well. Those stories came to an end eventually as we rebuilt the city, but with it having fallen back into ruin, perhaps those ghosts have returned?” Corlys said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Nice try Corlys,” Viserra shook her head unamused. “Ghosts mean nothing to a dragonrider.”

“Even dragons might find themselves scared sometimes,” Corlys warned with a faraway look in his eyes.

That night, they feasted on wild boar, roasted with spices and curry to cut away the gaminess of the meat. There was in fact, no horrors or ghosts, though that had not stopped Viserra from having Dreamfyre rest herself right outside the house Corlys and her had claimed for themselves.

One of the few with an intact roof, the Tide Guard had secured it for them and had moved many of their things from their quarters on the Sea Snake to it for them, including their bed. Viserra slept soundly that night, on solid ground for the first time in months, and if Corlys had noticed her slight wariness of the supposed horrors, he did not comment on it.

Over the following days, their scout parties pushed further north into the interior of the island, hunting pigs and collecting mushrooms, flowers, seeds, and other edible foodstuffs to restock their provisions. After they’d spent a week foraging and hunting, it was decided that they had sufficiently restocked their supplies and rested their men.

Aurane was left in charge of a large garrison to hold Velos against any surprise attack and start work on clearing the rubble for the eventual rebuilding of the outpost. Scout parties were to continue foraging, hunting, and exploring in the interior as well. The waters around the island were also rich in fish, and many of the ships left behind were put to work fishing when not on patrol duty. If their plans for the Isle of Cedars were to see fruition, they needed to have food and shelter aplenty.

Viserra and Corlys on the other hand, led the bulk of the fleet to their first target. The city of Astapor was the closest of the Slaver Cities to the Isle of Cedars. It was about a week’s sailing before they reached the city.

Viserra had taken to the sky as they had approached the city, and she looked over it from above. The bay shore was dominated by red pyramids, each with great steps, and the largest of which was four hundred feet high, not that such heights mattered to a dragon. The city’s walls were red, but the bricks were crumbling and red dust blew all over the city. She remembered an old rhyme. Bricks and blood built Astapor, and bricks and blood her people.

Their coming had clearly been expected. The city’s famed Unsullied manned the crumbling walls and gates. Had it not been for Dreamfyre, Astapor would be difficult to take indeed for House Velaryon. As it was however, Viserra had to resist the urge to simply order Dreamfyre to lay waste to the entire city. It was so tempting; it would be so easy. But it would be so wasteful as well.

Viserra landed Dreamfyre out of range of Astapor’s archers, where the Tide Guard had set up a pavilion for Corlys and her. She wiped her brow, feeling her sweat drip from her body. The hot Astapori sun was unforgiving, and the heat was brutal.

It was not long before an Astapori delegation arrived to negotiate with them. A modest company of Unsullied lead many manacled in chains and several chests of gold. At their head were three Astapori Masters. The company came flying a banner of truce, so the Tide Guard begrudgingly let them pass.

“Greetings Your Excellency, Princess Viserra. It is an honor to meet the Archon of Tyrosh and his consort, the rider of the great dragon,” the head of the delegation said, speaking in High Valyrian with a filthy Ghiscari growl that made Viserra cringe to hear how her mother tongue was butchered. “I am Krazdan ro Akhaz, one of the Good Masters of Astapor.”

“And what have you come here for Akhaz?” Her husband replied in proper, perfect High Valyrian.

“Only to say that, we need not be adversaries Your Excellency. Astapor has a gift for the House of Velaryon. Chained behind me in manacles, is the captain of every ship that led the assault on Velos all those years ago. They were motivated by greed, and acted without the Good Masters’ authorization. There is also a great gift of gold, incense, and other precious luxuries, as the token of our goodwill and the compensation of Astapor for the unfortunate events at Velos.”

What nonsense, Viserra thought, but she said nothing out loud.

“I’m afraid Akhaz, that even if we were to believe that you and your fellow Good Masters had no part in the attack on Velos, this compensation is paltry for the damages done to Velos. I would have my rightful compensation for the death of my cousin and many of our people.”

Akhaz bowed. “Of course Your Excellency. What is it that you would ask of the Good Masters of Astapor?”

“I accept all the gifts that you have offered me, but furthermore I would have all of your famed Unsullied, both fully trained as well as the uncut boys and those whose training is not yet complete. I intend to sack Yunkai and Meereen, and I would have more soldiers with which to do this. Unlike esteemed Astapor which has graciously agreed to negotiate with us and have given us these gifts in a show of good faith, I am quite certain the Wise Masters of Yunkai and the Great Masters of Meereen are guilty.”

