Chapter 127: Gold Tooth City

"If I said I went to the wrong place, would you believe me?"

Under the blowing of the late autumn's cold wind, Arthur sobered up quite a bit.

The night was terrifyingly dark and quiet enough to make one feel uneasy.

The small flame in his heart also began to extinguish.

He had only mentioned it to Rosso in passing, never expecting this man to actually arrange it.

Roslin kept her head lowered, not saying a word.

The man and woman stood stiffly for a moment.

"I won't do anything to you, at least not now."

He added in a low voice.

If Edmure had passed away, he could have helped look after his wife, but that was impossible now.

Roslin still did not speak.

Arthur recalled her personality from the original work and knew she was a rare, good Frey.

Roslin's mother was Beishanni from the Rosby family of the Crownlands, who strictly adhered to all the principles of the nobility, which is why the several Freys she bore, such as Paiwen, William, Olyvar, and Roslin, had a high success rate in becoming upstanding individuals.

Old Walder's fifteenth son, Paiwen, was a knight of noble character; in the original work, because his attitude toward the Northerners was too kind, he was tied up by his family and unable to attend the Red Wedding.

Right now, he should be with Lady Stark in Renly's army.

Old Walder's seventeenth son, William, was a representative of the excellent Freys; he obtained his chain from the Citadel before the age of thirty and was currently serving at Longbow Hall for the Hunter family of the Vale.

A Maester who completes his training before the age of thirty is very rare in the entire history of Westeros.

Old Walder's eighteenth son, Olyvar, was even more of a die-hard loyalist to the Stark family; in the original plot, even after Robb broke his marriage vow, he still intended to continue serving the Young Wolf. It was just that one cannot fight against the inevitable, and Olyvar was later tied up by his family and kept bound until the Red Wedding ended.

As for Roslin, besides being gentle by nature and quite skilled in music, she also admired people of noble character.

Even though the overall moral standard of the Frey family was not high, the fact that the children Beishanni bore could remain untainted showed the character of her and her children.

After Arthur comforted Roslin a few more times in a low voice, he turned and left the grove.

Being slightly tipsy, it took him some time to find the way out, and then he saw Rosso the Lame guarding the exit of the Godswood.

After coldly glaring at the lame man, Arthur walked toward the tower nearby.

Rosso blinked his small eyes, wondering if it had been a bit too fast?

Then he remembered that Arthur was not yet married and had a decent reputation, so it was impossible for him to go to a brothel; perhaps he really was still a virgin.

Being fast was understandable then.

Of course, Rosso did not dare to run up to a member of "House Targaryen" to ask how the battle was going.

So he could only slander him a couple of times in his own belly.

Before long, Roslin, who was sobbing with her head lowered, also walked out.

She did not pay any attention to her brother and walked quickly toward the main keep.

Rosso had trouble walking and could not catch up at all, nor did he dare to call out to stop his sister.

Both of their behaviors were very strange, he thought to himself.

So, did they actually do it, or did they not?

After pondering for a moment, Rosso reached a final conclusion: they most likely had done the deed.

Only this could explain the abnormality of the two.

Who would talk about stealing a lover out loud?

With his mind settled, he limped toward his living quarters.

Arthur, who had slept until noon, was shaken awake by someone.

"My lord, wake up quickly, there is an urgent matter to discuss."

Arthur, who had been feeling miserable all night, sat up, and after hearing the Tully steward ask him to go to the hall for a meeting, he washed up briefly and followed the man.

Once he arrived, he realized that something truly major had happened.

After Theon Greyjoy took Torrhen's Square, he had also captured Winterfell.

"Lady Sansa, please, you must request that King Robb allow us to lead troops to recover our lost lands." Robett's voice was the loudest; he spoke on behalf of many Northern lords.

"Just losing Deepwood Motte and Torrhen's Square has made the soldiers homesick; if the news of Winterfell's fall spreads, I fear everyone will feel insecure and have no heart to fight in the South," said Herman Tallhart.

These two had previously thought about leading troops north to recover their own castles, but no one had been in charge to give that order.

Greatjon Umber shouted, "My lords, Moat Cailin has also been taken by the Ironborn; retaking these places would be a greater military achievement than taking Casterly Rock."

Roose Bolton echoed, "Lord Umber speaks the truth. If it weren't for the fact that His Grace gave me the task of campaigning in the Westerlands, I would have wanted to lead troops north to recover the lost lands. However, I can let my Bastard lead troops to recover Winterfell; he has a group of supporters under his command who are quite capable of fighting and are enough to deal with the Ironborn."

