TGW(TPR - TBOV): Summary for Old Readers

Prologue

• A young Aemond Targaryen, secretly the reborn Paul Atreides, visits the dragon Dreamfyre in the dragonpit, confiding in her about his visions of Arrakis and a future war within his family.

• He is discovered by the Dragon Keepers and returned to his mother, Queen Alicent, who expresses her worry and frustration at his oddness.

• Seeking to understand his visions and the nature of power, Aemond immerses himself in the histories of Aegon the Conqueror. He has an insightful conversation with Maester Orwyle.

Chapter One (Three Years Later)

• Aemond is engrossed in designing a dragon saddle, a project that consumes his time and attention.

• He is summoned to serve as a cupbearer at a small council meeting, where he observes the political tensions between his mother and his half-sister, Rhaenyra.

• In the training yard, a confrontation with his brother Aegon escalates into a physical fight after Aegon taunts him and pours wine on him.

• Queen Alicent learns of the altercation and is also informed by Larys Strong that Aemond has been making discreet inquiries regarding court matters. She instructs Larys to cautiously assist her son but keep her informed on his actions.

• The chapter concludes with Alicent receiving an urgent raven from Driftmark.

Chapter Two

• It is revealed Laena Velaryon died during childbirth. The royal family attends her funeral on Driftmark. Aemond is notably wearing a custom-made dragonbone crysknife.

• Vaemond Velaryon's eulogy contains pointed remarks about the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's sons.

• Aemond, with the help of Larys Strong, arranges a secret meeting with Vaemond and proposes an alliance to secure defend the respective claims to the Iron Throne and the Driftwood Throne from Rhaenyra’s attempts to seat her bastards.

• In a bold move, Aemond claims the ancient and formidable dragon, Vhagar.

• This act leads to a confrontation with his nephews and cousins. In the ensuing fight, Jacaerys is manipulated by Aemond into blinding him in one eye. Aemond, with the help of Vaemond's loyal men, frames Ser Harwin Strong for the incident.

Chapter Three

• The royal family convenes to address the violent confrontation. Aemond accuses Ser Harwin Strong of instigating the confrontation and holding him down so Jacaerys may cripple him, a claim supported by Vaemond's guards.

• To settle the matter, Aemond proposes a trial by combat. Viserys accepts in an ill-thought-out attempt at placating Rhaenyra as Aemond’s expense. In the duel, Aemond swiftly and ruthlessly kills Ser Harwin.

• The aftermath sees a fracturing of the family: Rhaenyra and her sons depart for Dragonstone, Lord Lyonel Strong resigns as Hand of the King, and Daemon retreats to Pentos before being summoned to Dragonstone by Rhaenyra.

• Otto Hightower is reinstated as Hand.

• In the following years, Aemond, now fifteen, rises in power and influence. He becomes Master of Coin, founds the Dragon's Bank, is appointed Lord Commander of the City Watch, and, with Jasper Wylde, reforms the city's laws.

• The chapter ends with the death of Laenor Velaryon and the subsequent marriage of Rhaenyra and Daemon.

Chapter Four (Ten Years Later)

• The narrative introduces one of Aemond's Speakers(special agents), Dr5-e4, who undergoes a rigorous psychological evaluation before reporting to Officer Varian of the City Watch.

• She is then brought before Mysaria, the White Worm, who questions her about the suspicious death of Lord Beesbury. The Speaker refuses to divulge information.

• Thwarted, Mysaria passes along instructions for the Speaker to present herself to Prince Aemond.

Chapter Five

• Aemond successfully negotiates a trade agreement with emissaries from Dorne.

• At the small council meeting, Aemond and Otto Hightower advocate for reduced tariffs with the Free Cities and discuss the fortification of the Stepstones.

• Aemond proposes the creation of a new council position, Master of Works, which is granted to Tyland Lannister, while Vaemond Velaryon is proposed to be named Master of Ships.

• Aemond announces his upcoming journey to the Vale.

Chapter Six

• Aemond meets with Malentine Velaryon, a cousin of Vaemond, to discuss the Velaryon fleet and the impending return of Lord Corlys from his expedition.

• He sends one of his "Speakers" back to Driftmark with Malentine, to be placed as a chamberlain in Lord Corlys's household.

• Mysaria confronts Aegon about his hedonistic lifestyle, delivering a stern warning.

• Queen Alicent questions Aemond about his trip to the Vale, and he reveals his intention to seek a marriage alliance with Lady Jeyne Arryn. Alicent expresses her concern over the growing rift between her sons, and Aemond promises to make an effort to connect with Aegon.

Chapter Seven

• Daeron Targaryen is introduced, serving as a squire to Lord Ormund Hightower in Oldtown.

• Aemond arrives on Vhagar and requests that Daeron be allowed to accompany him on his journey.

• Meanwhile, Rhaenyra travels to Driftmark to seek Rhaenys's support in contesting Vaemond's appointment as Master of Ships.

• Rhaenys, still angered by her son’s suspicious death, refuses, revealing that Vaemond has made marriage proposals for her granddaughters, as well as the fact that she is considering the offer. She dismisses Rhaenyra, advising her to be patient and wait for Corlys's return, hinting that she had no intention of helping her otherwise.