“Certainly they are Excellency,” Akhaz said, with a malicious greed in his eyes at the thought of Astapor’s chief rivals being destroyed, allowing the declining city to monopolize the slave trade in the bay.

A worried expression filled his face then. “However, I am left uncertain about this compensation you ask for. The Unsullied are Astapor’s chief export, our pride and wealth. Without them we are left defenseless, and without our profit. It is not cheap to train Unsullied, and you desire the uncut and untrained as well? We cannot have green and raw boys sullying the reputation of our Unsullied.”

Viserra shook her head. “Come now Good Master, we all know that Astapor will profit greatly from Yunkai and Meereen’s downfall, Unsullied or no. And perhaps you misunderstand, this is not a request.” At her words, Dreamfyre moved over to them and breathed hot air on the Good Master.

Akhaz looked terrified. “I… I cannot speak for all of my fellow Good Masters in this. Please allow me some time to convince them of the wisdom of accepting.”

“Of course,” Corlys said magnanimously. “You have one day Good Master.”

Akhaz nodded before he turned to leave. The Unsullied made to retrieve the chests of gold and other goods and lead the chained prisoners back. The Tide Guard made to stop them but the resolute and fearless Unsullied only halted when Dreamfyre growled at them, making them all freeze in terror. Viserra was amused. Not even the infamously harsh training of the Unsullied could break the fear of dragons it seemed.

“Leave them,” Corlys ordered. “They are gifts are they not?”

Akhaz nodded again, almost pissing his trousers, before he all but ran from the pavilion back to the city, his Unsullied in tow.

After a brief and sharp interrogation in which they concluded that the prisoners were in fact the same men who had led the assault on Velos all those years ago, Corlys ordered their soldiers to line them all up within open view of the city and at Viserra’s command, Dreamfyre slowly roasted and ate each and every one of them.

By noon the next morning, Akhaz had returned. Behind him marched a massive army of Unsullied in perfect formation, uncaring of the hot midday sun above them. Behind the Unsullied lagged those whose training was not yet complete, and their discipline was notably much weaker.

Akhaz approached them and handed Corlys a whip. “The Good Masters have agreed to your demands. All we ask is that you make for Yunkai as soon as possible and trouble us no longer. We would have peace with House Velaryon.”

Corlys said nothing to Akhaz but accepted the whip. He marched forward and barked orders at the Unsullied formation, all of whom followed perfectly, while their less trained brethren struggled to withstand the heat of the sun as they moved.

Satisfied with the results, Corlys gave the next order. “Unsullied, I and House Velaryon have come to free the slaves of Astapor! This is my command! Fight alongside those who bear the banner of the Seahorse! Sack Astapor! Kill every master and take their wealth and bring it to us! Break the chains of every slave, but harm no women or children younger than three and ten!”

At that, Viserra made for Dreamfyre. They would have to break the gates of the city and clear a path for the Unsullied and the Velaryon Army to have unhindered access to sack the city.

Akhaz looked horrified. “This was not what we agreed Velaryon!”

Her husband looked toward him. “You are mistaken Akhaz. I never agreed to anything. Only you did.”

Infuriated, Akhaz drew a dagger and charged to stab Corlys, but the Tide Guard put him down before he got anywhere close to their lord.

With her husband safe, Viserra mounted Dreamfyre and outpaced the marching Unsullied and Velaryon Army for the city. At her command, her dragon blew open the gates of Astapor and they laid waste to all the defenders on the walls and in front of the gate, slaying any soldiers and sellswords that remained.

With the path cleared and the gates broken, the Velaryon Army and the Unsullied moved into the city and sacked it. Everything of value was taken, even those that were nailed down. Gold, silver, gems, silks, spices, and more luxuries and goods of great value. They took all the foodstuffs and stocks as well.

Astapor was smaller than Tyrosh, but it was a large city nonetheless. It took three days for their sack of the city to be complete. The evidence of their work was clear. Astapor the Red City was running red with blood. The blood of slavers, but also of the innocents slaughtered in the chaos. Not every freeborn person in that city had been a slaver after all, and they would suffer greatly from what they had done to it. But the world was cruel, and Viserra could not bring herself to care too much. It was not her duty or responsibility to care for these Ghiscari strangers.

Viserra stood with Corlys on the plain in front of the city, watching Astapor burn. The Unsullied had gathered in the plain in front of the broken city gates, with many of the freed slaves having come out as well, leaving the freeborn to weep and grind their teeth in the ruin of their city.