After the Leech Lord was removed from his position as Commander of the eastern front, the newly appointed Herman Tallhart and Robett had always wanted to surpass him in military merit, but until now, they had not had the opportunity to show it.

Recovering their castles was indeed not a very strong reason to go north, but recovering Winterfell was a different matter.

That was the palace of the King in the North; how could they let others lay a finger on it?

Therefore, the two requested again to Sansa to lead troops north.

Lady Stark, who knew nothing about military affairs, was at a loss because of the situation, and suddenly seeing her beloved arrive, she looked over with eager eyes.

Arthur's brain reacted quickly; Winterfell and Moat Cailin were among Robb's weak points, and if they could be taken back, the Young Wolf could still entangle with Tywin for a long time.

And not far to the northeast of Moat Cailin was the territory of the Manderly family. Their White Harbor Cavalry and the remaining infantry together numbered about two thousand five hundred men.

Most importantly, the three existing towers of Moat Cailin defended against the south, east, and west, but they did not defend against the north.

If one or two thousand men were sent north from Riverrun, coupled with the cooperation of the Manderly family, retaking Moat Cailin would not be a problem.

After continuing north, they could also gather some troops and plan to retake Winterfell.

Although the individual combat power of the Ironborn was off the charts, their numbers were too few after all, and it was impossible for them to contend with an army of thousands.

Moreover, this army going north could also guard against Ramsay Snow the Bastard causing trouble.

After Arthur nodded slightly, Sansa said, "The two lords can lead troops north to recover the lost lands of the North. If my brother asks later, just say it was my idea."

With the Stark word given, the matter was settled.

The group discussed and debated, eventually deciding on the composition of the northern troops: soldiers from over a dozen northern houses including Glover, Ryswell, Tallhart, and Flint, totaling over two thousand three hundred men.

However, this left only one or two hundred riverland infantry in Riverrun.

Consequently, Arthur had over seven hundred Stark soldiers remain to garrison Riverrun.

"My lords, there are still risks in marching north, and Riverrun is a city on the water; without tens of thousands of troops, it is basically impossible to capture, so I propose that Lady Sansa remain here where it is safer. Besides, after Lady Stark returns from the north, she will certainly come here first, and it will be easier for mother and daughter to meet."

Arthur said loudly to the northerners.

Lady Stark had taken over a dozen nobles and several times that number of Attendants south to negotiate with Renly, and had yet to return.

"I intend the same; it is more convenient for Lady Sansa to stay here," Robett said, holding his head high as he spoke for the northerners.

A high-ranking noble lady like Lady Stark required many men for protection, and staying in Riverrun was indeed more convenient.

After discussing for a long time, the noble Knights followed their respective assignments and left the city to prepare their armies for departure.

Of course, before leaving the city, Sansa pulled Arthur into her room, gave him earnest instructions to be careful and not to charge recklessly, and then hugged and nibbled on him for a long time before letting her beloved leave.

According to Robb's orders, Arthur had to lead troops from west of the Red Fork along the River Road toward Golden Tooth, then under the leadership of Great Jon, enter the Westerlands mountains via the path discovered by the Direwolf, and then pass through Sarsfield to strike directly at the southwest of the Westerlands.

The main Task of Arthur's route was to raid Lannisport, Cornfield, Oxcross, and other places, thereby drawing the forces of Tywin, Kevan, or the lion house's Heavy Cavalry legion south to alleviate the pressure on Robb's forces.

Meanwhile, Roose Bolton would advance from the east side of the Red Fork toward Hornvale, entering the southeast of the Westerlands via Deep Den.

This route was similar to the one the main Westerlands force took to enter the Riverlands at the beginning of the war, so there was no need for Pathfinding.

The mission of Bolton's forces was also to attract the Westerlands Army southward, but his route traveled mostly through mountains and riverbanks, so the marching speed would be much lower than Arthur's route, and the time of entry into the Westerlands would be much later.

Therefore, if Arthur lured a certain Westerlands force south of Casterly Rock, then Bolton's forces would not need to pillage Deep Den, Silverhill, and other places, but could strike directly along the Golden Road to Casterly Rock, where the two armies would surround and wipe out that Westerlands force.

Afterward, Robb would also lead troops south, while Bolton's forces and Arthur's forces would strike north, striving to trap all the Westerlands forces in the Westerlands mountains and annihilate them in one fell swoop.

Because the Stark infantry had been left in Riverrun, Arthur was left with only over three thousand four hundred men, including over two thousand two hundred from the Frey family and over one thousand two hundred from seven or eight northern houses such as Amber, Cerwyn, and Hornwood.

The New Army he had formed and the mercenaries he had hired were all left at Harrenhal; at the time, he thought he was only attending a wedding and had not expected Robb to have him lead troops to invade the Westerlands, so he had not brought many men.

