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#502 - Chapter 234 Development of the Situation (II)

Daenerys made this decision with her own selfish motives. Jorah Mormont had followed her through thick and thin, rendering great service and making significant contributions. However, due to his unique background, Daenerys couldn't immediately grant him a suitable position and treatment. Thus, she devised a plan to have Jorah Mormont return to his family.

However, there was a problem: what to do with the current head of the family, Lyanna Mormont? After careful consideration, Daenerys came up with a win-win solution: have Lyanna Mormont leave Bear Island and make way for Jorah Mormont. After all, the Mormont family had always been loyal to the Stark family, and Lyanna had no resistance to marrying Rickon. Moreover, Daenerys specifically allowed her to lead a portion of her clan south to establish a branch of the Mormont family.

As for Jorah Mormont, he would become the Earl of Bear Island and continue to serve as the commander of the Imperial Legion, responsible for leading the brave and fearless Dothraki warriors.

At this point, except for Dorne and the forgotten Iron Islands, the rest of Westeros had fallen under Daenerys's rule. Subsequently, a grand wedding was held, and the Little Bear Lyanna Mormont left the North with her willing followers, embarking on a journey south to find a new home.

Jorah Mormont chose to stay by Daenerys's side, continuing to serve her wholeheartedly. With the pacification of the southern war, the people displaced by the war could finally return to their homes. The empire's new laws also began to be implemented everywhere, and thanks to the backing of a powerful army, the decrees were successfully enforced. Most of Westeros gradually stabilized, and the various territories returned to their former vitality.

However, in distant Dorne, a storm was brewing. The imperial army pressed in with great force. Initially, the Dornish chose to defend in the Red Mountains, known for their bravery and skill in archery. The Dornish used the treacherous terrain of the Prince's Pass to cause considerable trouble for the imperial army. But when the main force of the imperial army arrived, they immediately changed their tactics, using fierce artillery fire to attack the Dornish. Unable to withstand the sudden bombardment, the Dornish could only flee in panic, and Nightsong and the Vulture's Roost fell one after another. Subsequently, the Dornish's important stronghold, the Tower of Joy, was also captured by the imperial army. Finally, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle at Skyreach, deep in the Red Mountains.

Skyreach was an important fortress located in the Prince's Pass, not only the gateway to Dorne from the north but also a strategic location. Since ancient times, this castle had been garrisoned by the Martell family to ensure its safety.

Skyreach was situated on a mountainside, with a strategic location, steep cliffs on three sides, and only a narrow mountain road for passage. This made attacking Skyreach an extremely difficult task, as attackers had to advance along this dangerous mountain road, braving ranged attacks from the walls.

However, the imperial army did not forcibly attack the city as expected, but chose a more cunning strategy. They set up a row of cannons far away, as many as forty. These cannons bombarded continuously for a day and a night, causing great damage to Skyreach. Worse, the imperial army also used wildfire incendiary bombs, a terrible weapon that caused the fire to spread rapidly, engulfing the entire castle in flames.

After a day and a night of shelling and fire attack, Skyreach had become riddled with holes. The originally solid towers collapsed one after another, and the walls were blackened by the flames. But even in the face of such adversity, the garrison fought stubbornly, refusing to surrender.

Next, it was the turn of the lord's armed forces to appear. These lords were mainly from the Westerlands and the Reach, and they formed a large coalition. As the surrendered party, they knew they had to show sufficient strength and sincerity to win the empress's trust. Therefore, they actively participated in this war, hoping to gain the empress's favor through military exploits.

Whether it was the well-equipped and well-trained Westerlands army or the experienced Reach army that had been dealing with the Dornish for a long time, they all demonstrated strong combat effectiveness. These elite troops fought bravely on the battlefield, unafraid of the enemy's fierce attacks.

After several days of fierce fighting, the lord's coalition finally captured Skyreach. This solid fortress, which had deterred countless enemy troops, was now in the hands of the imperial army. The battle was not large in scale, but both sides paid a heavy price. In this fierce battle, nearly ten thousand Dornish defenders were almost completely wiped out, with only a very few escaping by chance. The entire fortress was destroyed beyond recognition by artillery fire and swords, almost reduced to ruins.

Although the soldiers were exhausted from this long battle, the joy of victory rejuvenated them and filled them with fighting spirit. They cheered and celebrated this hard-won victory, as if forgetting all their fatigue and pain.

With the fall of Skyreach, the gateway to Dorne to the south had been completely opened, and several Dornish lords in the southeast of the Red Mountains could no longer pose a substantial threat to the imperial army. At the same time, the Dornish generals also realized the change in the form of warfare, and solid fortresses could no longer stop the imperial army's advance.

When the smoke cleared, the imperial army soldiers began to clear the battlefield, searching for the remains of their comrades and burying them properly. They also actively treated their wounded comrades, hoping to save as many lives as possible.

At the same time, the generals gathered together to discuss the next course of action.

They had different opinions. Robb, representing the Northern faction, advocated striking while the iron was hot, pursuing the victory, and taking the entire territory of Dorne in one fell swoop, so as not to give the enemy a chance to breathe. However, others believed that the army needed to rest to recover its strength and morale. Most of these people were from the Stormlands and the Reach, and they had long-term friction with the Dornish and knew these opponents better.

The generals directly under the empire did not express a clear position. In addition, the reinforcements from the rear had not yet arrived, so it was not advisable to attack rashly at this time.

After a fierce discussion, the generals finally reached a consensus: first send reconnaissance troops deep into Dorne to understand the enemy's movements and terrain, and then formulate further operational plans based on the actual situation. This would ensure that the army gets enough rest and does not miss the opportunity to fight.

At the same time, they also quickly sent a victory report to the imperial capital, detailing the victories in the early stages of the war and requesting further instructions from His Majesty.