Meanwhile, tens of thousands of troops led by Luo Wen and Sandor Clegane split into several columns and smoothly took control of the devastated The Reach.
The Westerlands nobility had been nearly wiped out by years of war, leaving vast stretches of ownerless castles and lands—perfect for peaceful occupation by settlers, with only small garrisons needed to hold them.
The situation in The Reach was a little more complicated, as a handful of minor lords still remained.
The most representative among them was the young lady of Blackcrown, Alysanne Bulwer, only seven years old.
Because she was so young, she had not been summoned to Oldtown and thus escaped the massacre. Her regent mother, Lady Victaria Tyrell, however, died in that slaughter.
With the support and advice of Maester Normund of Blackcrown, the young Lady shrewdly swore allegiance to Lo Quen through the envoys Luo Wen had sent, and expressed her willingness to travel to Storm's End as one of the noble ladies attending the King.
Luo Wen accepted her oath and dispatched an escort to bring Lady Alysanne to Storm's End, while Blackcrown was temporarily placed under the stewardship of a relative from her house.
As for places like Highgarden, Goldengrove, New Barrel, and Horn Hill, their ruling families had all been destroyed, making the takeover far simpler.
Of the hundred thousand Yi Ti settlers, most were settled around Oldtown, while the rest were dispersed to cultivate villages near other castles.
After completing the initial arrangements in The Reach, Luo Wen led his forces back to Storm's End to report.
Over the course of this month, Lo Quen's court also grew increasingly complete and lively.
Roslin and Lynesse, who had remained at Conquest Keep for childbirth, arrived at Storm's End with their newborns, together with Sansa Stark, Ynys Yronwood, and Myrcella Baratheon.
They also brought the last remaining unhatched tawny dragon egg fossil.
After the Battle of Moat Cailin, Lo Quen's true Dragonblood purity rose to 63%, allowing him to unlock three additional Flame Knight slots and two dragon egg fossil incubation slots.
He took the opportunity to convert Ynys, Sansa, and the young Myrcella into Flame Knights, and decided to incubate dragon egg fossils for Ynys and Sansa.
As for Myrcella, because she was still too young, Lo Quen decided to wait until his bloodline purity surpassed 70% before hatching a young dragon for her.
...
On the broad balcony garden at Storm's End, facing the sea.
Though winter had come and the sky remained overcast, the braziers burning in the garden and the ladies' laughter drove off much of the chill.
Lo Quen set three dragon eggs before Ynys and Sansa.
Bronze, pale green, and ochre.
Ynys examined them carefully. The moment her eyes fell on the ochre egg, they brightened.
She cradled the ochre egg, her fingertips gently tracing the fine natural patterns on its shell, tenderness showing in her gaze: "Your Grace, I choose this dragon egg. Its color is like the ochre deserts scorched by the setting sun along the Dornish frontier, and it reminds me of my homeland."
Sansa was even more solemn. She lifted the bronze dragon egg with both hands, her blue eyes glittering with excitement.
"Your Grace, I choose this dragon egg. This bronze-hued fossil reminds me of the Targaryen dynasty's 'Bronze Fury,' Vermithor. I hope it can become a symbol of courage."
Lo Quen smiled and nodded.
That left the last pale green dragon egg for Myrcella.
By pure chance, it matched Myrcella's emerald-green eyes perfectly, and the eight-year-old girl hugged the dragon egg fossil with unrestrained delight, as if it had been meant for her.
Next, Lo Quen's gaze swept across the expectant faces around him. Then he raised both hands and laid them over the two dragon eggs.
He closed his eyes, focused, and stilled his breathing.
The Magic within him—vast, refined, and far stronger now that his bloodline purity had reached 63%—began to flow down his arms and slowly seep into the eggs.
At first, the eggs did not react at all, still cold as stone.
But soon, subtle changes appeared.
The colors on their surfaces seemed to awaken. The yellow-brown one deepened, as if it had drunk in the last light of sunset.
The bronze one, meanwhile, gave off a faint metallic halo.
Then the patterns that had once been indistinct began to light up one by one, glowing with a dim radiance.
On the yellow-brown dragon egg, the lines looked like shifting sand dunes.
On the bronze egg, they resembled mysterious runes.
"Look, the shells are moving!"
Myrcella pointed at the dragon eggs and gasped softly.
Sure enough, the two dragon eggs began to tremble ever so slightly, as though something inside was awakening and struggling to break free.
Faint tapping sounds came from within the shells, like tiny claws knocking against their prison.
Lo Quen continued to pour Magic into them, and everyone on the balcony held their breath.
Even the great dragons circling overhead seemed to quiet down, watching the scene below with curious eyes.
"Crack—"
A crisp, sharp sound rang out.
A fine crack appeared at the top of the yellow-brown dragon egg.
The crack spread rapidly, branching outward like a spiderweb.
Then a small fragment of shell was pushed aside from within, and a tiny head emerged, covered in damp yellow-brown scales, with an adorable little bump on its crown.
It let out a faint but lively hiss, and a pair of molten-amber eyes blinked as they curiously took in this unfamiliar world.
Almost at the same moment, the bronze-colored dragon egg also split open.
Its hatching was far more restrained.
The cracks were neat and orderly, and a larger piece of shell slid away, revealing a slightly elongated head covered in bronze scales.
Its eyes were a clear lake-blue, calm and composed, quietly observing its surroundings in sharp contrast to the other hatchling's liveliness.
The hatching quickly accelerated.
Both young dragons struggled with their still-fragile limbs and tails, forcing the shells apart until they finally broke free completely.
Their bodies were no bigger than kittens, their scales fine and soft, gleaming with a youthful sheen in the firelight.
The yellow-brown one looked sturdier and more energetic, while the bronze one was a bit more slender, its movements graceful and composed.
"Oh my, they're so beautiful…"
Janice couldn't help but sigh in admiration, her violet eyes filled with wonder.
Chai Yiq smiled gently. "Look how different they are, just like their mothers."
Myrcella leaned closer, her emerald eyes wide. "Can I touch them?"
Ynys and Sansa exchanged a smile, their faces glowing with the joy and excitement of becoming "dragon mothers."
Ynys reached out and lightly touched the yellow-brown hatchling beneath its chin.
Instead of recoiling, the little dragon rubbed against her finger affectionately, letting out a comfortable purring sound.
Then it took a few clumsy steps, wobbling as it crawled toward Ynys, before burrowing straight into her soft, ample chest. It curled up there contentedly, sticking out its tiny tongue and letting out a strange little growl.
The bronze-colored hatchling, meanwhile, simply watched Sansa in silence.
Only when Sansa gently lifted it into her arms did it settle obediently against her, its lake-blue eyes calmly fixed on its mistress, like a naturally well-mannered young lady.
"The two dragons really do resemble Ynys and Sansa. What a marvelous coincidence."
Janice blinked and smiled.