King of the Sunset Sea
Theon POV
The Seagard was behind me, as the alliance I wanted with Stannis. I partially understood why he broke it the moment our deal was done, but his showing off his power made me quite mad. How dares he demand me to kneel? I was close to losing my shit, but I knew it would be disastrous for me if I didn't retreat at that moment.
"Where is Bronn?" I asked Thoros as I looked at the dark sky.
"Should I call for him?"
"Yes."
As Thoros left to look for my most useless crew member, I looked at the sea and the sky. Both were vast and dark, yet they always calmed me down. I couldn't wait for the day when it would be mine. I won't ask for the world, but it would be nice if the seas belonged only to me. Then no one would be able to tarnish this beautiful sight.
"Your grace, you called?" Bronn came in front of me.
"Why do you always have to ruin the nice moment?" I asked, pushing his face aside. "Tell me what you learned."
"The biggest news is the wedding of Margaery Tyrell and Joffrey Baratheon. It will be held on the first day of the new year."
"So, only four months later?" I asked. Too bad, I don't think I will be able to crash the wedding.
"It seems so."
"What else?"
"Oh, people are talking about the King of the North taking the Twins," Bronn continued. "It was said that the Freys turned on each other once one of the towers fell. Only a few were left alive. Those who surrendered were sent to the Wall. Now only children are left in the Twins."
"What about Robb Stark?"
"He left a garrison at the Twins and returned to the North," Bronn replied. "The rest news is about you and your feats."
"It would be narcissistic to listen about myself," I said, even if I wanted to know what people were talking about me.
I will ask Anguy later. Now it was time to plan my next step. If only the Stormlands were in the western part of Westeros, not the eastern side. There weren't many keeps left to raid on the shore of the Westerlands. So, all that is left is the Reach. I will have to talk with my uncle and sister first, but my course is set.
Even though I had a rough plan, I still needed to think about how to mess with Stannis. I just couldn't let him go so quickly. I will make him pay for ruing my plan. Couldn't he be more patient? How dare he demand me anything? He will know what it means to mess with me. Even if not today or tomorrow, one day, he will pay.
…
The Ironborn were happy and euphoric. Fair isle was surrounded by our ships, and Faircastle was taken from the House Farman. Victarion did an excellent job of taking control of the island. The lords were captured or dead, and the soldiers still alive were hiding in fear. Still, I had to stop him from harming smallfolk, as it wouldn't bring me anything but only trouble if people started to rebel.
"We can't keep our loot?" Asha asked, sounding quite angry. "My men and I fought for it, and now you are asking them to give it away."
"You can keep it, but only a portion," I replied. "And I didn't ask. I commanded."
The law of the Iron Islands said that the captains of their ships could take all the loot from their crew. Not even the King could demand it. So, it was reasonable for Asha to be angry as she spoke for her crew and the entire fleet she commanded. Still, I didn't change my mind. I needed that gold to strengthen the Iron Islands and prepare for the Winter.
"Your Grace," One of the captains knelt before me. "Please forgive me if I offend you, but my men died for this gold. I ask you to give us a reason for your unreasonable demand."
"Can you eat the gold?" I asked the captain, who wore red and white, the colors of House Drumm. "Can you fight with gold? Can you sail on the gold?"
"No, your Grace, I can't do either of those things."
"The winter is coming. The realm enjoyed a decade of summer. Have any of you forgotten what winter feels like?" I asked, looking at the captains gathered around me. "I will take your well-earned gold to secure our future. I will go to the Dorne, to the Essos, and seek a trade. Some think it is beneath us to pay with gold, not iron. But we need a steady influx of food and other necessities. The old way is gone. We can't just raid and rob people as we wish. If we did so, everyone would start hiding in their castles behind their knights. No one would dare to sail in the seas for fear of us, but what do we eat then? The world is vast. The sea is even more so. It is time to change our way and enter a new era."
"And what era would that be?" Victarion asked.
"The golden era," I said. "The Iron Islands will be called the Golden Islands with all the gold we will gather if you follow my way."
"Didn't you just say you needed the gold to buy us food?" Asha didn't let it go.
"I will, but how long do you think they keep the gold? I will lure the merchants and the lords who want to trade with us with the gold, but they have to pay for sailing in my sea. Will it be with their blood or the gold we gave them?"
"So, we are going fishing," Victarion laughed. "We will drop a bit of gold into the sea to lure the fishes out of their hiding."
"Fools," Lord Gorold Goodbrother shouted. "How dare any of you to doubt the King. The Drowned god chose him. He will lead us to a better future than we can imagine."
