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#504 - Chapter 236: Dorne Strategy (Part 2)

The two bowed to Daenerys, and Tyrion said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this is the latest report from the Southern Army. Commander Byck believes that the desert terrain of Dorne is complex and the climate is harsh, making it unsuitable for our army to conduct large-scale operations. To avoid repeating the failures of Aegon the Conqueror and subsequent kings in their expeditions, he hopes that the Queen and the Cabinet can come up with a reasonable strategy. There are some of his suggestions on this."

Daenerys listened to Missandei reading the report while flipping through the documents in her hand. She frowned slightly, her eyes fixed on Dorne's location on the map, and after a moment of thought, she said, "Dorne's desert is indeed a problem, and maritime transport is also somewhat difficult at the moment. But we cannot give up just like that."

Tyrion nodded in agreement, "Your Majesty is right, we need to develop a more strategic plan. After all, the empire is just beginning, and if your legions suffer setbacks in Dorne, it is likely to affect your prestige."

Grey Worm interjected, "Your Majesty, I think we can let the Dothraki try. There are also large areas of wasteland and desert in the Dothraki Sea. I think their combat power is no worse than the Dornish."

Daenerys pondered for a moment, "That's a viable option. Tyrion, you are responsible for drafting a letter to Commander Byck, asking him to continue to hold the line. Missandei, send someone to notify the ministers of the Cabinet to come here for a meeting. Also, tell Archmaester Perestan to bring all the information about Dorne when he comes."

Tyrion accepted the order and left. Daenerys turned to Grey Worm and said, "Victory in war depends not only on force but also on wisdom and strategy. Galon said you are very talented, but you need to continue to learn more knowledge to be competent for your current position. I will have Missandei tutor you in the evenings."

Grey Worm looked up at Missandei, their eyes met, and then he turned away a little embarrassed.

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Sunspear, as the ancestral castle of House Martell and the capital of Dorne, its importance is self-evident. It is located north of the Greenblood River, on the southeastern coast of Westeros, and its unique geographical location gives it the advantage of being surrounded by the sea on three sides.

The Water Gardens, the private residence of the Prince of Dorne, is an even more desirable place. It is located on the beach three leagues west of Sunspear, and the beautiful scenery is intoxicating. At this moment, Prince Doran is gazing at the sunset, while Arianne is pushing his wheelchair behind him, a scene full of peace and affection.

Prince Doran suddenly broke the silence, "The war has already begun. Skyreach and the Eyrie have fallen, and the three castles near the Rush are unlikely to hold out for too long. Arianne, if you become the Princess of Dorne one day, what would you do in the face of such a situation?"

Arianne thought for a moment and then replied, "I will not have any illusions about those guys in Starfall. Those so-called 'Stone Men' have never been on our side. Maybe they have already surrendered to the Dragon Queen. The Dornish desert will definitely put them in trouble. When the enemy goes deep into the desert, we can abandon all the towns along the way. I will order people to evacuate and destroy the water sources, and then use small units to attack their supply lines, letting them die of thirst and exhaustion in the desert. Our ancestors were able to defeat Aegon the Conqueror with these tactics, and I will also be able to defeat Daenerys."

"You have determination, that's very good!" Prince Doran nodded with satisfaction, but then frowned and said, "But we cannot ignore the people of Dorne. This war has brought them too much pain. Now the Summer Sea is surging, and our external connections are almost severed. Food is a serious problem."

Arianne thought for a moment and replied, "Father, I am already trying to find a solution. Our fleet can bypass the Summer Isles. Illyrio has used his connections to contact Volantis, seeking their support."

Prince Doran nodded, a trace of worry on his face, "Daenerys Targaryen is not an easy person to compromise with. Moreover, she has three dragons, and we must prepare for the worst. You may not see the current scenery in the future. I will abdicate to you later. My body is already very weak, and the future of Dorne needs a healthy leader."

Prince Doran said slowly, his voice low and calm, but it contained an undisguised weariness and helplessness. Arianne silently looked at her father, her heart filled with sorrow and worry. She knew that her father's condition was deteriorating, and although he had been strong and supportive, he had reached his limit.