While transporting the soldiers from the east bank of the Red Fork to the west bank, a captain of a hundred from the Frey family invited Arthur into an inconspicuous tent.

Lifting the tent flap to enter, Arthur caught a glimpse of only two people inside: Innes and Rosso.

One of these two was the infantry Commander of the Frey family, and the other was something of a strategist; he had no idea why they had invited him.

Rosso's small eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled, "My lord, how was last night?"

"Nothing happened last night, and I warn you not to talk nonsense," Arthur said in an extremely sharp tone, threatening the man viciously.

"I understand, I understand." Rosso put away his lecherous smile, his expression becoming formal.

Only, his words did not sound formal at all.

After pointing at Rosso again, Arthur asked, "Why did you ask for me?"

The bald man and the limping man looked at each other, and the latter leaned toward Arthur and whispered, "Shall we discuss your dragon?"

These two had already confirmed that there really was a black dragon in Harrenhal; although young, it was indeed a magic dragon capable of breathing fire.

"How has my dragon offended you?" Arthur asked in return.

He knew the Frey family would stop at nothing to rise in power, but he had not expected them to dare seek another path even while swearing allegiance to the Young Wolf.

"If you intend for House Targaryen to reclaim the Iron Throne, then our Frey family will be your solid backing," Rosso whispered.

"Stop with the empty talk, give me something substantial; what do you want?"

Arthur was actually quite curious to hear where the Frey family's bottom line lay.

"The title of Riverrun Protector and Riverrun itself, as well as more than ten Viscount fiefs on the south bank of the Red Fork; in return, we will guarantee that there are always four thousand soldiers fighting for you, and food will be supplied continuously," Rosso answered quickly.

Arthur flicked Rosso's forehead hard with his right hand, "You certainly have high hopes; Riverrun belongs to Duke Hoster now, and who it belongs to later must be calculated according to inheritance law; I won't let you mess around."

The Frey family had been wealthy for six hundred years and had suffered basically no losses during the Usurper's War and the War of the Five Kings, while the Tully, the two Vance, Piper, Lydden, and other riverland lords had all suffered great losses in both wars.

Not to mention the two Blackwoods, who were exhausting each other's strength even in peacetime, wishing they could kill the other.

The House Whent in the east had declined to the point of being shameful, while old-established counts in the Riverlands like Darry and Maidenpool had been demoted in rank or had their fiefs reduced by Robert for supporting House Targaryen during the Usurper's War, and their strength was now far inferior to before.

Only the Frey family had always pretended not to show their strength.

After the Red Wedding in the original story, the Frey family stopped pretending and showed their hand, mobilizing the strength of the entire clan, gathering routed soldiers and hiring stray soldiers, and actually raised an army of over eight thousand men.

Excluding the two thousand men sent to support the Bolton family, there were over six thousand men running rampant in the western Riverlands; Black Walder led troops to attack Seagard, and Stevron's eldest son Lyman led thousands to besiege Riverrun, acting as if the western Riverlands were their own property.

With an army of eight thousand, apart from the Lannisters and the three great powers of the Reach—Hightower, Redwyne, and Tyrell—there were no rivals on the entire continent.

From this, one can see how strong the true strength the Frey family had accumulated over six hundred years was.

"If Riverrun won't do, other count fiefs will also work, such as Darry and its complete territory; my family has two men who married women from the Darry family, and we have inheritance rights."

Rosso rubbed his forehead where he had been flicked and tentatively suggested again.

Darry was located on the south bank of the Trident, and the complete Darry territory could be considered a count fief with considerable strength.

It was only because they supported House Targaryen during the Usurper's War that they were played by Robert and reduced to something similar to a Viscount fief.

"You have even higher hopes. If you add the complete Darry territory, your Frey territory would stretch from The Twins to the south bank of the Trident; by then, whoever it is, they would have to pay you a crossing fee."

If the Frey family really obtained the complete Darry territory, it would truly be a geopolitical disaster.

Because from the east side of the Green Fork starting at The Twins to the Ruby Ford, and then to the ferry on the south bank, it would all be Frey territory.

Arthur looked at Rosso and suddenly thought of the Blackwood House, from which this man's biological mother came.

In any case, he and Raventree Hall already had a blood feud, so he might as well let the Freys set their sights on the Blackwoods.

"How about Raventree Hall?" Arthur said.

Rosso's eyes lit up, and he agreed repeatedly.

Innes said, "Then it is settled; when the lord's dragon grows up, we will send troops to conquer the world for you and reclaim the Iron Throne."