Chapter Eight

• As a display of power before arriving at the Eyrie, Aemond uses Vhagar to destroy a hill tribe settlement in the mountains of the Vale.

• He and Daeron meet with Lady Jeyne Arryn. Aemond proposes marriage and they negotiate the terms of their alliance, including the establishment of a Merchant Guild in Gulltown and the construction of a garrison.

• An agreement is reached, and the princes depart for the North to visit the Starks.

Chapter Nine

• Alyn of Hull departs for the Stepstones, leaving his brother Addam in King's Landing.

• Addam explores the rapidly expanding city and meets with his friends and fellow dragonseeds, discussing Aemond's mysterious journey to the Vale.

• The chapter ends with a mysterious visit to Addam from Larys Strong.

Chapter Ten

• Cregan Stark learns of the princes' arrival at the Wall and their journey into the Haunted Forest.

• He is astonished to see them return accompanied by dozens of direwolves.

• Two weeks later, at a feast in Winterfell, Aemond proposes the creation of a Merchant Guild to connect the North with the southern trade routes and reveals his ambitious plans to overhaul the realm's road network.

• He and Cregan negotiate the terms, and Aemond also arranges for the direwolves he lead from beyond the wall to be hosted in the Wolfswood.

Interlude: The Evans Gambit

• Otto Hightower has a conversation with the recently widowed Lady Caswell. He reveals that Aemond has purchased her late husband's debt from the Iron Bank and is offering her more favorable repayment terms, securing her loyalty. It is hinted that this is a recent ploy(amongst others) by Aemond to secure the loyalty of multiple key minor houses.

• Mysaria welcomes a delegation of Volantene nobles to the Dragon's Bank, impressing them with its security and grandeur, and successfully securing their business, hence establishing a major foothold for Aemond’s bank in Volantis. 

• Rhaenyra receives news of Aemond's marriage proposal to Lady Jeyne Arryn. Alarmed, she and Daemon decide to travel to King's Landing to petition the King to annul the arrangement.

INTERLUDE: True Power

• Aemond and Daeron are on Ironman's Bay, where Aemond reflects on the nature of true power, contrasting the weak nobles of Westeros with the rulers he remembers from his past life as Paul Atreides.

• He confronts Daeron about Daeron’s apparent unease and reluctance to ask questions regarding the various mystic feats he had witnessed since they arrived at the North, urging him to abandon his fear of the unknown.

• In Braavos, the council of the Iron Bank discusses the threat posed by Aemond's Dragon's Bank and its recent dealings with Volantis. They resolve to undermine it by calling in debts with the Westerosi nobility, subsidizing competitors, and disrupting trade in order to pressure the crown into retracting their attempts at expanding into Volantis.

• A historical treatise by Septon Eustace recounts Aemond's rise as Master of Coin, his ambitious reforms in King's Landing, and the beginning of the "Trade War" with the Iron Bank.

Chapter Eleven

• Rhaenyra and Daemon arrive at the Red Keep to a cold reception, discovering that Targaryen iconography has been replaced with symbols of the Faith of the Seven.

• They find King Viserys incapacitated and heavily drugged with milk of the poppy, unaware of the major political decisions being made in his name.

• Rhaenyra confronts Alicent, who defends hers and Otto's actions as necessary for the realm's stability. The two part ways on hostile terms.

• At a Small Council meeting, Mysaria, now Aemond's Secretary of Trade, outlines the Iron Bank's hostile strategy and details Aemond's pre-planned countermeasures, which the council agrees to implement.

Chapter Twelve

• Lord Corlys Velaryon returns to Driftmark in triumph after his campaign in the Stepstones but falls ill with a sudden, mysterious fever during the celebration. It is hinted to be the doing of the Speaker Aemond sent to Driftmark alongside Malentine.

• A summons from the king arrives for Rhaenys. Despite her husband's condition, Corlys urges her to go.

• Rhaenys and their granddaughter Baela fly to King's Landing on their dragons, Meleys and Moondancer.

Chapter Thirteen

• Aemond returns to King's Landing and visits his sister Helaena. There, he receives summons from the King. Helaena tries to convince him from the course of action she knew he planned to take in response to the summons, but Aemond reminds her of its inevitability. 

• At the summons, King Viserys confronts Aemond about his unauthorized actions regarding certain appointments on the Small Council, his engagement to Lady Arryn and the realm as a whole. Aemond defies him, stating his decisions were necessary.

• When Viserys orders Aemond's arrest, the Kingsguard (with the exception of Lord Commander Harrold Westerling) refuse to obey, siding with the prince.

• Aemond orders the king confined and Ser Harrold imprisoned.

Chapter Fourteen

• Rhaenys and Baela arrive and are met by Ser Criston Cole, who has replaced Ser Harrold as Lord Commander.

• Aemond informs them that King Viserys is dead and presents a letter, allegedly from the late king, naming Aegon as heir and proposing a marriage between Baela and Daeron.

• When Rhaenys attempts to leave, Aemond reveals that they are effectively his prisoners, ensuring House Velaryon's strength cannot be used against the Greens.

