"Your Grace is clever. The usurper's power weakens by the day, while Your Grace's strength grows. Time is on our side!"
The words were spoken by Ser Bennard of Brownhollow. Though he understood Viserys's intent, his phrasing was slightly off. The proper address should have been 'Your Grace is wise,' not 'Your Grace is clever.'
Viserys, however, did not correct him. Instead, he clapped his hands, and a dozen soldiers entered the room, each carrying one of seven large boxes.
Arson suddenly felt a sense of impending crisis. He thought, 'Our family must have fallen out of favor.' Viserys's attitude towards these "semi-savages" was markedly different from his demeanor towards his own kin. Both sides were visibly more sincere. 'If we don't act carefully,' he reflected, 'not only will we fail to expand our influence on the peninsula, but we may lose our titles and be driven off the island.'
Viserys ordered the boxes to be opened, revealing an armor stand within each. The soldiers carefully placed the black steel armor inside. Supplies on Crackclaw Point were scarce, and this was the first time anyone had seen such exquisite armor.
Viserys tapped his knuckles against one suit of armor, producing a crisp sound that left no doubt about the high quality of the steel. The breastplate bore an engraving of a golden dragon, its wings exaggeratedly large, covering almost the entire surface.
Viserys had not only provided armor but also Dragonbone daggers, fine bows, steel spears, steel swords, and a very intricate fang mask. The mask, inlaid with rubies, looked both mysterious and imposing.
The weapons and armor, styled after those from the Free Cities and even Valyria, immediately captivated the young men present. However, there was one catch: each House could only receive one set.
"My lords, these are all fine steel armors. I have prepared a total of 300 sets of armor like these!"
"Three hundred sets!" The poor knights gasped, realizing that it would take two and a half years' worth of their domain's tax revenue to afford just one of these suits.
Indeed, Viserys had spent a total of 200,000 gold dragons to forge the 300 suits of armor and weapons. But to him, it was a worthwhile investment.
Nearly every house on the small peninsula of the Crab Claw had once produced Kingsguard, showing that the previous Targaryens had trusted them deeply. And what was the most crucial quality for a vassal knight? Loyalty. Viserys knew he had to give them a strong reason to defend Crab Claw Point until the day of his landing.
"My lords, I intend to give you these weapons. In return, I hope you will select some loyal young men to form the 'Knights of the Dragon's Wings'!"
"The Knights of the Dragon's Wings!" The name, bold and evocative, resonated deeply with the gathered lords. To be the wings of a dragon—how could the proud lords of Crackclaw Point, who saw themselves as ideal bannerman, resist such an honor?
As the room buzzed with excitement over the idea of the 'Knights of the Dragon's Wings,' Viserys's expression suddenly darkened.
"As members of the Dragon's Wing," he began, his voice cold and commanding, "the most important trait is loyalty. The Knights of the Dragon's Wings will fight by my side as I conquer all of Westeros. When you return to your lands, I expect you to select only the best—no weaklings must disgrace this armor or this title! When I return to Westeros, I will personally inspect the troops. Should there be any failures, I will eliminate them myself—and their families will be punished as well."
Coercion and bribery are the basic tools of a king.
"Your Grace, rest assured! House Pyne will select only the finest for you!"
"House Hardy will defend the glory of the Dragon's Wing to the death!"
"House Brune will always remain loyal!"
The vows of fealty echoed through the Hall of House Celtigar like thunderous roars.
Arson felt a pang of regret, realizing how foolish his father had been to play mind games with Viserys in the past. A cold fear gripped him as he noticed that Viserys hadn't mentioned House Celtigar's inclusion in the Knights of the Dragon's Wings. With seven major families on Crackclaw Point, and their own house—an "old vassal"—not even considered, he was furious. 'Damn it!'
Feeling desperate, Arson quickly whispered in Viserys's ear, "Your Grace, I still have three sons. Might they also be considered for the Knights?"
"Oh, go for it." Viserys replied dismissively. Although he harbored little affection for House Celtigar, the strategic importance of Claw Isle could not be ignored, so he offered a token reassurance.
Later, Arson arranged a lavish banquet for the guests. Had Ardrian seen how sumptuous it was, it would have broken his heart for weeks. Fortunately, the banquet was held at noon, so no candles were lit, sparing them that additional expense.
...
"Since Your Grace plans to visit the Wall. Allow me to send some men to accompany and protect you—it would be an honor for them," offered the ever-loyal House Pyne.
Before Viserys could respond, a nearby lord, still chewing on a lamb chop, hastily spat out the half-chewed meat in his eagerness. It landed messily on the table as he exclaimed, "Your Grace! I have many sons! Let them follow you!"
"Your Grace!" others echoed, scrambling to gain his favor.
"All right, all right," Viserys said, waving his hand to quiet them. "We're not marching into battle. Besides, I'm bringing an army with me. Your job is to intensify training while I'm away!"
"Yes, my lord!" they all replied in unison.
Viserys's decision to visit the Wall was strategic—he wanted to assess whether he could help address the wildling problem along the way. The Night's Watch, after all, was primarily tasked with resisting wildling incursions, which were driven by cold and hunger. As he ventured deeper into the Land of Always Winter, Viserys hoped to gain more information about the White Walkers.
The appearance of the Red Comet had significantly boosted his own power, and it stood to reason that the Night King might also have grown stronger. But just how powerful was the Night King? Was he like the "mother" of the wights hordes, where eliminating him would cause the other White Walkers to disintegrate? Or did they have their own social structure and intelligence?
'Magic.' Viserys suspected they had their own system of magic—perhaps tied to ice. It was said the White Walkers were created by the Children of the Forest, so perhaps they possessed some of the Greenseers' abilities as well.
'The Greenseers...' Viserys shuddered, recalling the Dorne arm that had been severed by them. The thought of facing the White Walkers sent a chill down his spine.
'For every living person saved', he mused, 'there's one less corpse for the White Walkers to transform.' This was all he could do for now. Once he settled matters in Qarth, he would gather the power of the entire world to confront the looming threat.