Dragonstone, 282 AC
POV: Stannis Baratheon
I should have listened to Davos.
I was stupid for letting the royal fleet come to our center
and now I am paying for my stupidity.
With the lives of innocent men.
My lord, we should retreat;
the wildfire will spread all over us if we stay, my lord, my lord!
Davos's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
As I looked at him and ordered him to retreat."
Tell them to retreat,"
I said, my voice full of shame and anger and something similar to fear.
3 days after the Battle of Dragonstone
- POV: Viserys Targaryen
My prince, about one thousand seven hundred of our men have died in the battle,
and about a thousand of them were with you.
And some seven hundred were burned to death on the fleet with the Usurpers' fleet.
And about five thousand of the Usurpers men died and a hundred of them surrendered.
And our wounded? I asked the maester while he was stitching up some of my wounds.
A hundred and forty wounded,
about eighty of whom will not make it.
And about twenty were crippled in the battle.
The rest of them will get better with time.
How many of our men are left?
Around seven hundred men, my prince.
We cannot defend the island when the Usurper's fleet is finished.
I said, my voice not cold nor sad, just the truth.
"OF COURSE YOU CANNOT DEFEND THE ISLAND WITH THIS-SO CALLED MASTERPIECE! YOU PULLED—"
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
"BURNING THE WHOLE FLEET WITH YOUR MEN?"
GO TO BRAAVOS WITH THE GOLD YOU STOLE FROM THE ROYAL TREASURE YOU CAN HIRE THE GOLDEN COMPANY AND SOME OTHER MERCENARY GROUPS TO RECLAIM THE IRON THRONE."
"ANSWER ME, YOU FOOL
DON'T IGNORE ME!"
"It's done, my prince," said the maester as he did the last stitch.
"Good, leave," I said to the maester.
As he was about to leave, he acted like he had just remembered something. "
what is it?." I asked him As I was getting some clothes on
"My prince, what of the prisoners and the dead bodies?"
"Give our dead a proper burial,
As for the prisoners—kill them all and put their heads on spikes with the rest of the dead and leave them on the shores."
"My prince! You can't
do it."
I interrupted him, my voice colder than the ice blocks of the Wall.
"As you wish, my prince," the maester said after some hesitation.
As he closed the door,
I looked at Rhaegar. And Answered him
"I didn't steal the gold from the royal treasury," I said, my voice cold. "
I convinced Father to lend it to me, and he agreed to it.
And I didn't use all of the fleet; there's still about ten warships, and twenty vessels, and about thirteen more from the Redwyne fleet that remain intact."
"AND WHAT ABOUT THE WILDFIRE?"
"That I did stole.
Father wouldn't need it. He had enough to burn down the whole of King's Landing
and burn some sorry shit too.
And no, I won't go to Braavos.
No, I won't hire the Golden Company."
"THEN WHAT WILL YOU DO? BEG THE USURPER NOT TO KILL YOU WHEN HE GETS HIS FLEET FINISHED?"
"No," I answered your questions. "Now answer mine:
why are you in my head and not under the ground?"
"I DON'T KNOW, FOOL."
"Then shut up and let me think of something.
HOW MUCH GOLD DRAGONS DID YOU STEAL FROM THE ROYAL TREASURE?"
"I didn't steal it, you fucking cunt!
I convinced Father to lend it to me, and he said take as much as you need.
Now leave me alone."
"FINE, HOW MUCH DID YOU TAKE FROM THE ROYAL TREASURE?"
"Three and a half million gold dragons."
"THREE AND HALF A MILLION!"
"Yes."
"THAT'S HALF OF THE TREASURY."
"I know."
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL OF THAT GOLD DRAGON?"
"I don't know, probably give some of it to William to make me a sellsword company
and use the rest to build some connections with some powerful cunts in Essos."
"AND WHAT MAKES YOU TRUST THIS WILLAM SO MUCH THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO GIVE HIM ALL THAT GOLD?"
WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE THAT HE WON'T JUST TAKE THE GOLD AND RUN OFF?"
"He is more loyal to our family than you ever were, so watch your words."
"ANYWAY WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO GO NOW YOU DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO DEFEND THE ISLAND?"
"Volantis."