Just then, a guard hurried over and reported to Prince Doran that the lords had arrived. Prince Doran nodded slightly, signaling Arianne to push him into the meeting room. They walked into the spacious and bright room, where the lords and important figures of Dorne were seated, all of whom were part of Dorne's power core.

Arianne pushed the wheelchair to the end of the long table, where Prince Doran sat, his eyes scanning everyone, his face with a firm expression. A tense atmosphere permeated the conference room, everyone realized the importance of this meeting, which concerned the fate of Dorne.

"My lords, we are facing unprecedented challenges," Prince Doran said, his voice spreading throughout the conference room, "The Imperial Army is approaching, and we must unite and resist the enemy's attack together."

Arianne stood quietly aside, listening to her father's words. She saw the lords' serious faces and felt their inner determination and courage. The Dornish would not easily yield, they had a tenacious spirit and a persistent pursuit of freedom.

Two days later, Doran Martell, the ruler of Dorne, formally abdicated to his eldest daughter, Arianne Martell, in the presence of the lords of Dorne. This decision caused widespread attention and discussion, because Dorne had never had a female ruler in its history. However, Prince Doran firmly believed that Arianne had the ability and wisdom to lead Dorne, and she would lead the Dornish people to meet future challenges.

The Dornish, under the command of Arianne, actively prepared for war. They strengthened the defense of the border, trained more soldiers, and prepared to fight the Imperial Army. At the same time, the Empire also made the fastest response. The Eastern Army from Summerhall broke through the defenses of the Boneway in two days, demonstrating its powerful military strength.

In the shortest possible time, the Eastern Army captured Yronwood, a city that was once an important stronghold of Dorne. Cletus Yronwood led the surviving army back to the heart of Dorne. They suffered heavy losses but still held on to the territory of Dorne. The war had just begun, and the battle between the Dornish and the Imperial Army would become increasingly fierce, and both sides would pay a huge price.

Yronwood Castle is located in northern Dorne, near the Stormlands border. The surrounding land is fertile, the forests are dense, and it contains rich iron, tin, and silver resources. In addition, the area is a rare grain-producing area in Dorne, so it has important strategic significance.

After losing Yronwood, Dorne fell into a passive situation. South of Yronwood is the wealthy Greenblood River Basin, which not only has vast plains and abundant agricultural resources but is also the essence of Dorne. Faced with such a severe situation, Princess Arianne of Dorne urgently convened lords from all walks of life to discuss countermeasures, but everyone was silent, seemingly unable to find an effective solution.

At this moment, Gerold Dayne stepped forward and proposed a bold plan: he was willing to lead an army to use the complex terrain near the Vants River and the Woe River to carry out guerrilla warfare to consume the enemy's strength. Arianne praised this proposal and immediately appointed Gerold as commander, letting him lead a team of elite soldiers deep behind enemy lines, constantly attacking the Imperial Army's supply lines.

At the same time, in order to avoid greater losses to the main towns in the Greenblood River Basin, Arianne began to organize evacuations. She ordered residents and nobles from all over to evacuate quickly, transporting valuables and food to safe places. In this way, even if the enemy occupied these towns, it would be difficult to obtain substantial benefits.

And this time, the one who invaded Dorne was the Lord's Alliance Army. They were composed of lords from various regions of Westeros, including the North, the Riverlands, the Stormlands, the Westerlands, the Vale, and the Reach. This alliance army was nearly 40,000 strong, all seasoned soldiers, bringing great pressure to Dorne.

After multiple consultations by front-line generals, it was finally decided to bypass the desolate areas of western Dorne and directly attack the Greenblood River Basin. The Lord's Alliance Army launched a surprise attack from the Boneway, like a fierce torrent, rushing into the essence of eastern Dorne.

The discipline of these armed forces pieced together by the lords can be imagined. Wherever they went, whether it was Vants, Tor, Salt Shore, or the surrounding towns, they were all ruthlessly looted. This decision made Dorne face an even more severe situation, and Arianne had to come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible.

