The grandeur of Casterly Rock was worthy of the wealth of House Lannister; Casterly Rock was carved from a massive rock, and The Walls and other structures built upon it made the castle's defenses even stronger.
Casterly Rock stood like a gray fist punching into the clouds, much taller than Storm's End.
The rock was about three times the height of The Wall or The Hightower in Oldtown, nearly two leagues long from east to west, and contained tunnels, dungeons, cellars, barracks, halls, stables, stairs, courtyards, balconies, and gardens.
At dusk, the bustling Casterly Rock was now replaced by tranquility, with only the endless sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore.
Lord Tywin and his brother Ser Kevan walked side by side in the Golden Gallery, Ser Kevan following closely, like Lord Tywin's shadow. Lord Tywin wore a red velvet garment embroidered with a golden lion, and his cloak was the same.
"Kevan, I've made my decision. We will march into the Riverlands now," Tywin told his brother.
"Yes."
Lord Tywin was tall and slender, with broad shoulders, just past fifty. Since he began to lose his hair, Tywin had shaved it all off, leaving only thick golden sideburns. His pale green eyes were also flecked with gold.
Ser Kevan was a bit stout, mostly bald, with a fleshy square jaw and a neatly trimmed short beard. He had rounded shoulders and a thick waist, a refined face, and golden hair and beard. Kevan had always served as Tywin's loyal and dutiful second-in-command.
Although brothers, the two looked distinctly different: Tywin was stern and ruthless, while Kevan was somewhat gentler.
"But it won't be a full army. Our dogs will complete the task very well," Tywin had made up his mind.
"You must be wondering why Tyrion is safe and sound, yet I still intend to send troops to ravage the Riverlands?" Tywin asked.
"Tyrion is unharmed and has already returned to King's Landing." A hint of pity appeared on Ser Kevan's gentle face. He knew the nature of Tywin's mad dogs; they would burn houses, slaughter people, and rape women.
"Frankly, I don't care about Tyrion's life or death, but I consider the arbitrary arrest and kidnapping of a Lannister to be a contempt for the family's honor, and I will never allow anyone to scorn the honor of House Lannister. Moreover, what happened that day was merely a coincidence; had it not been for the interference of the wildlings, Tyrion would surely have been abducted by that foolish woman from House Stark," Tywin said coldly, his face devoid of emotion.
"Those suspicious wildlings."
"Whether it's true or false doesn't matter; what matters is that House Tully must pay us back."
"That may be so, but Joffrey's fiancée is Sansa after all," Kevan continued. Joffrey's betrothal was ordered by King Robert to unite the great houses: Fish, Stag, lion, Falcon, and so on.
"I know what you mean, but things are not as simple as you think. I will never tolerate any fool's affront to the dignity of House Lannister. Strength triumphs over mockery; this is a lesson I learned from our father.
As for that girl from House Stark, don't be foolish, Kevan. There is only one king, but queens can be replaced, and they are not even married. I want you to be ruthless and join this battle," Tywin commanded.
"Alright." Kevan thought about it and still agreed with his brother's opinion. Kevan had recognized his brother's extraordinary abilities early on, loyally obeying him and finding joy in fulfilling his wishes, even if it meant living forever in his shadow.
"I will have Ser Gregor disguise himself as a bandit. I want to thoroughly teach those fools from House Tully a lesson," Tywin said. "You don't need to worry about this; I will order Gregor to move out."
Kevan habitually followed behind his brother, listening to the leader's opinions.
Lord Tywin walked ahead. "We must prepare. The situation is worsening, and this will be a fierce battle. Since they are willing to provoke the situation, I will certainly not tolerate that Madwoman and her family."
"But what about our forces?" Kevan asked worriedly.
"It shouldn't be a big problem," Lord Tywin replied confidently. "Hoster is on his deathbed, and his son is an idiot. And if the Vale and the North send troops, it will take a long time, while our forces are already eager to fight."
"We must win beautifully, Kevan." A trace of anxiety suddenly vanished from Tywin's face. "What frightens me more is the future. The fleet Across the Narrow Sea may already be eager for battle. Robert's Bastard and the remnants of the Targaryen will contend for the iron throne."
"The situation is not yet at that point, as long as it remains stable," Kevan considered.
"We must seize the initiative; the current opportunity is rare."
Tywin did not elaborate on the more important point: as a crossroads, even to control King's Landing, one must conquer the Riverlands.
Thanks to the wealth and population of the Westerlands, the scale and training of the Westerlands' troops were considerable, and Tywin's centralization of power in the Westerlands was unmatched by other great Lords.
"We should also thank the late Frey for this good news," Tywin said disdainfully. In fact, the Frey Family was also related to Tywin; Tywin's sister married the second son of the Frey Family, but Tywin was very displeased because he never thought much of such upstarts.
"That old fox sent three letters on time: one to us, one to Riverrun, and one to King's Landing. He won't offend anyone," Kevan said with a laugh.
"He's lived eighty or ninety years, and that's all thanks to his foresight," Tywin replied. "However, Tyrion's letter hasn't arrived yet, which is strange."
'Perhaps it's on its way,' Kevan replied. Unlike Tywin and Cersei, the rest of the Lannister family treated Tyrion quite kindly.
"Most likely he's just afraid," Tywin snorted. "He's afraid of war."
The sound of the waves outside suddenly grew louder, like thunder exploding, signaling the arrival of a new war.
Waves crashed, like a lion roaring... Across the Narrow Sea, Myr.
Various ships came and went on the waters of Myr Bay, including warships flying the quartered banners of the Two Cities fleet.
The quartered banners fluttered in the wind, dancing. But the atmosphere of war grew heavier by the day. Khal Drogo was organizing a large army, marching towards Myr. This was a war between young men.
Centered around the white city of Myr, the area outside Myr began to undergo battlefield modifications.
A new layer of fortifications had been built outside Myr, with earth mounds, trenches, and horse barriers all well-prepared.
Gendry's envisioned defense network was a three-dimensional one, with Myr as the core, and two layers of earth mounds of different heights forming an outer ring. Trenches were between the mounds, and fences were at the base of the mounds.
On top of the earth mounds, small catapults were already in place, along with various ballistae, designed for high-altitude lethality.
Open field battle was the optimal solution for the Dothraki; fighting a decisive battle on the Great Grass Sea was a mad idea. But now, it was necessary to first wear down the Dothraki's morale through artificial fortifications.
A more ruthless strategy was the upstream position of the fortifications, facing the vast sea. Gendry also ordered a study of the terrain.
Gendry, along with the ordinary soldiers, was working on processing the fences. He had taken off his cumbersome armor and was wearing a black shirt, working alongside the soldiers.
These fences were made of excellent timber, with one side sharpened and then bound with ropes. Behind the fences were Crossbowmen and Longspearmen. Myr's newly developed crossbows had reached the point of five consecutive shots, making close-range attacks terrifying.
Westerosi-style Longbowmen were foot archers. These men needed to be positioned outside the trenches and fences, relying on the earth mounds for protection.
"The Second Sons Legion is on the left flank, the Free Legion on the right flank, and the Wolf Pack Legion in the middle." Gendry surveyed the battlefield, noting the Ghiscari person's chariots and the axe-wielders of Norvos. His heavy cavalry served as battlefield support and decisive factors.
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