20demayo Chapter 135 Marriage
Chapter 135 Marriage
Several days of hard fighting cost the coalition forces a heavy price.
The Northern Army suffered the fewest casualties, but still had about seven hundred men, most of whom were sailors from more than twenty ships.
The situation of the Night's Watch was even more serious, with 800 of them killed and more than 500 wounded. Fortunately, they received timely treatment, otherwise the casualties would have been even more severe.
In contrast, the Southern Army suffered the most tragic losses, with more than 3,000 casualties among the 7,000 land forces. In addition, the navy lost more than 70% of its strength, and the pirate fleet they recruited was also severely damaged and almost annihilated. Most importantly, they also lost their leader, Stannis.
There were more than 17,000 young and strong wildlings who were responsible for blocking the enemy, but only a little over 8,000 of them managed to evacuate. Nearly 1,000 of the tribesmen who stayed in Hardhome were killed by the Night's Watch and the Northern Army. Despite this, more than 70,000 people still managed to complete the migration.
Originally, Salladhor Saan planned to lead his pirate fleet away, after all, their employer Stannis had died in battle. However, faced with the threat of Skaggs's ironclad ships and Jon and Robb's promise to cover the cost of hiring, the captains reluctantly agreed to continue to follow his command.
With so many wildlings, plus several armies, the number of people was more than 100,000. To transport them safely south of the Wall, thousands of ships were busy for two days. Afterwards, these people were dispersed and migrated to various places in the North for temporary residence, and most of them were settled in the territory of the Bolton family that had just been wiped out.
All the living supplies for these women and children were provided by the North and Skagos Island. They became hostages in disguise, and Tormund led almost all the young and strong to resist the White Walkers on the Wall.
Out of respect for Stannis, the senior leaders of the coalition held a grand funeral for him at Castle Black. The raging fire devoured his body, and his ideals and pursuits turned into ashes.
There is another urgent problem to be solved, that is, whether Stannis's army should stay or go. These people are nobles from the Stormlands, the Crownlands, and even the Reach. They were all inspired by Stannis' personal charm and joined his army, even at the cost of abandoning their own families and fiefdoms.
Now Stannis is dead, and the only surviving child of him and Selyse Florent is his 13-year-old daughter Shireen Baratheon. But after all, she is still too young to inherit her father's will. And those soldiers who have followed Stannis in battle for many years are facing the dilemma of being homeless.
Many soldiers lost their lives in this war, and many more were seriously injured. They needed time to rest and recuperate, and they also needed a new leader to guide them.
However, at this critical moment, who can step forward and take on this responsibility? Some people suggested that Davos be the leader because he has a high prestige in the army. But Davos declined the proposal, thinking that he did not have the ability to lead everyone. But no matter who leads, feeding these people is a very serious problem. It is impossible for the Iron Bank to continue to invest in projects that do not see hope.
Everyone in the meeting room argued endlessly. It was a big problem to settle the more than 80,000 wildlings who migrated from the army. The two pieces of land donated by the Night's Watch could not accommodate so many people, and the lords of the North also needed to receive them in a dispersed manner. However, these wildlings were unwilling to be divided up like this. If they were not handled properly, it would definitely cause civil unrest.
Rickon suddenly remembered something: "I remember that Lord Garon has a special relationship with Daenerys Targaryen. If we can get his help, perhaps we can successfully resolve the current predicament."
Someone agreed: "Yes, maybe we can try to join Daenerys's camp. This will not only solve the current crisis, but also gain more resources and support."
However, some people have raised doubts: "But will Daenerys really accept us? After all, we were once her enemies."
Faced with all kinds of doubts and worries, Davos fell into deep thought. He knew it was a difficult decision, but they had to make a decision in order to survive. Finally, he said: "No matter what, we have to try it first. If Daenerys can accept us, then we have a chance to rebuild our home; if not, then we must also be prepared to face difficulties."
Sam also took out the books sent by the Citadel, which made everyone realize an amazing fact: there are rich dragon crystal veins under Dragonstone. These dragon crystals are powerful weapons against the White Walkers, and the former Earl of Bear Island, Jorah Mormont, was once an important minister of the Dragon Queen. Maybe he can convince the Dragon Queen to support them in fighting against the White Walkers.
So, everyone began to discuss how to contact Daenerys and win her support. This task is not easy, but everyone agrees that they must act as soon as possible, otherwise the North will face great danger.
However, whether or not he can successfully gain the support of the Dragon Queen remains unknown.
Finally, Robb decided to ask for help from Dragonstone and Thorn City to solve the imminent problem of the White Walkers. He selected a team led by Rickon to go south. The team included Lord Mage Cerwyn, Samwell Tarly, Melisandre the Red Robe, Lyanna Mormont, the new Lord of Bear Island, Morona, the leader of the Free Folk, and other important figures such as Gendel. They will take the fastest Suzaku ship on Skagos Island to Dragonstone.
The next day, the coalition meeting continued, and everyone began to discuss how to deal with the troops left by Stannis. In fact, some people have proposed to break up these troops and distribute them to the lords of each region. At this time, Sansa suddenly stood up and interrupted them, and told Robb and Ser Davos that she needed to talk to them alone. So the three of them walked to the next tower together and ordered the guards to leave.
When there were only three of them left, Sansa spoke up, "I have a suggestion. Now that His Majesty Stannis is dead, his army has become a problem. Shireen is still young and a girl. Even if she gets the support of Ser Davos, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win the support of everyone." Seeing that both of them agreed with her point of view, Sansa continued, "Our Stark family is a large family with a long history and noble status, and I have two younger brothers, Bran and Rickon. I suggest that you choose one of them to marry Shireen, so that we can be one family. If the negotiations with the Dragon Queen are successful this time, there may be a chance to return to Storm's End and continue the Baratheon family."