Building an Empire in Game of Thrones (REWORKED VERSION)-Chapter 102: The Border Incursion

As the civil war within the Golden Empire intensified over the next 6 months, the Imperial Union largely stayed out of it. Maximus had returned to Heaven’s Reach where he had to deal with the aftermath of the war. With the remaining Kingdoms now being slowly integrated into the Imperial Union, there were a lot of things that needed to be done.

These 6 months were spent handling those things such as appointing new titles, granting new territory to both existing and new lords, and reforming the Night’s Watch since the Night King was dead for the foreseeable future and the Free Folk were no longer a threat as they were defeated during their attack against the wall. Those who survived were allowed to resettle beyond the wall in their ancestral land and were granted certain privileges by Maximus in order to continue living under the protection of the Imperial Union of course.

The ruins of Kingslanding were beginning to be transformed into a massive shipyard to build both military and civilian ships for the Imperial Union. On the other side of the Westeros, the ruins of Pyke would also be transformed into massive shipyards, this way they could have shipyards on both sides of the continent, expanding their reach and getting rid of ships having to sail around the entire continent.

Pyke, similar to the rest of the Iron Islands, had been thoroughly destroyed by the dragons that Maximus sent. The Houses and the people, whether they were enemies or not, were completely obliterated by the dragons, leaving nothing but burning ruins. Not even the corpses remained, which made it much easier to clean up the islands.

The Faith of the Seven was allowed to continue being an allowed religion so long as no radical fanatics tried to enforce the religion throughout the Imperium. If there was even one instance, then the religion would be outlawed and erased from history.

Within Heaven’s Reach, Maximus read over the daily reports that came in. Word had spread across the realm that the once-mighty Joffrey had been reduced to cleaning privies and scrubbing latrines under the watchful eye of his overseers. Delegations from Braavos, even as far as the Summer Islands, sent couriers into the city just to glimpse at the "Chamber Pot Prince." If this struck Joffrey as humiliating, it was nothing compared to the fate of his mother: "Cersei of the House of Delights," as she was now called, had been installed as the chief performer in a brothel on the edge of what would become the new shipyard, her every movement gossiped about, every client scrutinized and parodied in street theater.

The rough men of the city, and more than a few highborn women, came to see what a former Queen looked like debased, and the rest of the time Cersei was kept at a worktable, penning out her own humiliating memoirs for the amusement of dockworkers and traveling merchants. It turned out Cersei was a more insightful writer than anyone had guessed; her confessions of bitterness, regret, and hatred for her new station drew such crowds that she had to be kept behind a wire mesh screen to avoid stabbings and thrown chamberpots.

Through it all, Cersei wrote furiously, sometimes with a sly humor so sharp it cut through the slop and sadness of her life, she could almost convince herself she was still a queen, presiding over the court of the damned.

Myrcela and Tommen continued to live their days growing up under House Martell. They were not going to be harshly punished because of the actions and decisions of adults.

In the months following the reorganization of Westeros, more changes began to reshape the continent. The integration process under the Imperial Union was quick but also carefully managed to minimize unrest. Roads and trade networks improved drastically, bolstering the economy and earning Maximus further loyalty from both lords and common folk alike.

Maximus established educational institutions in each Viceroyalty, aiming to raise literacy rates and introduce Imperial ideology into daily life. Additionally, he commissioned infrastructure projects including aqueducts, granaries, and public hospitals to further solidify the Empire’s benevolent image. He oversaw the rebuilding of the Wall and modernized its defenses, turning it into an impregnable fortress that guarded against any future threats. The Night King had been defeated once before, but as history has proved, he has returned. So, Maximus wanted to ensure that the Nights Watch was maintained and powerful enough for the next few thousand years.

Merlin and Lyra assisted greatly in strengthening the presence of magic within Westeros. A Mage’s Guild was founded in Oldtown, quickly becoming a respected institution that trained the future witches and wizards loyal to the Imperial Union. Its magical academies were established in key cities throughout Westeros, further unifying the realm under Imperial rule and discovering those that could use magic.

The Imperial Guard underwent expansion, creating specialized units trained to respond swiftly to internal rebellions or external threats. This bolstered Maximus’ hold on the realm, discouraging any who considered resisting his rule or plotting to overthrow him.

While these changes occurred, Maximus maintained strong diplomatic and trade relationships with neighboring territories. The remaining Free Cities in Essos thrived under Imperial influence, leading to unprecedented prosperity and peace across the continent. This stability only strengthened Maximus’ standing, allowing him to focus his attention on other matters beyond immediate borders.

However, in YiTi, the situation deteriorated significantly. The Golden Empire descended further into chaos, with Zhenyi’s forces experiencing numerous setbacks. Pol Qo’s propaganda regarding Imperial involvement proved effective, causing public sentiment to shift decisively against Zhenyi.

Battles erupted frequently along the borders, each engagement draining Zhenyi’s resources and morale. The Witch-Marshal’s methods of combating Wyverns proved effective enough to embolden Pol Qo’s troops, enabling them to seize critical territories.

Zhenyi’s commanders grew increasingly desperate, their pleas for reinforcements becoming more frequent and frantic. General Tang, having lost faith entirely in Pol Qo’s reckless plans, defected to Zhenyi, bringing crucial intelligence but insufficient manpower to reverse their losses.