Arthur thought to himself that some members of the Frey family had moral bottom lines that were too low; he could not let Walder Frey and his eldest son's line hold power.

Walder Frey went without saying, and Lyman Frey of the eldest son's line was a wine-sack and rice-bag; Lyman's two sons, Edwyn, was cold and ruthless by nature, and Black Walder was cruel and lecherous, not even sparing his own great-grandfather's seventh wife.

The sons of Walder Frey whose positions in the line of succession were lower down did not have a very harmonious relationship with the line of the eldest son.

This is also the reason why, after the Frey family split their forces, the line of the eldest son was all on the Western Front, while Innes, Lothar, and others were all on the Dong Xian.

If this point could be utilized well, there might truly be an unexpected harvest.

"I also have conditions; you must ensure..."

Arthur whispered his conditions to Rosso and Innes.

The Frey family must guarantee that after Walder Frey, the line of the eldest son cannot inherit The Twins, and the inheritance of Raventree Hall must follow the common inheritance laws of Westeros.

The Viscountcy they requested could not be given directly either; it would depend on the magnitude of their contributions.

In a word, this territory is yours only if I, Arthur, bestow it upon you; if I do not give it, you cannot seize it.

The implied meaning of these two points was actually very obvious.

The line of the eldest son not being able to inherit The Twins meant the total annihilation of that line.

Inheriting Raventree Hall according to the rules meant that the Blackwood family would also have to be exterminated, and the Blackwood relatives who held inheritance rights before Walder Frey's fourth wife would also have to die off.

Innes and Rosso's eyes widened; they were also very clear about what these points meant.

Emmon Frey was in the Lannister camp, and under the current situation, he had already been excluded as an heir to The Twins.

Then the first heir to The Twins was Walder Frey's third son, Innes, who was currently in this tent.

And to inherit Raventree Hall according to the rules, that would mean the children born to Walder Frey's fourth wife, Alyssa Blackwood, would obtain the claim.

And Rosso was precisely Alyssa's first child.

In other words, under Arthur's conditions, these two were the ones who would benefit the most.

"My lord, I think we can swear to the gods now." Innes's usually steady voice began to tremble.

If this gamble went well, it would truly be a sudden ascent to the heavens.

And so, under their guidance, Arthur followed along and made several oaths.

The content of the oaths was roughly about the efforts and rewards of both sides.

To ensure validity, the two also had Arthur swear to the Valyria god Balerion and others.

He naturally complied.

Afterwards, he walked out of this small tent to coordinate and direct the soldiers to cross the river.

Inside the tent, Innes and Rosso looked at each other quietly, and then the two spoke the same name: "Aegon."

This Aegon was naturally not one of the Aegons of the Targaryen family, but Innes's eldest son, "Blood-born" Aegon.

He was bloodthirsty by nature, which naturally made him the best choice to eliminate Lyman, Black Walder, Edwyn, and the others.

Kinslayer is not a good reputation; they could not possibly take action themselves with their own men.

The two huddled together again, beginning to discuss how and when to act.

The evening of the next day.

Even when marching quickly, Arthur learned to have the soldiers set up a proper camp.

Watchtowers on the perimeter, Caltrops and wooden fences protecting the tent area, and passageways with sufficient space—everything that should be there was there.

The main command tent.

Soldiers were setting up camp, the army cooks were starting fires to prepare food, and the nobles were gathered together discussing how to deal with Golden Tooth.

According to intelligence, the one currently in charge there was Daven Lannister; the previous person in charge, Janos, had been taken away by Taiwen Laoye, and Ser Adam Marbrand had also been summoned by Taiwen to take command of the Heavy Cavalry legion, leaving behind dozens of captured nobles from the southern bank of the river.

Inside the entire Golden Tooth, there were just over four thousand soldiers, basically coming from various large and small families of the Westerlands; there were very few soldiers from the Lion family.

Great Jon waved his fist, "King Robb's order is for us to bypass that place, follow the River Road, and head straight for Lannisport."

"I will not delay matters." Arthur first had Lord Amber sit down, then said to everyone: "Use your intelligence and wisdom to think about how to quickly take Golden Tooth."

Qyburn was also allowed to attend this meeting, "If there could be ten days of time, I could concoct a type of corrosive liquid, then take advantage of the night to splash it on, corroding the gates of Golden Tooth, and the main army could attack inside."

"Ten days would be a bit of a delay." Arthur did not explicitly reject this method, "Does anyone else have ideas?"

Lothar Frey had recently reached some kind of agreement with Arthur and was currently in a period of actively showing his worth.

"My lord, I have a method that can make Golden Tooth fall without an attack."

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(End of this chapter)