GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice

Amid the rhythmic pounding of the battering ram against the gate, burning barrels of oil crashed down around the siege engine, ignited by unseen fuses or flaming arrows. A wall of fire erupted, engulfing the head of the battering ram. Soldiers splashed with burning oil shrieked and broke away from the protection of shields and wooden panels. The fortunate ones managed to roll on the ground, smothering the flames before scrambling back under cover, while the unlucky were struck down by stones and arrows before they could even react. Yet for every defender who revealed themselves to attack, a volley from the massed archers, poised a hundred meters away cut them down in turn.

With every passing moment, men were wounded or killed.

Boom. Boom.

The battering ram's front end was fully engulfed in flames, but the siege engine itself had been reinforced with thick, fire-resistant leather, soaked to prevent burning. The material slowed the spread of the fire, buying the soldiers enough time to make a few more desperate attempts at breaking the gate. But with more oil barrels raining down, the siege vehicle would soon be rendered useless.

Aegor didn't want to keep watching. The attack would likely end with the siege engine's destruction. So far, the total casualties on both sides had barely reached three digits, a mere fraction compared to the more than 100,000 troops present. A casualty rate of one in a thousand seemed insignificant. But for the men caught in the blood and fire at the gate, it was anything but.

The narrow battlefield limited the scale of the battle and kept the casualty rate from rising too quickly, yet the ferocity of the fighting at the Bloody Gate and on the ramparts was no less brutal than any legendary siege of ages past. Everyone lived in the center of their own world, how could the soldiers on the front lines be reduced to mere numbers, just a "one" in a force of 100,000?

To children, war was a distant tale. To the young, war was the pinnacle of glory. But Aegor was no longer a boy. Standing on the battlefield, hearing the agonized groans and dying screams of wounded men, he felt more vividly than ever before that war was no game.

---

This war was not of Aegor's making, but it was undeniably connected to him. He turned away, preparing to leave the battlefield and return to camp.

Then, all around him, a deafening roar of cheers and applause erupted.

Aegor whirled back in shock, instantly realizing what had caused the soldiers to cry out, the head of the battering ram, still wrapped in flames, had broken through the outer gate of the Bloody Gate and lodged itself in the doorway!

What? It's broken already?

Was Robert's strategy of "fire suppression" and ramming tactics simply that advanced? Or had every other force that had attempted to breach this fortress over the past thousand years just been too weak?

As the cheers thundered, a group of cavalry clad in House Baratheon's colors spurred forward, charging for the shattered gate. If they could hold their ground and prevent the defenders from resealing the entrance, then the Bloody Gate, the pass that had never fallen in all of history would finally be conquered in the name of King Robert.

But faster than the cavalry were the soldiers who had manned the battering ram. Before the flames could completely consume the siege engine, they heaved it aside and rushed through the broken gateway.

After all, who wouldn't want to be the first to claim credit for taking the fortress? A chance to be knighted, to become a noble, perhaps even to secure a legacy for their descendants.

---

It felt unreal.

After all that preparation, was it truly over in a single battle? What had happened to the legendary claim that "one man could hold back a thousand"? What of the promise that the pass would never be taken?

Aegor felt a strange mix of embarrassment and relief. No matter what, if the battle ended quickly, there would be fewer casualties and that was no bad thing.

But just as the watching soldiers began laughing at the absurdity of a month-long siege ending in half a day, the situation suddenly shifted.

The coalition soldiers who had rushed through the broken gate suddenly came scrambling back—less than ten seconds later. Under a fresh hail of falling stones and arrows, they shouted warnings as they fled desperately back to their lines. Many were cut down in the retreat, and even the Baratheon cavalry was forced to pull back.

The assault had been repelled.

Crossbowmen, who had been providing covering fire, were hastily ordered to withdraw. The trebuchet bombardment was suspended, and the siege equipment was pulled back beyond the defenders' range. Apart from the siege engine still burning beneath the Bloody Gate, the first assault was over.

Word quickly spread from the mouths of the retreating soldiers, passing from one man to the next, until it finally reached Aegor's ears:

The defenders of the Bloody Gate had completely sealed the gate with earth and stone.

This was a devastating setback. With the first assault repelled and the second not yet organized, it was clear that the news had caught Robert and his commanders off guard. Until they devised a new strategy, Aegor estimated there would be no further battle.

---

After some minor disruptions, things finally returned to normal. The Bloody Gate was not so easily breached, after all. Aegor turned away from the battlefield and made his way back to his small tent, deep within the coalition army's encampment.

Though called a military camp, it resembled a vast city of tents. Based on sheer population density, it could rival some of the largest cities in Westeros. The only difference was that instead of common folk, its inhabitants were mostly soldiers and nobles.

To accommodate so many people, merchants had set up shop in the heart of the six great military camps, catering to every need imaginable. As long as one had coin, there was little that couldn't be bought—inns, taverns, brothels, bathhouses… From a distance, it looked like a sprawling mass of tents, but within, it functioned as a city in its own right. It was as if the bustling commercial district of King's Landing had been uprooted and transplanted to the valley's entrance, albeit with worse service and inflated prices.

Normally, no commander would tolerate such an atmosphere in a military camp. But in truth, the rebel forces were trapped within the Vale, hemmed in behind the Bloody Gate. Every fief and castle belonging to the mutinous lords had already fallen under Robert's control, and the army's patrols and scouts kept constant watch outside the camp. The warrior-king leading this campaign had left no room for his enemies to turn the tide. Barring an internal uprising, the camp was impregnable.

Perhaps I should set up a temporary Night's Watch office and join in on the trade?

The chief logistics officer considered the thought seriously. But before he could dwell on it, his attention was drawn to a commotion nearby, a tent crowded with soldiers from all six armies, each clad in different uniforms. They were arguing, voices rising heatedly as they fought over some item being sold by the tent's owner.

Aegor was curious, but as a man of status, he had subordinates for such matters. There was no need for him to investigate personally.

"Kathy, go see what they're fighting over," he ordered.

The boy darted off, slipping through the crowd like an eel. Half a minute later, he emerged and ran back, his face a mix of excitement and disbelief.

"Ser, it's a book!" Kathy blurted out. "The book we printed!"

***

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