To the Southeast, Lord Jiang’s forces surged forth from Carcosa. The eerie silence of his masked armies and powerful sorcery caused fear among Zhenyi’s ranks. Jiang’s fanatical followers fought without hesitation, overwhelming Zhenyi’s already thinning lines.

At the imperial palace in YiTi, the tension was palpable. Zhenyi sat in her throne room, now less filled with advisors and generals, each defeat thinning their numbers further. Her once confident demeanor eroded into weary determination. Reports flooded in continuously of lost territories and defections. Zhenyi’s attempts at diplomacy with both Pol Qo and Jiang failed repeatedly, neither claimant willing to yield.

The final blow came when Pol Qo’s forces decisively defeated Zhenyi’s main army near the Bone Mountains, pushing them into a disastrous retreat. With morale shattered, Zhenyi withdrew her remaining forces to the capital, preparing for an inevitable siege.

Within weeks, YiTi’s capital, Yin, became a city under constant assault, its walls battered day and night by siege engines and sorcery alike. Supplies dwindled, and public order within the city frayed. Despite the worsening conditions, Zhenyi remained resolute, rallying her dwindling loyalists for a desperate defense while her father the Emperor had recovered a small portion of his strength and had joined the battle. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

But something that happened a week before was about to change the course of the battle.

A week prior

At the border which led into the Bone Mountains, the Imperial Wyvern’s were doing their daily patrols. These patrols were designed to be a deterrence against any invasion and bandits in the area. However, this didn’t stop everybody from crossing.

Flying over the mountain region, one of the Wyvern riders had spotted some movements below them. They moved in for a closer look, only to find a small army cautiously advancing toward the Imperial border. The banners were unmistakable, orange flags fluttering in the wind, the mark of Pol Qo, the Orange Emperor.

The rider immediately pulled the reins, ascending swiftly to relay the information to the nearest Imperial outpost.

"Border Command, this is Wyvern Rider Aetius," he spoke urgently through the enchanted communication crystal embedded into his gauntlet. "Enemy forces under Pol Qo sighted in the region. I estimate their numbers are around a hundred thousand, primarily infantry with heavy cavalry support, and a few Dragon cannons. Request immediate reinforcements."

"Acknowledged, Aetius," replied the voice of Commander Marcus at the Border Garrison. "Withdraw to safe altitude. Reinforcements inbound."

Within minutes, the alarm rang across the border fortress. Imperial soldiers moved into formation, heavily armored Dawnborn infantry interlocked their shields, archers took positions on the walls, and cannons rolled into firing lines.

Commander Marcus stood on the battlements, scanning the horizon for the enemy. Beside him stood Captain Leona, commander of the Imperial Wyvern Corps. She nodded silently, signaling her riders into action.

As Pol Qo’s army marched closer, their pace slowed, sensing something was amiss. They had barely registered the sudden shadow that swept across the field when a deafening roar echoed from the skies.

From the clouds, Imperial Wyverns dove downward, their riders releasing blazing streams of fire that carved through the enemy ranks. The first strike scattered Pol Qo’s troops into chaos. The artillery they brought forward hastily aimed skyward, firing wildly into the air, but their shots were clumsy and inaccurate.

The Wyverns banked and dove again, their second pass targeting the enemy artillery positions. Cannons exploded into shards of metal and fire, their crews incinerated or fleeing in panic.

The 100 sorcerers and sorceresses that were embedded into the army had attempted to use what they learned to shoot down the Wyverns. However, what they didn’t account for was the training that the Wyvern riders go through. Many of their attacks, while fast, didn’t land as the Wyverns managed to dodge them or the enchanted armor that they were wearing had deflected the magic. The counter that they had been preparing for had failed thus resulting in their impending defeat.

With the enemy disorganized and retreating, Marcus raised his sword, signaling the infantry forward. "Imperials, advance!"

Dawnborn infantry charged forth, a wall of shields and spears marching steadily towards the panicking enemy. Pol Qo’s forces attempted to regroup, but the continuous aerial attacks made coordination impossible.

Captain Leona, leading her Wyverns, spotted the enemy commander frantically waving orders. Without hesitation, she directed her mount in a swift descent, the beast unleashing a focused blast of flame directly onto the command unit. The enemy leader and his officers were instantly consumed by fire.

Seeing their commander fall, the enemy’s morale shattered completely. Soldiers threw down their weapons, some fleeing into the mountains, others kneeling in surrender.

Within an hour, Pol Qo’s advance force had been decisively crushed, and the border was secured.

Commander Marcus surveyed the battlefield grimly, turning to Captain Leona. "Report this victory immediately to Heaven’s Reach. Inform Emperor Maximus that Pol Qo has openly breached our borders."

Leona nodded, eyes narrowing as she considered the implications of this event. "This action will be met with a swift response. The Emperor will not tolerate such insolence."

Marcus looked across the smoldering battlefield. "Pol Qo has sealed his fate with this attack. Now, he will reap his reward; a quick death."

Back to present time

As the siege of Yin was progressing and the God-Emperor attempted to lead the defense of the city, things weren’t looking good. That was until the sky had darkened. Hundreds of thousands of warriors looked up and saw the descent of hundreds of airships from the sky, followed by hundreds of Wyverns and 5 Dragons, including Nyxara herself.

And if Nyxara was here, that meant Maximus was also here. It was time to put down this civil war and restore power back to the ruling family.

(A/N: Rewards for conquering the Seven Kingdoms and defeating the Night King will be revealed in the next Chapter)

Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at (f)re𝒆we(b)novel.com Only