King's Landing.
Once the commander for the Stepstones expedition was decided, the pace of war quickened.
The clatter of spears, swords, and iron armor rose, drowning out all other wills.
Since there was no choice, only war remained.
Aegon IV, the promiscuous, amorous, and prolific mediocre king, a stallion of a man, left the sparks of war for the nation even on his deathbed.
The dark clouds of the Blackfyre family have always lingered over Westeros, refusing to give up their desire for the iron throne, claiming it as their birthright.
The Blackfyre family launched rebellions multiple times, troubling five generations of the Targaryen Family. Even though they always failed, such frequent rebellions and large-scale battles left the country scarred.
Fortunately, in this era, the dragons had long since died. Otherwise, a group of Dragonseeds fighting each other would be a disaster even more terrifying than the Dance of the Dragons.
"Maris Blackfyre, the two-headed monster, kinslayer, Lord of the Golden Company. In this year, the bloodline of the Blackfyre family will be extinguished, and the kingdom will usher in peace." Duke Mond issued orders in the Hand's Tower, and ravens flew in and out of the Red Keep.
The vast Westeros had been mobilized.
From the Iron Islands, the Westerlands, the Riverlands, to the Crownlands and the Stormlands.
Mobilizing troops from multiple kingdoms, to achieve success in one fell swoop.
People were tired of blood, fire, and tears; tired of the Blackfyre family's repeated rebellions.
Now the Blackfyre family's numbers were dwindling. Killing the raging Maris would put an end to everything... The reception room in the Hand's Tower was much smaller than the King's reception room, but it was equally elegant.
The reception room was quiet and beautiful, with Myrish carpets, golden round windows, and even a painting depicting a harmonious scene of a dragon and a Stag. The Stag family had always been a firm backing for the Dragon family, who would have thought that after a few turns, they would become bitter enemies in Robert's era.
But now, everyone was too preoccupied to notice the decor of the reception room, their thoughts drifting thousands of miles away to the battlefield.
Duke Mond wore a black leather jacket, adorned with a Stag emblem pinned to his chest.
"Aerys of the Targaryen Family. Steffon of the Baratheon family. Tywin of the House Lannister. Look, the most outstanding young men of our generation, the future of the kingdom." Duke Mond looked at the young men before him, seemingly seeing traces of his own youth in them. Unrestrained, yet ambitious young lords. Back then, his smile was as bright as a blade.
Tywin, with golden hair and pale green eyes; Steffon, with black hair and blue eyes; Aerys, with silver hair and indigo eyes. Strong in their lineage, the youths of each family carried the distinct characteristics of their own house.
They feigned maturity, but their faces still held a lingering childishness.
They were young, robust, and slender, each as bright as a newly forged sword.
When the three were called by Duke Mond, each bowed respectfully and proudly. They were the golden generation in King's Landing, the future lords of Westeros.
The glory of their ancestors shone upon them, and they yearned for greater honor on the battlefield.
At this historic moment, a baby in swaddling clothes, Prince Rhaegar, was held in Aerys's arms.
"Of course, and the future of our next generation, Prince Rhaegar." Duke Mond looked at Rhaegar, seeing hope and a peaceful future in the child's eyes.
Rhaegar greatly respected the old man Mond, but unfortunately, there was no brilliant plan now to let the old man live a few more years.
Rhaegar glanced at Tywin, the golden-haired young man was indeed handsome, but there was a hint of unhidden gloom on his face.
The glorious deeds of The Laughing Lion spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and Tywin endured too many rumors, especially as other families increasingly disregarded the House Lannister, which further fueled his rage. At this time, Tywin was probably brewing energy every moment, duty-bound to protect the glory of the Lion family.
As for Aerys and Steffon, they seemed much more natural and straightforward. Aerys wasn't too bad yet, and he also looked like a charming young prince, especially with Rhaegar's birth bringing him a lot of joy; at this time, they were still truly harmonious father and son.
The elders desperately tried to unite the Dragon, Lion, and Stag, making the three grow up as friends and establish an unbreakable alliance.
The Grand Alliance of Dragon, Lion, and Stag was a brilliant move: the Lions provided money, the Stags provided warriors, and with the peripheral Dornishmen, the rose, and the Fish family, the Dragon family's strength crushed any noble.
Unfortunately, this brilliant move was useless, as Aerys went mad and flipped the table directly.
Rhaegar was annoyed by Aerys, but now he didn't have much strength to escape Aerys's embrace.
Moreover, Aerys's descent into madness was filled with the scent of various conspiracies. Was it the Three-Eyed Crow, or the Maesters? Rhaegar also wanted to uncover the true nature of the problem.
To reverse the future, time was Rhaegar's trump card.
"Maris Blackfyre's power is strong enough, but we are stronger. The Iron Islands and the Westerlands have provided us with support, and Maris Blackfyre is a kinslayer; the Seven Gods will also despise him, and he will die a terrible death," Duke Mond said.
The kinslayer's curse was terrifying, not only due to personal psychological pressure but also because of Westerosi custom; everyone despised kinslayers.
"I will use my longsword to cut off Maris's two heads and reclaim the Blackfyre sword," Aerys declared ambitiously.
Rhaegar really wanted to roll his eyes at him. Aerys was the kind of person who knew he wasn't very good but insisted on thinking he was.
He didn't have any particularly outstanding advantages in personal talent or martial prowess, yet he always thought he surpassed everyone else.
"In any case, war is a dangerous place, and you must pay attention to your safety," Duke Mond said.
In war, politicians give speeches, nobles seek glory, while parents sacrifice their children.
Swords and spears have no eyes; the dangers of war are immeasurable and full of uncertainties.
The three young men all nodded in agreement. In fact, as a second-tier echelon, they would definitely be deployed selectively, with strong guard forces beside them. But Duke Mond was still worried. After all, the kingdom's elite young people were always an invaluable asset.
What Rhaegar was more worried about was Duke Mond.
The War of the Ninepenny King would ultimately fail, but Duke Mond would also die in this war.
Aerys, a man who achieved success early, also enjoyed flattery.
What he lacked was a seasoned statesman like Duke Mond.
Whether by blood relation or governing experience, if Duke Mond taught Aerys, he wouldn't dare not listen.
According to tradition, Duke Mond would serve as regent, which would further delay the time when Aerys and Tywin slowly grew to despise each other.
A way was needed to keep the Duke alive.