Chapter Fifteen

• Aemond informs Otto Hightower of the coup, explaining that a decoy corpse is being prepared for Viserys's state funeral and that Aegon will be a more malleable king.

• Otto convenes the Small Council and announces the king's death and his supposed will.

• Alicent bursts in, furious at not being informed of her husband’s death. She vehemently opposes Otto's suggestion to assassinate Rhaenyra in order to preempt any opposition to Aegon’s ascension.

• Aemond intervenes, offering to fly to Dragonstone himself to present Rhaenyra with terms.

Chapter Sixteen

• Aegon is informed of his father's death and his imminent coronation. Though initially resistant, a forged letter from Viserys sways him.

• Aegon II Targaryen is crowned in the Dragonpit. He embraces his newfound power.

Chapter Seventeen

• Aemond flies to Dragonstone and confronts Rhaenyra and Daemon. He informs them of Visery’s death, Aegon's coronation and offers them terms.

• The shock sends Rhaenyra into premature labor. Angered, Daemon nearly resorts to violence but is forced to stand down by Vhagar's presence and Aemond’s implied threat to kill his entire family in that moment of vulnerability. 

Chapter Eighteen

• While in painful labor, Rhaenyra instructs her sons to take no action without her command.

• Daemon holds a war council, learning the Velaryons and the Vale have likely sided with the Greens.

• Lady Jeyne Arryn receives news of the usurpation and, despite her suspicions, chooses to honor her alliance with the Greens for the stability of the Vale.

Chapter Nineteen

• Aemond visits the new Lord of Riverrun, Oscar Tully, whose father recently passed away. Aemond shows the new lord great empathy securing his support.

• On Dragonstone, after Jacaerys(adhering to his mother’s earlier instructions) attempts to stonewall Daemon orders for their forces to go on the offensive, the older prince impresses upon him the grim reality of their situation, highlighting the Greens' superior resources and control of the realm's economy. Daemon rightly points out the fact that the situation is urgent and that they cannot wait for Rhaenyra to be fit to lead.

Chapter Twenty

• Otto confronts Aemond upon his return, questioning his decision to spare Rhaenyra. Aemond deflects the inquistions, asking instead for his grandfather's blind trust. Taking into account Aemond’s history of competency, Otto decides to humour him.

• On Dragonstone, Rhaenyra's stillborn daughter is given a funeral pyre. Daemon, consumed by grief and rage, vows vengeance on Aemond.

INTERLUDE: Pinky. Ring.

• At a war council, the Blacks assess their dwindling allies. In a bid to win new allies against the greens, Daemon plans to fly to Winterfell, Jace and Lucerys  to Storm's End, then Highgarden.

• Aemond summons his protégés—Addam, Nettles, and Rowenna—and reveals his plan for Addam and Nettles to claim the dragons Seasmoke and Sheepstealer.

INTERLUDES: Sheepstealer & Seasmoke

• Using his Voice, Aemond successfully aides Nettles in claiming the wild dragon Sheepstealer.

• Following Aemond's precise instructions, Addam travels to Dragonstone alone and finds Seasmoke in his lair on Dragonmont, beginning the bonding process.

Chapter Twenty-One: Honour and Loyalty

• Jace and Luke arrive at Storm's End, where they are met with disdain by Lord Borros Baratheon.

• When Lord Borros demands a marriage pact, Lucerys impulsively offers his own hand, which Borros accepts, securing the Stormlands' allegiance for the Blacks. There they are informed of the Highgarden’s decisions to side with the Green and abort their earlier mission to visit the Tyrells.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Pawn to H5 (Provocation)

• Addam on Seasmoke and Nettles on Sheepstealer rendezvous with Aemond.

• He equips them with advanced dragon saddles and radio telegraphs for communication.

• He dispatches them to Riverrun and the Eyrie to act as a visible deterrent and reinforce his alliances there.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The King's Justice

• A historical text recounts the "Fire and Salt Reaping" from seven years prior, where Aemond, acting on the council's behalf, brutally crushed a rebellion by Dalton Greyjoy and the Ironborn, cementing his reputation as a merciless enforcer.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Red Kraken

• Daemon travels to the Iron Isles and confronts Dalton Greyjoy.

• Playing on Dalton's deep-seated hatred for Aemond, Daemon secures an alliance, promising the Ironborn vengeance and freedom from the Iron Throne's rule.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Chaining the Serpent

• Corlys Velaryon is secretly abducted from Driftmark and brought to King's Landing.

• Aemond confronts Corlys and Rhaenys, revealing he orchestrated the "fever" that incapacitated Corlys.

• He presents them with an ultimatum: swear fealty to Aegon or Corlys and his nuclear family will be destroyed and replaced by Vaemond's line who will serve as the new heads of House Velaryon.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Setting Pieces

• Nettles arrives at the Eyrie on Sheepstealer, announcing she is there on Prince Aemond's orders to bolster the Vale's defenses, much to the surprise and consternation of Lady Jeyne.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Deterrence

• Addam on Seasmoke arrives at Riverrun to reinforce the alliance with Lord Oscar Tully.

