Chapter 179: Little Rose, Red Viper, Tywin

"Your Grace, you should have Duke Eddard bring the dragon to King's Landing."

In the Small Council chamber of the Red Keep, Grand Maester Pycelle suggested to King Robert with a kindly air.

Eddard looked at Grand Maester Pycelle with disgust.

This old fossil was a lackey of the Lannisters, always coveting the dragon in Winterfell.

King Robert was smoking his briar pipe; he had recently grown fond of smoking, and he elegantly blew a smoke ring. "Eddard has already said it—the dragon is still very small and cannot withstand a long journey."

Jon Arryn sat at Robert's right hand, and the Wolf King Eddard sat at Robert's left; Eddard's current position on the Small Council was Master of Laws.

Grand Maester Pycelle said: "The rebirth of a magic dragon is a major event. Since the nobles from all over the Seven Kingdoms have gathered in King's Landing to celebrate the feat of bringing the Seven Kingdoms and the lands beyond the Wall together, there will also be many envoys from Braavos, Lys, Tyrosh, Pentos, and even Volantis attending. If the dragon is brought here, it will surely demonstrate the power of the royal family and the Seven Kingdoms."

Littlefinger joined in the persuasion: "Your Grace, with a dragon, the Wolf King Festival will be even more impressive. Just imagine, this is a great opportunity to awe neighboring countries."

Eddard gloomily realized that Littlefinger had hit the mark; Robert had always been a man who cared about appearances. It was only because he valued such pageantry that Robert had offered tens of thousands of gold dragons as prize money for the tourney.

Robert was indeed tempted. He nodded and said: "That's true. With a dragon, the commoners and nobles will be more submissive, and neighboring countries will fear us more. Eddard, you must bring the dragon to King's Landing!"

Eddard looked troubled. "Your Grace, the dragon only wishes to live in Winterfell; she does not want to go south."

Varys wore a fawning smile. "Lord Eddard, could it be that you can communicate with the dragon? How do you know the dragon's wishes?"

Eddard sighed and said with deep emotion: "Actually, the night before I found the dragon egg, I dreamed of my sister Lyanna. The next day, I found the dragon egg in the Crypts of Winterfell beside Lyanna's statue, and following the method Lyanna taught me in the dream, I hatched the dragon before the weirwood heart tree, under the watch of the Old Gods."

"Robert, this dragon soul is Lyanna!"

Robert's heart was nearly shattered. The weirwood pipe in his mouth fell to the ground, and the tobacco scattered everywhere. Robert muttered: "Lyanna... so this dragon is actually Lyanna reborn."

Grand Maester Pycelle said dryly: "Lord Eddard, your story is truly moving, but for a human soul to transform into a dragon soul—that is simply unheard of. That dragon cannot be Lady Lyanna. The Citadel possesses the most complete collection of books and data regarding dragons."

Eddard said: "As for researching dragons, magic, and mysticism, who is more authoritative than Archmaester Marwyn? Archmaester Marwyn is currently in Winterfell, and he told me personally that he believes the dragon's soul comes from Lyanna."

The position of Grand Maester was appointed by the Conclave of the Citadel; naturally, Pycelle could not easily refute the views of Marwyn, the most authoritative magic Archmaester in the Conclave, so he had to shut his mouth in frustration.

Littlefinger wore a mischievous smile. "Your Grace, you and Lady Lyanna were originally betrothed, but unfortunately, that shameless scoundrel Rhaegar Targaryen abducted Lyanna, and Lady Lyanna met a tragic end. The love between King Robert and Lady Lyanna is a favorite subject for commoners and singers."

"I know that Your Grace has always loved Lyanna. Since Duke Eddard has said that this dragon is Lyanna reborn, Your Grace should all the more bring the dragon to King's Landing. King Robert can raise her personally, and in the future, King Robert can ride Lady Lyanna the dragon to wage war and visit brothels."

The cunning Littlefinger was trying every possible way to steal the dragon from Eddard's hands, and every word he spoke seemed to strike a chord in Robert's heart.

Robert was tempted: "That's right. At night I can sleep with this female dragon named Lyanna, and when I go to war, I can ride her into battle. I, Robert, am no worse than Aegon the Conqueror."

Eddard said: "Robert, it is precisely because this dragon is Lyanna reborn that she cannot come to King's Landing. Your Grace, do not forget that back then, it was because Lyanna went to the south that she met her tragic end."

"Moreover, this dragon was born in the godswood of Winterfell, under the gaze of the weirwood heart tree. How many weirwood trees are there in the south? Without the watch of the Old Gods, the dragon is very likely to perish. Robert, you lost Lyanna once; do you really want to lose this female dragon who is Lyanna reborn again?"

Robert stroked his thick chin. "Eddard, you are the one who considers things thoroughly."

Afterward, Robert picked up the briar pipe that had fallen to the floor, tapped the table, and scolded Littlefinger and Pycelle: "You two idiots, you nearly killed my beloved little female dragon Lyanna!"

Littlefinger and Pycelle exchanged an awkward glance.

Renly Baratheon yawned. "Robert, let Eddard's dragon stay in Winterfell. Besides, Eddard gave you three dragon eggs; we can hatch them ourselves."

Jon Arryn said: "Eddard gave away three dragon eggs in one go; how generous."

Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his snow-white beard. "Speaking of those three dragon eggs, I observed them carefully, and I truly cannot see that these are dragon egg fossils; they look just like ordinary stones!"

In truth, these three "dragon eggs" were originally just ordinary stones; how could Eddard bear to give away real dragon eggs?