"Aye," The captains that belonged to House Goodbrother agreed readily.
At last, I was done with this conversation. It wasn't long as I expected, but I had to choose my words carefully around them. Still, I was their king. In the end, if one agreed with me, the rest followed soon after. I needed that gold. On the sea, we were a power that few could contest, but on the land and political world, we mean nothing. But I knew that gold could buy you into many places.
"Now, let's discuss how we will take on the Reach," I said to everyone's excitement. "There are three places we need to strike while the Reach army is away and their fleet is mostly destroyed. The Shield Islands, The Arbor, and Oldtown."
"Your Grace, I ask to go to the Arbor," Victarion stood up first. "I still want revenge for the loss I received last time. While Paxter Redwyne died by your hands, I want to burn the Arbor myself."
"Very well, but before you burn it, please take the wine for us to enjoy," The men laughed. Victarion was happy to do so, as he lost to the Arbor fleet in my father's rebellion. "Sister, you will take almost half of our fleet and go to the Shield islands. You proved yourself by taking Banefort and the Crag by yourself."
"What about Golden Tooth and the rest of the Westerlands?" Asha asked.
"Stannis will take Golden Tooth to block the movements of the Reach and the Lannisters," I said. "We don't have men, nor do we need to interfere in their battle just yet. Let them fight while we will reap all the rewards."
"Aye," Ale and wine flew in the air as everyone agreed.
The Reach had even more towns and castles on the shore for us to raid than the Westerlands. They might not be as rich, but they certainly don't lack gold, jewelry, wine, or grain. I was sure that after we visited the Reach, the Iron Islands would have enough resources to live comfortably in the winter.
"Drink," I took a bottle and lifted it in the air. "For our victory, for our glory, for our legend."
The men and women happily drank to my toast. Even though all the drinks tasted like water and the alcohol didn't have any effects on me, I still drank with the men. But that was as far as I went. I needed to keep a certain distance from the rest of them. I am a King, a champion chosen by the Drowned god. I had to let them think that I was above them not only in status but in prestige too.
"Are you sure you want to take this path, Theon?" Thoros asked me.
"What do you mean?"
"Battle after battle, you said we need to prepare for the winter, but you know better than anyone else what this winter will bring. How will waging war help with it?"
"You know nothing, Thoros," I replied. "Even if I yelled or begged the rest of the realm to listen to me about myths and legends, how many will willingly listen to me?"
"Not many?"
"None," I corrected him. "Nobody would. In the end, it might be the North and me fighting them while the rest of the Realm blissfully watches how we are being killed off. They won't care until the winter is on their doorsteps."
"And how will this war help you?"
"It will make my presence known," I answered.
"You are already known."
"I was known for being a reckless madman who just didn't die," I replied. "Now they know me as king of the Sunset Sea, ruler of the waters, and I will be the ruler of the trade after we have done with the Reach coast. When the west of Westeros loses its precious trade, they will have no choice but acknowledge me. Then they will listen to every word I have to say. And if they refuse to listen even then, I at least will supply my men with the means to defend against the winter."
"I need a drink," Thoros replied.
"You always need a drink," I said, giving him a bottle of wine. "Don't worry. I don't want to die again, so I will do everything possible to survive. Even when the cold winds of the winter blow my way, I will stand tall with you by my side."
"I worry that I won't be able to stand as tall as you when the time comes."
…
The next day after our celebration, the ships were prepared to sail. Food and weapons were boarded on the ships. I could feel the excitement from the men; they tasted a bit of victory and wanted more. It won't be easy, as the Reach have already heard of us. They probably are preparing their defenses to repel us.
If Reach didn't lack something, it would be people. Even with their fleet mostly destroyed and their armies sent to foreign lands, the Reach still could call for more men to man their defenses. They would be boys, but the Reach already was famous for their summer knights, so I didn't think it would make much difference.
The Great Kraken was my father's ship, so I ordered it dismantled and made it into another ship. My ship was smaller, leaner but swift as the wind. I called it Kraken's tail, as before my enemies could see me approaching them, I would already be on their tails. It was a ship I was pretty proud of, so I made sure to take good care of it.
Asha, Victarion, and I have divided the fleet into three. Victarion took his Iron fleet of one hundred warships. Asha called her fleet the Black Wind fleet after her ship. She had one hundred and fifty ships, to the displeasure of Victarion. I took the rest of the ships, calling my fleet the Sunset fleet. We could have been better at naming and more original, but it was fine.
A.N. As always, If you want more, up to five advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852