• Daemon arrives on Caraxes shortly after, also seeking an alliance. He confronts the unknown rider, demanding to know by what right he claims a Targaryen dragon. Enraged by the answer, he prepares to attack.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: MAD

• Addam initiates a surprise attack, and he and Daemon engage in a brutal dragon duel over the Riverlands.

• Seasmoke, though smaller and heavily injured himself, proves to be a fierce opponent, injuring Caraxes.

• The arrival of Nettles on Sheepstealer forces Daemon to retreat, pursued by the two new Green dragonriders.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Gilded Chains

• Mysaria witnesses the arrival of The Absolution, a massive, secretly commissioned Braavosi war galley armed with mysterious new weapons(cannons).

• As Secretary of Trade, she presides over a meeting of the King's Landing guildmasters, presenting them with new mandates from Aemond that effectively strip them of their autonomy and centralize economic control under the Crown.

Chapter Thirty: Closing Walls

• Rhaenyra reprimands her sons for their unauthorized actions at Storm's End of agreeing to Borros’ demands for Luke to wed one of his daughters.

• A wounded Daemon returns to Dragonstone, informing the council of his defeat and the Greens' two new dragonriders.

• Faced with overwhelming odds (eight Green dragons to their four), Rhaenyra despairs. Daemon rejects surrender, proposing they claim the unclaimed dragons Vermithor and Silverwing and seek alliances with Aemond's enemies in Essos.

INTERLUDE: Goading

• Larys Strong subtly manipulates King Aegon II, planting seeds of doubt about Aemond's growing power.

• He informs Aegon of a Small Council meeting being held without his knowledge to enact major reforms.

• Incensed at being treated as a figurehead, Aegon resolves to confront Aemond and assert his authority.

INTERLUDE: Confrontation

• At a Small Council meeting, Aemond, seated in the king's chair, reveals that he plans to dispatch a 20,000-strong City Watch army to pacify the Stormlands. He also announces that he has secured new riders for Sheepstealer and Seasmoke and that they have already engaged and driven off Daemon from the Riverlands.

• King Aegon II, furious at being kept in the dark and having his authority undermined, bursts into the council chamber to confront his brother.

INTERLUDE: Setting Boundaries

• Aemond dismisses Aegon's anger with open condescension, and the Small Council, including Otto Hightower and Queen Alicent, sides with Aemond, demonstrating where the real power lies.

• After dismissing the council, Aemond has Aegon forcibly seated and slaps him repeatedly for his insolence.

• He then takes Aegon to a secret chamber, revealing that King Viserys is not dead but is being kept alive and heavily drugged. Aemond confesses that he faked their father's death and forged his will to place Aegon on the throne under his control.

• In a final, brutal act to terrify Aegon into submission, Aemond poisons and kills the captive Viserys in front of his horrified brother.

• Aemond issues a final warning to Aegon: he may be king in name, but he is never to interfere in Aemond's governance again.

Chapter Thirty-One: Terms of Necessity

• Daemon travels to Braavos to negotiate an alliance with the Iron Bank.

• Matthos Nestoris, a powerful banker, agrees to support Rhaenyra's cause on several conditions: the complete dissolution of Aemond's Dragon's Bank, the severing of ties with slaver cities like Volantis, and a series of harsh economic concessions granting the Iron Bank preferential trade rights and control over the Crown's debts for fifty years.

• Daemon, recognizing he has no other options, reluctantly agrees to their terms.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Leashed

• Rhaenys Targaryen is released from her captivity in King's Landing.

• Aemond gives her strict orders to return to Driftmark and act as a deterrent against the Blacks. She is forbidden from communicating with Rhaenyra's faction.

• Aemond makes it clear that her husband, Corlys, and granddaughter, Baela, remain his hostages, ensuring Rhaenys's compliance.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Forging Cloaks of Red

• This chapter takes the form of two historical treatises. The first, by Grandmaester Rhoggo, describes the structure and doctrine of the Drakarmar, Aemond's highly disciplined and reformed army, which is composed of both citizen-soldiers ("First Sons") and foreign recruits seeking citizenship ("Oathsworn").

• Queen Alicent pleads with Aemond to be gentler with Aegon before he departs on his campaign. Aemond gives a noncommittal response.

• The second treatise, by Tharo Thaen Qo'Zir, details the beginning of Aemond's campaign as the 20,000-strong host marches into the Stormlands, splitting into three standards to methodically secure the region.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Bronzegate, Before the Dawn

• Lord Buckler of Bronzegate, a Black loyalist, rejects Aemond's call to surrender.

• Aemond's messenger cleverly bypasses the lord and addresses the castle's smallfolk directly, offering mercy in exchange for surrender and sowing dissent.

• Seeing the fear and doubt among his people, Lord Buckler realizes his authority is crumbling from within.

• At dawn, Aemond attacks Bronzegate with Vhagar, destroying the stronghold.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Storming the End

• Lord Borros Baratheon is besieged in Storm's End, his castle flooded with refugees from other fallen strongholds.

• Terrified of suffering the same fate as Bronzegate, the smallfolk within Storm's End revolt and beat Lord Borros to death.

• Aemond arrives to find the castle has already fallen. He executes the remaining Baratheon nobles.

