Chapter 584

If you stop to throw a stone at every barking dog, you’ll never reach your destination.

Aegor had allowed Asha to attempt Euron’s assassination. From a certain perspective, it wasn’t entirely unfair for the Ironborn to assume she had acted under his orders. Being countered so thoroughly by an opponent he had never even met—turned against with his own gambit—was a bitter pill to swallow. But he didn’t let it cloud his judgment.

Back in Winterfell, he had personally urged the Queen to prioritize her enemies and avoid getting distracted. Now, he couldn’t afford to become a counterexample.

He swallowed the insult, took note of the debt, and moved forward.

The "drink till we drop" promise with Tyrion had ended before it even began, but Aegor didn’t mind. His strategic goals in the Riverlands and Westerlands were complete. From that perspective, this westward march had been a great success.

Now, north of King’s Landing, the North and Riverlands were secured. The Westerlands had been duly intimidated.

Only the Vale remained silent.

The ravens sent to the Eyrie had vanished without a trace. The envoys dispatched to negotiate had been turned away. House Arryn neither swore fealty nor openly opposed them.

They were determined to stay out of it.

Aegor's response?

Let them.

He would deal with the Vale after King’s Landing fell.

The Vale was not the Westerlands. Its strength was limited. Its nominal ruler, young Robert Arryn, was too sickly to govern. His regent, the Blackfish, was a cautious, stubborn man.

With both of its traditional allies already backing Daenerys, the Vale had no reason to oppose her.

In truth, Aegor’s decision had nothing to do with diplomacy and everything to do with reality:

His first-generation cannons could not breach the Bloody Gate.

Rather than wasting time marching to the Vale, depleting powder, and failing to scare them into submission, it was better to win the war first—

And force the fence-sitters to pick a side.
----


Two weeks after splitting forces at Moat Cailin, Aegor rejoined the main advance.

He rode south—toward King’s Landing.

From the edge of the world, he had now arrived at the storm’s eye.

There was no need to seek out Daenerys. They had already arranged this. She would come to him when needed.

Instead, Aegor rode straight for his domain—his long-lost industrial town.

More than King’s Landing, this was what mattered.

This was the foundation of his defiance against the world’s nobility.

Upon reaching the Queen’s forward defenses, Aegor and his army were swiftly recognized and granted passage.

Inside the perimeter, he was greeted by a sight that never failed to surprise him.

The black-walled fortress still loomed in the center, unchanged but for the red three-headed dragon banners atop its ramparts.

Yet, the lands around it had transformed.

The neatly arranged workshops and storehouses had been replaced by sprawling military encampments.

The old wooden fences—once built to deter petty thieves—had been reinforced, now towering three to four meters high.

Rows of sharp stakes lined the outer walls.

Inside, black-armored soldiers patrolled in tight formations, the air thick with discipline and preparation.

Everywhere, black-and-red banners flapped in the wind.

Even without a nose, Aegor could feel the scent of war.

Waiting for him at the gates were Gharial, the Unsullied captain, and Nina.

When Aegor had pledged his support to Daenerys, one of his non-negotiable conditions had been the right to station troops in the industrial town—

To prevent Stannis from simply razing it in retaliation.

Now, that promise had materialized into an imposing garrison:2,000 Unsullied3,000 Free Folk warriorsHundreds of Night’s Watch logistical troopsThousands of workers and their families

A self-sufficient population of over 10,000.

Calling it a military outpost was an understatement—

This was a fortress city.

With the Queen’s siege camp to the north, the Targaryen fleet in the bay, and the Golden Company & Reachmen to the south, the noose around King’s Landing was tightening.

Not even Stannis could escape.

The moment Aegor arrived, the stationed forces fell into step beside him, leading him toward Black-Walled Keep.

As they walked, he spoke.

“Where is Her Grace?”

“In Rosby,” Gharial answered in precise Common Tongue. “We lack the numbers to overwhelm King’s Landing. To avoid unnecessary risk, Grey Worm advised the Queen to stay off the front lines.”

Aegor nodded in approval.

Even dragons couldn’t land in the middle of active combat.

Daenerys retreating slightly was the correct move.

Rosby was half a day's ride away—but for a dragon, it was merely minutes.

It reduced her risk without reducing her threat.

“Good,” Aegor said. “Send word to Her Grace. Inform her I have arrived and await her orders.”
----


King’s Landing lay right there.

He could see it.

If he were willing to pay the price, he could storm the gates by nightfall.

By midnight, he could be drinking in the Red Keep.

But he wouldn’t.

Taking the city was only Phase One.

Afterward, he still had to deal with:The Golden CompanyThe ReachDorneAnd potential Free Cities intervention

Daenerys had just over 16,000 men.

Aegor’s northern army had roughly the same.

In total, the Queen’s forces numbered just over 30,000.

And that was on paper.

In reality, many of these troops were pinned elsewhere.

Daenerys’ side:Dragonstone required a garrison.Claw Isle, Rosby, and Stokeworth needed guards.

Aegor’s side:6,000 troops had been detached to guard Harrenhal, Moat Cailin, and the King’s Road.

They weren’t just there to prevent infighting between the Starks and Boltons—

They were holding the supply lines.

This supply chain was the lifeblood of the army.

Without it, they’d starve before they saw the Red Keep.

And it wasn’t just logistics—

That force also monitored the Vale and Westerlands.

Aegor was confident neither would intervene—

But if Tywin or the Blackfish decided to gamble, those troops would be the first line of defense.

Which meant—

Only 25,000 troops were available for the actual siege.

And he could not afford to waste them in a bloody assault.

Not when the Golden Company was still watching.

Not when Little Aegon could still try to steal the throne from Daenerys.

If they stormed the city, they’d be handing Aegon the perfect opportunity.

Aegor turned to Gharial.

“Aegon and the Tyrells have definitely requested an audience with the Queen, haven’t they?”

The Unsullied hesitated—then exchanged glances with Nina.

“…My lord,” Nina finally answered.

“The Queen already met with them.”

Aegor’s expression stilled.

“When?”

“…A week ago.”