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#211 - Chapter 21: The Battle of King's Landing (Part 2)

Leading the vanguard was Davos with a fleet of 100 rowing warships.

Naval battles in Westeros were actually quite simple: once within range, they would use rockets to set enemy ships ablaze. Most warships were equipped with catapults or large crossbows, though their power was generally mediocre. The primary goal was to cripple the enemy's mobility, targeting sails and masts, and then wait for the ships to burn down.

Alternatively, they could ram enemy ships with their rams, followed by boarding actions. The rowers could quickly join the fight. The King's Landing fleet fought valiantly for half a day but found themselves outmatched. After losing more than half of their ships, they slowly retreated into the Blackwater Rush. The Chain Tower received orders to raise the intercepting chain, temporarily halting the pursuit.

Davos was not concerned with the enemy's retreat; his mission as the vanguard was to clear the path for the main force. He did not attack the city but instead focused on the south bank of the Blackwater Rush. Davos dispatched five ships, and after more than an hour of fighting, the Chain Tower on the south bank fell, with all one hundred and more defenders killed.

With groaning sounds, the iron chain, originally used to span the river, was once again submerged. Davos carefully arranged for ships to land on the south bank of the Blackwater Rush, confronting the northern bank's defenders across the river. Besides the necessary sailors, more than eight thousand soldiers from the vanguard began setting up camp on the south bank.

Davos noticed that in the narrow Blackwater Rush, numerical superiority was of little use. He retained some essential ships to monitor the retreating King's Landing fleet, while the rest were sent to patrol the shores of Blackwater Bay.

His sons Dale, Allard, Matthos, and Maric were at his side. The eldest, Dale, asked, "Father, why are you dispersing the troops? His Majesty is giving us a great opportunity to earn merit. If we can take King's Landing first, even if we only breach one gate, it will be a huge accomplishment."

Davos replied, "My children, I must teach you that you must never be careless. I was able to rise from a smuggler to a noble through caution. The vanguard's mission is not just to capture territory, but to pave the way for the main army. The opposing forces are actually no fewer than us, and in such a narrow area, we cannot deploy our full strength. Therefore, we must create a stable rear for His Majesty's army. Also, only the King can kill a king, even a false one!"

Around afternoon, Stannis arrived with the main force. There were over a hundred ships, but many were merchant vessels. Guided by the vanguard ships, Stannis's army sailed along the Blackwater Rush, deploying troops at suitable locations. Naturally, the opposing defenders would not simply watch; catapults continuously hurled stones, but this attack was insignificant against such a large army.

Looking at the dense mass of ships and the ant-like soldiers, Joffrey couldn't help but gulp. This was the first time he realized what war was. Compared to this, the previous riots in King's Landing were mere child's play.

Tyrion glanced at him and said, "Your Majesty, do you see that? That is Stannis's banner. He has arrived. Would you like to meet with him? I can send soldiers to deliver the message!"

Joffrey said somewhat awkwardly, "Let's forget it! My uncle is always rigid and doesn't like to talk. He certainly wouldn't agree. Tyrion, I leave this to you. I need to go see my mother."

Watching Joffrey flee, Tyrion curled his lip in disdain. Bronn returned to report, passing Joffrey on the way. He bowed and saluted, "Your Majesty, greetings!"

Then he came before Tyrion and said, "My Lord, the capture of the rebels within the city has been completed. However, the men of the Antlers resisted fiercely, and I couldn't hold back."

Joffrey was instead very interested: "Are those the rebels who colluded with Stannis? Bring them all here; I want to execute them personally on the city walls. Let everyone see the consequences of siding with Stannis. Ser Bronn, what are you waiting for? Carry out the order."

Bronn looked helplessly at Tyrion, who nodded, and he bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will do it immediately." From the look Bronn gave him, he knew the gains were substantial. These Antler men, who conspired to rebel, naturally had no need to be kept alive. Since Joffrey wanted to do it personally, he was happy to let the King bear the infamy.

Joffrey was quite talented at torturing criminals. He ordered the Antler men to be stripped naked, antlers nailed to their heads, and finally launched over the walls of King's Landing using the three large catapults known as the 'Three Whores of King's Landing', sending them back to Stannis.

The catapults could easily hurl bodies weighing over a hundred pounds across the river, the corpses landing in front of Stannis's army in a bloody mess. Soon, someone who knew the inside story reported the news to Stannis.

Stannis ignored it. He was always meticulous and serious. The most important thing today was to settle the army and build barracks to prevent enemy sneak attacks. In fact, these large siege engines would take quite a while to unload from the ships and install.

At the meeting, he clearly stated that he would lead the troops to attack the city. The fleet's mission was to cover the army's river crossing, and finally, Stannis ordered his brother-in-law, Ser Imry Florent, to command the fleet, allowing him to command from his flagship, Fury. Due to the limited waterway of the Blackwater Rush, only two hundred warships could be accommodated. The entire fleet was divided into three parts. Imry Florent's attack fleet formed ten attack lines, each with twenty warships. The first two attack lines were to destroy King's Landing's defensive ships, and the rest would directly land to coordinate with the army in besieging King's Landing.

Salladhor Saan led his pirate fleet to patrol the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, protecting the flanks and retreat route of the attack fleet.

Davos Seaworth was responsible for leading the remaining 80 ships and three thousand soldiers north, his mission being to attack the northern Mud Gate, containing the city's defenders and, if possible, capturing the city in one fell swoop.

Ser Guyard Morrigen commanded five thousand elite troops as the vanguard, launching the first wave of the siege. Their target was the River Gate, near the section of the wall that had been damaged a few years ago.

Ser Rolland Storm led two thousand soldiers to cross the Blackwater Rush in the west. His target was the King's Gate, and to clear out enemies near the arena.

Stannis would lead the main force in subsequent attacks, while also being responsible for the deployment of siege equipment.