• He pursues the fleeing Stormlander fleet on Vhagar and annihilates it at sea.

• The rest of the Stormlands quickly capitulate or fall to internal rebellions. The entire region is pacified and brought under Green control.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Revelations

• In Pentos, Daemon secures a contract with a mercenary captain.

• Lucerys arrives atop Arrax with news that the Stormlands have fallen and Rhaenyra has summoned Daemon back to Dragonstone.

• Rhaenyra confronts Rhaenys at High Tide, only to learn that Corlys and Baela are being held hostage by Aemond, forcing Rhaenys's neutrality. Rhaenyra returns to Dragonstone, defeated.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Rewards for the Strong

• Larys Strong, having been politically and financially crippled by Aemond after his failed attempt to manipulate Aegon, is forced to seek an audience with Mysaria. After mocking him, she offers him no aid, stonewalling him.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Wages of Caution

• Aemond demotes Larys Strong from Master of Whispers in front of the Small Council, appointing Mysaria in his place and humiliating Larys with the meaningless title of "Master of the King's Minor Rites and Pious Observances."

Chapter Forty: Draconic Suppression

• Dalton Greyjoy's Ironborn fleet begins its raid on the Riverlands but is ambushed at Oldstones by a secret Green army led by Marshal Kellen "Stoneface" Rivers.

• Addam on Seasmoke provides aerial support, routing the Ironborn and killing Dalton Greyjoy.

INTERLUDE: The Prince's Demands

• With the ships the Dalton and Ironborn used to invade the Riverlands, Marshal Rivers leads his forces to Pyke with Dalton Greyjoy's severed head and delivers Aemond's ultimatum to the remaining Ironborn lord, Grell Wynch: unconditional surrender or total annihilation.

• Faced with the credible threat, Grell Wynch surrenders the Iron Isles to the Greens.

INTERLUDE: Pink in the Morning

• On Dragonstone, Daemon tells Rhaena she must try to claim the dragon Silverwing.

• However, the dragon egg Rhaena has carried for years finally hatches. She names the small, pink hatchling Morning.

• Daemon is frustrated by this "miracle," as it binds Rhaena to a hatchling and prevents her from claiming a battle-ready dragon.

Chapter Forty-One: Hostile Denial

• The Dragonkeepers of Dragonstone, led by Vezhof, refuse to help Rhaenyra find new riders for the unclaimed dragons, calling the attempt a "desecration." Rhaenyra pacifies Daemon and prevents him from killing Vezhof. Angered, Daemon dismisses the Dragonkeepers and decides to oversee the attempt himself.

• A mass attempt by dragonseeds to claim Vermithor and Silverwing ends in a massacre, with the dragons killing all the hopefuls.

Chapter Forty-Two: Killing Morale

• Disheartened by their many defeats and the failure to claim new dragons, Daemon resolves to fly to Rook's Rest to command the last major Black army on the mainland.

Chapter Forty-Three: Precipice

• Aemond confronts a drunken and miserable Aegon, delivering an ultimatum: act like a king and follow his lead, starting with the war declaration against Braavos, or remain a powerless puppet and fade into obscurity.

Chapter Forty-Four: A Gathering of Heirs

• Daeron arrives in King's Landing with the Hightower army. He is briefed by Aemond at the renovated Eastwatch Barracks on their impending attack on Rook's Rest.

• Aemond gives Daeron seven petrified dragon eggs, instructing him to keep them safe on the journey.

Chapter Forty-Five: A Gathering of Foes

• Daemon surveys his forces at Rook's Rest.The army had entrenched itself in preparation of a great sieges. In the patch of sea beside Rook’s Rets, the remnants of the combined Black and Essosi fleet lay anchord, unwilling to risk another attack against the Green’s navy or major naval installations/port cities. 

• Aemond's host, including four dragons, arrives and camps nearby. Aemond calls for a parley. Daemon agrees.

Chapter Forty-Six: The Butcher's Terms

• Daemon and Lucerys meet with Aemond's party.

• Aemond offers harsh and demeaning surrender terms. Daemon scornfully rejects them.

• Having expected the refusal, Aemond gives Daemon half an hour to prepare for the commencement of their battle.

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Duel

• Realizing they are outmatched, Daemon orders Lucerys to flee back to Dragonstone on Arrax.

• Having expected this, Aemond and the three other Green dragons pursue Lucerys. Daemon on Caraxes intercepts them to protect Lucerys.

• A massive four-on-one dragon battle ensues. Caraxes is critically wounded, and he and Daemon crash into the sea.

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Butchering

• Aemond on Vhagar pins the broken Caraxes on the beach. The unconscious Daemon is captured.

• Using Caraxes's blood and his own, Aemond performs a dark ritual with the seven petrified dragon eggs.

• The ritual is successful, and seven new dragons hatch from the stone eggs.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Flee!

• Lucerys returns to Dragonstone with the news of Daemon's defeat. Soon after, word arrives that Rook's Rest has fallen.

• Realizing the war is lost, Rhaenyra orders an evacuation of her remaining forces to Essos and prepares to flee herself.

• In the chaos, Rhaena and her hatchling, Morning, are secretly abducted from Dragonstone by Aemond's Speakers.