“UNSULLIED! I AM NO LONGER YOUR MASTER!” Corlys said as he broke the whip and Viserra had Dreamfyre burn it into ashes.

“From this day, from this moment forth, you are all free men! And as free men, I ask you, to serve my house and I willingly. Together, we will sack the Slaver Cities of Yunkai and Meereen, and you will be the guardians of your fellow slaves whom you will free from the shackles of slavery and bring to freedom on the Isle of Cedars across the Bay! What say you?”

“We will fight for Velaryon! For Zaldilaros!” One Unsullied Captain eventually said after a pause, and soon the whole army followed suit.

“Velaryon! Zaldilaros!” They chanted, as did the slaves they had freed.

“I thank you for your loyalty! In a week’s time we march, for Yunkai and war!” Corlys shouted and the slaves cheered eagerly.

“Until then my friends. Laugh and be merry! Enjoy your freedom! On the morrow we load the ships, for the freed slaves and the riches and food to be moved to Velos on the Isle of Cedars. There they will settle and make homes for themselves, and when this campaign has ended, the Unsullied will join them, and defend them forevermore!”

The freed slaves and the Unsullied cheered. That night, a great feast was held outside Astapor even as the city continued to burn. The freed slaves of Astapor mingled with the Velaryon soldiers and were merry.

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Tenth Moon, 98 AC

Three months after the Sack of Astapor, the Velaryon Army, now some twenty thousand strong with the addition of the Unsullied and the slave soldiers of Yunkai, marched onwards to Meereen.

They had spent the past three months sacking the city of Yunkai and raiding the hinterlands of both Yunkai and Astapor, freeing slaves wherever they went and seizing whatever wealth, ships, and foodstocks they could find.

The Velaryon fleet was tasked with transporting all these freedmen and the wealth and provisions to the Isle of Cedars, where work was currently underway to rebuild Velos and settle farmlands to feed the freed slaves in the long term.

In the short term however, the slaves would be fed easily with the foodstuffs they had seized from Astapor and Yunkai. Viserra was well aware that the surviving people of Astapor and Yunkai would have a great famine due to the loss of their foodstuffs, but she could not bring herself to care after seeing for herself the extent of their brutality toward the slaves. Right now, Viserra wished her ancestors had done the job properly and wiped out the Ghiscari culture entirely rather than letting it survive in any way.

Unlike Tyrosh, where the slaves had outnumbered the freeborn three to one before they had seized the city, in Astapor and Yunkai, the reverse was the case. They constantly exported and traded slaves, and the slaves were treated with such brutality that had they outnumbered the freeborn, they would have surely butchered them all already. As it was the slaves had taken to killing many of their masters and the freeborn in brutal reprisal and unlike in Tyrosh, Viserra and Corlys had not cared enough to stop them. They had no intention to rule Slaver’s Bay, it could burn for all they cared.

Having finished up in Yunkai finally, they were to move on to Meereen. As the army crossed over into Meereenese territory, Viserra was horrified to see a slave child nailed up on the first milepost. The boy could not be older than five, and his entrails were hanging out, with one arm outstretched and facing Meereen. For a moment, Viserra saw her son Daeron on that post. She had missed his fifth nameday. She shook her head desperately and the image of her son was gone, but the sight that remained was no less haunting.

Corlys ordered the Tide Guard to remove the child and bury him. Viserra grit her teeth as she watched them take his body down, forcing herself to not vomit from the disgust and horror she felt at the sight.

Their army continued its march and the Great Masters of Meereen had fled before their advance. They had harvested all they could and burned what they could not, bringing all their wealth, slaves, and people north with them as they retreated. Scorched fields and poisoned wells were all they came across as they marched, requiring the Velaryon Fleet to continuously resupply them. “They’re doing it for us,” Viserra had remarked to Corlys as they marched.

Unfortunately, that was not all that they were greeted with. At every milepost, another slave child was nailed, and as if they were taunting them, the Great Masters had begun nailing slave children with silver hair, likely of Lyseni stock. It made it even easier for Viserra to see her own children’s likeness in the cruelly executed slave children.

By the time they reached Meereen, Viserra had counted one hundred and sixty-three slave children nailed to the mileposts. One hundred and sixty-three miles, one hundred and sixty-three taunts. Her fury could not be restrained any longer.

“Corlys,” Viserra said, gritting her teeth. “I will burn this city to the ground, as my ancestors did Old Ghis. Tear down its buildings brick by brick, reduce them to ash and cinder with dragonflame and sow its seeds with salt, sulfur, and the skulls of slavers.”