At this time, the Dornish guerrilla force led by Gerold achieved certain results with flexible and varied tactics, but at the same time, Arianne also faced unprecedented huge pressure. She had to do her best to resist the fierce offensive of the Lord's Alliance Army and ensure the safety of civilians.

One day, Arianne received accurate intelligence that the Lord's Alliance Army was preparing to launch a large-scale attack on Godsgrace. She clearly knew that this fortress was of paramount importance to Dorne's defense system. Once this place fell, then Plankytown and Sunspear in the rear would be directly exposed to the enemy's threat, and the consequences would be disastrous. Therefore, she did not hesitate to order Oberyn to lead the army to Godsgrace at full speed to strengthen the defense.

The ferocity of this battle exceeded everyone's expectations, and both sides paid a heavy price for it. However, after a thrilling fight, the Dornish army, with its tenacious fighting spirit, did not hesitate to dig up the reservoir that had been built for hundreds of years. They successfully defended Godsgrace and shattered the Lord's Alliance Army's offensive plan. This victory greatly boosted the confidence of the Dornish people, and they more firmly supported Arianne's leadership.

When the Lord's Alliance Army retreated, they were chased. In the vast Gobi desert, the Dornish light cavalry appeared and disappeared, making the soldiers suffer. Robb had to admit that in this ghostly place, the combat effectiveness of the Northern army had dropped by at least half, and even the long-haired horses of the snowfield had difficulty moving normally here.

Because the supply line was threatened, the Lord's Alliance Army had to retreat to Yronwood, and suffered severe harassment along the way. Many of the looted properties were lost on the way.

Skyreach, after receiving the news of the defeat on the front line, Byck just said lightly: "Understood!"

There was more than him in the room, the other two were Jorah Mormont and his old partner Rodrik Cassel, the former lord of Bitterbridge.

Byck filled their glasses with wine and said, "Try it! This is excellent golden wine, sent by the Redwyne twins."

Jorah asked: "The battle on the front line is lost, and you don't seem to be in a hurry?"

Byck said with a smile: "What am I in a hurry for? Since you are here, it means that Your Majesty has made a decision. But you, Mr. Rodrik, why did Her Majesty send you here?"

Rodrik: "Of course, it's to help you clean up the mess. Your task is to kill people, and my mission is post-war reconstruction."

Seeing Jorah looking confused, Rodrik explained to him: "The Dornish have always been unruly. Several Targaryen kings have failed to conquer them. If you want them to truly integrate into the empire, you must defeat them. And killing is unavoidable."

Jorah: "So, Her Majesty sent me here, intending to let the Dothraki be the knife to kill?"

"Yes!" Rodrik nodded, "But using foreign alien races to slaughter the people of Westeros will damage Her Majesty the Queen's reputation and cause resistance from the lords."

Byck said: "So, when the lords asked to fight, I did not object. When they suffer a big loss on the Dornish battlefield, there will be no reason to object. I estimate that the order to let you participate in the war will be sent soon."

Jorah: "Just because of this, so many warriors will sacrifice in vain?"

Rodrik: "In fact, those lords know in their hearts that they must pay a bloody price to gain the Queen's trust. At the same time, it is also actively reducing the armed forces of local lords to support the empire's reforms. Truly stupid families cannot exist for hundreds or thousands of years."

Jorah was silent for a moment, then raised his head and drank the wine in his glass, "In this case, we are all just pawns."

Byck smiled: "Being in the game, who can stay out of it? You should know that we are all people of the Regent. So, there are some things we can't say, we can only obey orders."

At this moment, a soldier walked in and handed Byck a letter. After Byck read it, the corner of his mouth raised slightly: "As expected, Her Majesty's order has arrived. Jorah, go gather the army and prepare to go to war!"

Although there was a trace of helplessness in Jorah's heart, he still got up, "I hope this war can end soon."

The three walked out of the camp, looking at the distant sky, each with their own expectations.