Chapter Fifty: Coda

• Flashback: Five years prior, a young Aemond rescues Rowenna after she had been sold by her father to a brothel. She is deeply loyal to him as a result.

• In the present, Aemond and his six dragonriders (Daeron, Addam, Nettles, Rowenna, and Garren) land on the abandoned Dragonstone.

• Rowenna successfully claims the Bronze Fury, Vermithor, and Garren claims Silverwing, bringing the Greens' total number of dragons to ten.

• A historical text summarizes the Green victory and announces a gran tourney in honour of the victory, as well as Aemond's betrothal to Jeyne Arryn and Daeron's to Baela Targaryen.

EPILOGUE: The Prince's Tourney

• A grand tourney is held in King's Landing to celebrate the victory.

• Jeyne Arryn observes the new political landscape, noting Aemond's absolute control over the court and the king.

• Daemon is brought out in chains. Aemond challenges him to single combat, offering him the chance to have his freedom if he wins.

• Aemond, though unarmored, skillfully defeats the fully-armored Daemon, sparing his life.

• Immediately following the duel, King Aegon II, goaded by Aemond, formally declares war on Braavos for harboring Rhaenyra.

EPILOGUE: Casus Belli (End of Book One)

• The declaration of war causes panic in Braavos, with mobs demanding Rhaenyra's expulsion.

• Rhaenyra counters by with skillful political plays; arranging betrothals for her sons to the daughters of powerful Braavosi merchant families, tying her cause to the city's elite.

• A propaganda campaign spearheaded by the city’s elite shifts public sentiment in her favor, and Braavos rallies behind her, preparing for a full-scale war against the Iron Throne, setting the stage for the next book.

PROLOGUE: Stranglehold

• A historical excerpt details the escalating tensions between the Iron Throne and Braavos. After Braavosi envoys deliver an ultimatum demanding the Crown recognize Rhaenyra's claim, Aemond has them executed and sends their heads back with a defiant message.

• In response to the insult and the threat to their sovereignty, Westeros begins a massive mobilization for war. Fleets are mustered, and armies are raised across the Seven Kingdoms under new banners.

• Braavos, in turn, prepares its own war machine, building new ships in its famed Arsenal.

• The Stepstones are identified as the primary theater of conflict, with Aemond heavily fortifying the islands against the anticipated Essosi coalition.

Chapter One: The High-handed Enemy

• In Dorne, Prince Qoren Martell receives Jacaerys and Lucerys, who have come from Braavos to ask for an alliance against the Greens.

• Qoren's daughter, Aliandra, openly questions the strength of the Blacks' position, pointing out Aemond's military successes and the power of his dragon, Vhagar.

• Torn between the desire to break the Green blockade and the fear of Aemond's wrath, Qoren gives the princes a noncommittal answer and sends them away.

Chapter Two: Control

• A Faceless Man assassin, disguised as a servant named Linora, attempts to poison Aemond in the Red Keep.

• Aemond, seemingly aware of the plot, foils the attempt. He uses the Voice to compel her obedience and captures her, intending to extract information about her order. He later kills her.

• Rowenna escorts a captive Rhaenys Targaryen to King's Landing, where the princess is to deliver her dragon, Meleys, to the Dragonpit. Aemond reveals his intention to have Wyl bond with Grey Ghost. 

Chapter Three: Bond of Circumstance

• Larys Strong, having been politically sidelined by Aemond, secretly meets with a Faceless Man contact in the Great Sept of Baelor.

• He learns that his previous assassination attempt on Aemond has failed and that his target for Mysaria is also complicated by her sudden departure from King's Landing on a sea voyage. He agrees to gather more intelligence for the order.

• At Braavos, a delegate from Myr, Damios Haar, meets with Rhaenyra and the Braavosi war council, pledging his city's military support to their cause in exchange for future trade rights and reparations.

Chapter Four: Chasing Ghosts

• Aemond tasks Wyl, one of his dragonseeds, with claiming the reclusive dragon Grey Ghost, who has been cornered in a volcanic vent on the Dragonmont by Vhagar and Vermithor at their riders’ behest.

• Wyl's initial attempt to approach the dragon is met with a blast of fire, forcing him to retreat.

Chapter Five: Progress

• Over three days, Wyl patiently works to earn the trust of the cornered and starving Grey Ghost.

• He successfully coaxes the dragon to eat a large piece of whale meat he brings to the cave entrance, marking a significant step in the bonding process.

• Aemond is shown wielding Dark Sister, implying he took the Valyrian blade from Daemon after his defeat at the Grand Tourney.

Chapter Six: Threshold

• Alyn Velaryon is reunited with his brother Addam in the Stepstones. Alyn is First Mate on one of the ships. Addam had been tasked to support the defense of Stepstones atop his dragon Seasmoke.

• Their reunion is interrupted when the Braavosi fleet is sighted mustering for their assault on the Stepstones. They leave for battle.

Chapter Seven: Breakpoint

• As a result of the battle brewing at the stepstones, the Westerosi fleet tasked with patrolling the area is recalled from the Dornish coast, leaving the waters open.