“Let me sack it first. When its wealth is taken and its slaves freed, the Velaryon Army will follow your every command with Meereen.”

The Sack of Meereen was by far the most brutal so far. The city was larger than both Yunkai and Astapor combined, and was swollen with wealth and people from the Meereenese retreat. The Velaryon Army and the Unsullied took out their anger and wrath from the horrid sights they had seen along their journey out on the city.

Astapor and Yunkai had been sacked in three days each, Meereen was sacked in nine. By the end of it, the survivors had fled into the countryside where they cared not to follow them. Their army pulled down the walls and slew all the slavers. The freed slaves and looted treasures and foodstuffs were loaded up onto the Velaryon fleet as well as the Meereenese merchant and military ships they had seized and slowly moved to the Isle of Cedars.

Viserra had personally fed several of the Great Masters to Dreamfyre herself, and she had had the remainder nailed to crosses in the plaza beneath the Great Pyramid of Meereen. Everything of value had been removed from the city, and the slaves had all been freed and sent to Velos. Most of the freeborn had fled into the countryside during the sack already and if any remained? Collateral damage. Such was the way of the world.

With nothing else stopping her, Viserra mounted Dreamfyre and they rose into the sky together. They climbed higher and higher, until they were well above the Great Pyramid of Meereen.

“Dracarys!” Viserra commanded and Dreamfyre bellowed out a great stream of azure fire. The Great Pyramid melted and warped before the heat of Dreamfyre’s flames and the structure began crumbling. Unfortunately, much like her ancestors had faced with the colossal Great Pyramid of Old Ghis, pyramids were remarkably resilient to dragonfire so unless she wanted to spend a week melting it, there would be little she could do the pyramid. Nevertheless, she did her best, melting all the entrances of the pyramid shut and warping its shape.

Moving on from the pyramid, Viserra and Dreamfyre laid waste to every street and building in the city with long bursts of flame as they flew over them, setting them all aflame. It took several hours before all of Meereen was on fire and still Viserra did not stop, adding more fire to the carnage wherever she felt there was too little destruction. She took a savage glee in razing Meereen to the ground. When her wrath had finally burned through, Meereen looked more destroyed than Velos had.

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Eleventh Moon, 98 AC

With Yunkai and Astapor sacked, Meereen razed, and the wealth and slaves of all three cities taken, they had finally sailed back to Velos. Viserra found herself stunned by the progress Aurane had made with the outpost in just four months. All the rubble had been cleared, and the work was well underway building new houses and clearing the neighboring forests for farmland.

Former slaves from the cities of the Bay filled the outpost and mingled and worked on rebuilding it. Not every slave had been brought to Velos of course. Though the Velaryons had freed hundreds of thousands of slaves, not all had chosen to come to the Isle of Cedars, nor could they all, for the island remained undeveloped and could not support so many at once, even with the foodstuffs they had taken.

Many slaves had chosen to remain behind in Astapor and Yunkai, where they now ruled instead of the masters and in the hinterlands, hundreds of thousands more had remained enslaved on the estates that the Velaryons had not had time or the care to raid. They had come for revenge and wergilds, not to liberate all the slaves.

Still they had extended an open offer to the freedmen of Yunkai and Astapor to flee to the Isle of Cedars at any time should they need it. Hopefully by then, the island would be more developed and able to support them. It was of considerable size and would be more than capable of supporting every slave in Slaver’s Bay was it not a wilderness.

As the Sea Snake moored, Viserra and Corlys were greeted by excited chants and cheers as the crowds shouted Zaldilaros, and Velaryon. They walked out and greeted the crowds while the Tide Guard cleared the way for them to move to their destination.

Finally, they made their way through the excited crowds and arrived at the house they had been told Aurane had claimed for himself. They had also been told that Aurane had a surprise for them both that he had requested the garrison not mention to them until they arrived.

As they entered the house, Viserra saw Aurane speaking with another silver haired man. His eyes were indigo just like Corlys’ were. She noticed that the man had a striking resemblance to Victor Velaryon, Corlys and Aurane’s uncle.

“Lucerys?” Her husband asked in shock.

Viserra turned to him, seeing the surprise and disbelief in his eyes. So this was their son’s namesake? Lucerys Velaryon, son of Victor, cousin of Corlys and Aurane?

The now named Lucerys Velaryon did not answer in words but instead walked up to his cousin and embraced him dearly. “I knew you would return Corlys.”