• Prince Qoren Martell receives a final, cryptic message from Aemond just as he considers taking advantage of the opening and joining the Braavosi. He makes his decision.

Chapter Eight: The Battle of the Steps

• A detailed historical account describes the massive naval battle at the Stepstones.

• The Braavosi-led Essosi coalition is lured into a trap. They are bombarded by coastal fortifications using wildfire and attacked by Aemond's dragons.

• The main Westerosi fleet arrives and encircles the disordered Essosi ships from the rear.

• At the final moment, the Dornish fleet arrives and betrays the coalition, sealing their catastrophic defeat. Hundreds of Essosi ships are sunk or captured.

Chapter Nine: The Scorpion’s Gambit

• In Braavos, Rhaenyra and her council receive the devastating news of the defeat at the Stepstones.

• Amid recriminations, the Braavosi leadership decides to shift their trade focus to the northeast (Ibben and Lorath) and begin the long process of rebuilding their navy.

• In Sunspear, Prince Qoren receives a letter from Aemond, who agrees to travel to Dorne to negotiate new terms in light of Dorne's "prudent" actions.

Chapter Ten: The High Roost

• Emory Celtigar, one of Aemond's auditor, travels to the Iron Isles to inspect the massive fortification and shipbuilding projects being overseen by Marshal Kellen Rivers.

• In the Eyrie, Lady Jeyne Arryn and her lover Jessamyn, receives Aemond and his companion, Rowenna. Vermithor and Vhagar make new lairs in one of the many natural caves that line the sides of the Eyrie. 

INTERLUDE: The Games Men Play

• Aemond negotiates with Prince Qoren in Dorne. He grants Dorne partial relief from the blockade in exchange for a third of the Dornish fleet joining his new, broader blockade of the Free Cities and the Crown gaining controlling stakes in all major Dornish ports.

• That night, Princess Aliandra Martell attempts to seduce Aemond, proposing a political union through a child to secure her own power and Dorne's place in his new world order. Aemond accepts.

INTERLUDE: The Siege of the Narrow Sea

• A historical text details Aemond's grand strategy following the Battle of the Steps. He uses a combination of diplomacy with Dorne, a new privateer fleet, and the strategic placement of his ten dragons to enforce a massive and devastating blockade on all the Free Cities that supported Braavos (Pentos, Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh).

• The influx of prisoners of war from these campaigns provides labor for Aemond's vast infrastructure projects in the North.

Chapter Eleven: Merger

• With its economy crippled by the blockade, the city of Lys capitulates.

• Aemond forces a "merger" of the powerful Rogare Bank into his Dragon's Bank, co-opting its patriarch, Lysandro Rogare, to help him pacify the city.

• Seeing the fate of the other cities, the Triarchs of Volantis decide to improve Volantis’ relations with the Westerosi crown.

Chapter Twelve: Power Shuffles

• Otto Hightower, wary of Aemond's growing power and the ambition of Vaemond Velaryon, makes a secret deal with the captive Corlys Velaryon.

• Corlys agrees to legitimize Addam and name him heir to Driftmark, undermining Vaemond's position, in exchange for being allowed to return to Driftmark (though Rhaenys remains a hostage).

Chapter Thirteen: The Chains That Bind Us

• Grand Maester Orwyle, acting on Aemond's orders, audits the Citadel and enforces the forced merger of the Citadel and the Alchemists' Guild(in preparation for the formation of Aemond’s Institute), reminding the Archmaesters of their subservience.

• Mysaria travels to Astapor and purchases 10,000 Unsullied soldiers for the Crown.

Chapter Fourteen: The Price of Safety

• The Lady Regent of House Tyrell, fearing her house will be supplanted by the Hightowers due to their neutrality during the Dance, decides it would be in their best interest to grovel at the feet of Aemond’s faction.

• She agrees to send a massive tribute and attempts to betroth her infant son, Lord Lyonel, to Bethany Hightower to secure her family's position as Lords Paramount of the Reach.

Chapter Fifteen: Lord Paramount

• Aemond and Daeron return to King's Landing. Aemond announces to the Small Council that Pentos has surrendered.

• To secure the volatile Stormlands while he wages his war in Essos, he names Daeron the new Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, replacing the extinct House Baratheon.

Chapter Sixteen: Foothold

• Mysaria arrives in Pentos with the Unsullied. She learns of Aemond's plan to build a massive fortified outpost at the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe to support a future invasion of Essos.

• She survives an assassination attempt by a Faceless Man, who is killed by one of Aemond's hidden "Speakers."

Chapter Seventeen: The Velaryons

• Alyn Velaryon is again reunited with his brother Addam in the Stepstones.

• Addam reveals that King Aegon II has legitimized them both. Addam is named heir to Driftmark and is to marry Princess Rhaena, while Alyn is promoted to admiral of a new scout flotilla.

• The brothers fly to King's Landing on Seasmoke.

Chapter Eighteen: Family Matters

• Lord Ormund Hightower confronts Otto about the Crown's failure to support his bid to become Lord Paramount of the Reach.

• Otto reveals Aemond's counter-offer: a double marriage alliance with the Tyrells and Lannisters, and a major stake in the new Dragon's Bank branch in Oldtown. Ormund reluctantly accepts.