“How?” Corlys asked, still lost for words.

Lucerys had a sad smile. “When Velos fell, I and a few others managed to survive the destruction. We fled deep into the interior of the island where the Ghiscari and slavers would not find us. Soon enough they began fighting each other and they had forgotten about us entirely.

“We built a village of sorts in the interior, hunting pigs and monkeys for food, and picking mushrooms and fruits to eat. We even managed to salvage some mulberries from the outpost to grow, among other crops.”

“How many of you?” Corlys asked.

“About a hundred of us only. We’ve been just waiting in the interior for so many years wondering if and when our brethren would ever return from the west. You would not believe how exuberant we were when our hunters reported seeing men with the seahorse sigil emblazoned on their doublets exploring the island. I rushed to meet them immediately and they took me to see Aurane, and well the rest is obvious isn’t it?”

“When was this?”

“About a week ago. Aurane and I have been spending that time catching up. He’s been telling me all about Tyrosh and your wonderful children. Corlys, I am sorry about Rhaekar.”

Corlys’ smile faded briefly. “Thank you Lucerys. We avenged his death, but I still mourn him sometimes.”

“You should always mourn family who have passed. Where is my father? And everyone else?” Lucerys asked.

“Your father is holding Tyrosh for us at the moment. Aurane’s wife Alys, and their children, and my children are in Tyrosh as well. Uncle Jorgen, and Irina and her children are on Driftmark still. Ah, where are my manners, I don’t believe you two have ever met. Lucerys, this is my wife Viserra,” Corlys said, introducing them.

“A pleasure to meet you Princess,” Lucerys said as he kissed her hand.

“The pleasure is mine Ser Lucerys. I have heard much about you from Corlys.”

“All good things I hope,” he said smiling.

“They were,” Viserra reassured him.

“So what’s the plan now?” Lucerys asked Corlys.

“Well when we are finished up here in Slaver’s Bay, we’ll be returning to Tyrosh. You can come along and meet Alys and the children, and see your father again. Your sister and Irina and the rest of our family is still in Westeros and we intend to return to Driftmark soon as well.”

“That’s all well and good, and I will gladly go and see them, but I am the Governor of Velos and I intend to return here eventually and keep that post if you will have me.”

“Of course!” Corlys said. “If you want it still, it’s yours.”

Lucerys nodded. “So what’s the plan here then? Aurane has had my people showing his around the interior, and it’s hard to miss all the slaves that keep getting offloaded here from the mainland every day.”

“We have sacked Yunkai and Astapor, and we razed Meereen to the ground. The wealth of all three cities has been brought here, along with enough food to sustain the slaves here for at least a year, possibly longer. We’ll set up a route to Tyrosh as well to try and bring in enough food long enough for Velos to set up its own farmlands.”

“So we are officially annexing the Isle of Cedars this time?”

“Under the Archonate of Tyrosh yes. The island is more than large enough to support all these freed slaves in the long run, all it needs is time to set up its farmlands to feed them. I expect over the coming years as the Ghiscari will recover, any slaves that haven’t yet arrived here will find their way here, and the Velaryon Fleet will be on standby to ferry them over at all times as they wish.”

“We’re outright colonizing the island then, using the former slaves of the Bay as the colonists and allowing us to develop the island quickly. Clever as always Corlys,” Lucerys praised his cousin.

“That’s not all. We’ve already punished Meereen, Yunkai, and Astapor, but New Ghis was involved in the attack as well and their harassment of our trade routes forced us to stop our trade with the Jade Sea. That’s not something that we can forgive.

“I intend to conquer and annex New Ghis, with Ghaen as its hinterland to feed it. It will secure our route to the Jade Sea and give us another group of islands to settle the freed slaves on. We can expel all the freeborn Ghiscari as well so they don’t give us any trouble.”

“I see you are ambitious as ever as well Corlys,” Lucerys observed.

Corlys smiled. “Perhaps, though I find that my ambitions have been tempered with pragmatism and wisdom these days. Fact of the matter is, New Ghis must be ours for our route to the Jade Sea to be secure again.”

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Second Moon, 99 AC

True to Corlys’ words, only a few weeks after returning to Velos, the Velaryon fleet had moved again, landing in Ghaen and seizing control of the large island before they had sacked and conquered the city of New Ghis. Not even the famed Iron Legions of New Ghis could stand before Dreamfyre’s fury.

In the months since, they had expelled all the freeborn Ghiscari, especially the nobles, and settled the three islands of Ghaen, New Ghis, and Ghilos, with freed slaves from Ghiscar, as well as some excess from Velos that were burdening the outpost’s food stocks.

At Corlys’ command, New Ghis was renamed in her honor as Viserria and the city, along with Velos in the Isle of Cedars, would be the two main waystations for the reopened Jade Sea trade routes. The island groups they were capital of would serve as important colonies and bases providing key resources and exports for the Velaryons in the center of the Summer Sea. Perhaps many decades for now, they might even be bases from which they might colonize the Basilisk Isles to the south as well.

Perhaps it was due to their experience in Tyrosh, but Viserra and the Velaryons found little difficulty integrating the Isle of Cedars and the islands of New Ghis to their rule, taking quick and easy possession of all the slavers’ property and transferring and settling slaves. Still it would take many more years before their new colonies were fully developed and operational, but thankfully that did not require their personal presence.

A distant cousin of Corlys, Aethan, descended from a younger son of the first Lord Daemon, was charged with holding Viserria and Ghaen. He would be answerable to Lucerys in Velos in the long term once he returned from visiting family with Corlys and herself in the west.

A hundred ships of the Velaryon Fleet had been left behind to defend the colonies and guard the trade routes. Slaver’s Bay had been broken and would pose no threat to them. They had seized almost every ship from the mainland to supplement the hundred ships they were leaving behind, be it for war, trading, or fishing. Over the coming years, it was quite likely many more slaves would flee from Ghiscar to the Isle of Cedars and Ghaen and the squadrons of the Velaryon fleet left behind here were tasked with transporting those refugees to the islands.

The only real threat to their colonies in the region now, was Volantis. Volantis had not approved of their war with Slaver’s Bay, and they had refused to provision their fleet in either Lys or Volantis itself on the journey eastward. Perhaps an indicator of the fact that they had never been anything more than allies of convenience to Volantis, an alliance that was beginning to fray as the Velaryons waxed in power and expanded their territory further.

Their actions against the slave trade likely did not help improve opinions in Volantis. Astapor, Yunkai, Meereen, and New Ghis had each been big parts of the slave trade, and the Velaryons had destroyed or conquered each city and freed all the slaves, crippling the slave trade. Their fleets were also not going to allow slaver ships to pass the Gulf of Grief from now on, effectively ending the slave trade in Slaver’s Bay.

Volantis was currently waging war to conquer Mantarys, Tolos, and Elyria. Each city was Valyrian in origin, with majority of their people still having Valyrian looks and speaking High Valyrian. Volantis who considered herself heir of the Freehold had always been interested in conquering them and they were acting now.

Their Conches had informed them that they had ambitions to extend their rule to the ruins of Bhorash, and perhaps even to the destroyed ruins of Meereen, in an attempt to secure the lucrative gap in the slave trade the destruction of Slaver’s Bay had brought. It made some sense, as they could use the dragon road between Meereen and Volantis to move slaves by land to Volantis and export them from there by sea or the Rhoyne.

Of course, that required Volantis to win the war, as they were currently also having skirmishes with Pentos, Norvos, Qohor, and Essaria, all backed by Braavos, with the potential to escalate into a war the Free Cities had not seen the like of since the Century of Blood.

Not that any of this was truly Viserra or House Velaryon’s concern. Essos knew better than to provoke their wrath at this point, their demonstration in Slaver’s Bay had made it clear what the price of angering House Velaryon was. Viserra doubted they would see any trouble in Essos for now.

Her thoughts dwelt on her children. They had missed Jace and Luke’s nameday already in First Moon, and today was Laena’s nameday. They were already on route back to Tyrosh, nearing the Doom. Hopefully they could make it back in time for Daeron’s nameday at least, so they wouldn’t have to miss it again. The power, prestige, and wealth of House Velaryon had grown because of her and Corlys’ separation from their children and Viserra begrudgingly accepted that it had been necessary but she had no wish to be like her parents and neglect her children for governance and politics.

With any luck, they could make it back to Tyrosh in time for Daeron’s fifth nameday and after they had spent a few months seeing to any remaining matters in Tyrosh or Slaver’s Bay, it would be time to return home to Driftmark. Back to Westeros, where House Targaryen dwelt…

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Author’s Note: I had some difficulties deciding how to format this chapter, like what mix of exposition, dialogue, and action to choose, which scenes to show, etc. Ultimately I ended up with this, I hope you guys liked the chapter and the results of the Velaryon retribution to Slaver’s Bay. Stay tuned for the next chapter!