Chapter Nineteen: Treading Treacherous Waters

• Just south of the Shivering Sea, a Braavosi merchant captain, running the blockade, successfully evades Westerosi-hired privateers at the “Axe”, only to discover the wreckage of another Braavosi ship destroyed by a dragon, highlighting the extreme danger of the new trade routes.

Chapter Twenty: House Targaryen of Storm’s End

• Daeron and his new wife, Baela, arrive at Storm's End to take up their new titles.

• They find the fortress completely garrisoned and administered by Aemond's men, unnerving Baela. 

INTERLUDE: Northern Affairs

• Daemon Targaryen endures his exile at the Wall, hearing whispers of Aemond's growing, almost mythical, reputation in the North for bringing prosperity and order.

• He witnesses the harsh discipline of the Night's Watch and reflects on his own fall from grace, still harboring a deep desire for vengeance.

INTERLUDE: Among Us

• The House of Black and White discovers they have been infiltrated by one of Aemond's "Speakers," who has stolen secrets from their archives.

• They suspend all other operations to hunt down the intruder. The narrator is revealed to be one of these spies, successfully evading capture.

Chapter Twenty-One: The Watchers of the East

• Prince Qoren Martell abdicates, and Aliandra Martell is crowned Princess of Dorne. Qoren reflects on the necessity of her alliance with Aemond to ensure Dorne's survival. His other children try to convince him otherwise, but Qoren points out the futility of resisting Aemond’s will. He extols the importance of supporting Aliandra in her attempts to endear herself with Aemond.

• In Volantis, Saera Targaryen (a descendant from a lesser branch) gleans intelligence from her lover, Triarch Agon, learning of the city's internal divisions and their likely capitulation to the Iron Throne's demands.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Spring Sorrow

• Aemond, with the assistance of his great-uncle, Archmaester Vaegon, forges a new Valyrian steel sword using weirwood, star-iron, and a blood sacrifice.

• He names the powerful, blood-forged blade "Spring Sorrow."

Chapter Twenty-Three: Eastward Expansion

• The Greens, led by Marshal Luthor Sand, establish a massive logistical hub at the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe.

• Luthor negotiates a pact with the Dothraki Khal Rhozko, bribing him with gifts and directing his khalasar to raid Myr, thus securing the Greens' eastern flank.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Great Burning

• A historical text details the next phase of Aemond's Essosi campaign. With the eastern flank secured, he uses seven dragons to systematically "cleanse" the ruins of Chroyane with dragonfire and wildfire over seven days.

• His forces then occupy the city, establishing it as a new, major fortress and a bridgehead for further expansion into Essos.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Siege of Braavos

• Aemond, Addam, and Nettles launch a surprise nighttime dragon attack on Braavos. They create chaos by burning the poorer quarters and, crucially, destroy the city's main aqueduct, cutting off the fresh water supply.

• Panic grips the city. In the Sarren manse, Jace argues that they must break the blockade with their dragons to restore morale. Rhaenyra reluctantly agrees to let Jace and Luke fly.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Battle of the Hundred Isles (Pt 1)

• The Braavosi war council purges suspected dissenters, solidifying their resolve to fight.

• The Braavosi fleet, led by Koja Terys, sorties from the lagoon. Their plan is to feign a retreat and lure the larger Westerosi fleet into the treacherous narrow channels.

• The initial assault fails when the Greens deploy a hidden chain-net, trapping the Braavosi fire ships.

• Jace and Luke are ordered to use their dragons to break the chain and open a path for the main fleet.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Battle of the Hundred Isles (Pt 2)

• The Braavosi fleet surges through the breach created by Jace and Luke.

• The main Green dragon force—Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, Sheepstealer, Seasmoke, and Tessarion—springs the trap, descending on the Braavosi fleet.

• The battle turns into a slaughter. Seasmoke and Tessarion overwhelm and kill Arrax, sending Lucerys plunging to his death.

• Jacaerys and Vermax are then attacked and killed by Sheepstealer, Seasmoke, and Tessarion.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Fall of Braavos

• From the shore, Admiral Ferrago Dimittis witnesses the deaths of the princes and the complete destruction of the Braavosi fleet.

• In Braavos, the news of the cataclysmic defeat leads to city-wide riots. The mob targets Armeno Sarren and his family, blaming them for the disaster.

• Armeno and his family attempt to flee but are captured by Aemond's forces.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Price of Pride

• Rhaenyra learns of the deaths of Jace and Luke.

• She flees the Sealord's palace with her remaining sons, Joffrey and Aegon the Younger, to the dragon stables just as the mob breaks in.

• They attempt to escape Braavos on their dragons but are intercepted and forced to surrender by a group of Green dragonriders led by Rowenna on Vermithor.

Chapter Thirty: Ashes of Hope

• A historical text summarizes the final victory. Rhaenyra is captured and brought back to King's Landing.

• Aemond's forces occupy Braavos, seizing the Iron Bank and brutally suppressing the House of Black and White.

• With all their enemies defeated or cowed, the Greens' rule is absolute, heralding a new era for Westeros.