Eddard said: "Grand Maester Pycelle, my dragon was indeed hatched from this kind of dragon egg. Archmaester Marwyn can testify to it. Believe me, before a weirwood, praying to the weirwood heart tree and devoutly believing in the Old Gods—the Old Gods will surely guide you to hatch a dragon."

Grand Maester Pycelle blinked his eyes. "It is a pity that I am a follower of the Seven. Besides, south of the Neck, except for the Isle of Faces, where else are there weirwood heart trees?"

Eddard laughed: "That is why dragons can only be born in the North. The Old Gods are still powerful in the North, and one can encounter weirwood heart trees in the wild and in the forests."

If the southern nobles became obsessed with hatching magic dragons, then a significant portion of them might convert to the faith of the Old Gods. The Seven always used chivalry to develop followers in the North; even Eddard's youngest son, Bran, was obsessed with dreams of knighthood. The Old Gods could use dragons to develop followers of the Old Gods in the south, below the Neck.

On the Isle of Faces, Eddard had already witnessed the power of the Old Gods. If weirwood heart trees could be successfully planted in the godswoods of the major castles in the south, the power of the Old Gods would become increasingly strong. Green Seers could observe this world through the faces on the weirwood trees; one day in the future, Eddard might also possess such an ability. By then, the more weirwood heart trees in the south, the better.

Stannis Baratheon said: "My fief, Dragonstone, is filled with the shadows of magic dragons everywhere; the castle is built of black stone, and the towers and battlements are all fashioned into the shapes of dragons. A red woman from Asshai told me that as long as one's power is strong enough, one can summon magic dragons from stone."

Robert blew a puff of smoke. "I have heard enough on the topic of magic dragons. The number of nobles coming to King's Landing for the Wolf King Festival has been increasing these past few days; which of us shall go to welcome them?"

Jon Arryn looked around the circle. "We can have Lord Renly and Lord Eddard be responsible for the welcome."

Renly was the youngest of the three Baratheon brothers; he was handsome and looked exactly like Robert in his youth, and he was skilled in courtly social graces.

Varys extended his soft hands and took a letter from the sleeve of his robe.

"Your Grace, today the little bird from Dorne sent news: Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne will arrive in King's Landing to attend the tourney."

The Red Viper, Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne, was about to arrive in King's Landing; this could hardly be considered good news.

The smile on Robert's face vanished, Stannis tightened his jaw, Renly stroked his chin in thought, and Grand Maester Pycelle's eyes widened as large as eggs.

Prince Oberyn was the younger brother of the ruler of Dorne, Doran Martell, and was hailed as one of the deadliest knights; he liked to coat his weapons in poison and was ruthless.

Although King Robert had sent invitations to nobles throughout the Seven Kingdoms, neither he nor Eddard had expected Dorne to send representatives to attend the Wolf King Festival.

During the War of the Usurper, Dorne had fought for the Targaryen family until the very last moment. Prince Oberyn's sister, Princess Elia Martell, had been brutally raped and killed; Elia's daughter, Princess Rhaenys, had been stabbed dozens of times by Sir Amory Lorch, a subordinate of Duke Tywin; and Prince Aegon had his head grabbed by the Mountain and smashed against a wall.

It was said that the Mountain had raped Princess Elia with hands still covered in the infant's brains.

Although Jon Arryn had traveled far to Dorne back then to sign a peace treaty with Prince Doran Martell, and Dorne, like other regions, submitted to Robert Baratheon on the Iron Throne, Dorne had kept its distance from Robert's court because the Iron Throne had long failed to punish the murderers of Princess Elia and her children.

Prince Oberyn had always been close to his sister Elia, and he had always craved vengeance for her.

In the council chamber, Grand Maester Pycelle cleared his throat.

"Your Grace, Duke Tywin will bring the members of House Lannister to King's Landing to attend the tourney. For years, Prince Oberyn has been slandering Duke Tywin throughout the kingdom and even the Free Cities, claiming he was the mastermind behind the murder of Princess Elia. This is simply an absurd accusation; how can such a kind and benevolent man as Duke Tywin be burdened with such a foul reputation?"

Tywin kind and benevolent? Could it be that "The Rains of Castamere" was a lie? Eddard was truly fed up with Grand Maester Pycelle's posturing; he was indeed a lackey of the Lannisters.

Eddard suppressed his anger. "Grand Maester Pycelle, everyone knows that back then, Duke Tywin wrapped the corpses of Prince Rhaegar's and Princess Elia's children in blood-red cloaks, because only blood-red cloaks could hide the bloody corpses. Sir Gregor Clegane and Sir Amory Lorch, who killed Princess Elia and her children—were they not both subordinates of Tywin?"

Grand Maester Pycelle said: "At the time, the city of King's Landing had been breached by the Lannister army; in the chaos of war, rape and slaughter were unavoidable. As for the claim that Sir Amory Lorch and Sir Gregor Clegane murdered Prince Rhaegar's wife and children, such things are merely rumors; rumors are not necessarily credible."

"Do not forget, everyone, that Sir Gregor and Sir Amory, who swore fealty to Duke Tywin, were both knights who had been anointed with holy oil and taken sacred vows before the Seven!"

Eddard gave a light scoff. "If taking vows were useful, what need would there be for dungeons, gallows, and laws? There are plenty of people who wear the mantle of a knight while committing beastly acts."

Eddard turned to Robert. "Your Grace, since Oberyn Martell is coming to King's Landing and the murderers from back then are also here, if he wants justice, why not just give it to him?"

Stannis echoed: "I support Lord Eddard's view. The law must be executed like iron. Since the mad dogs of Duke Tywin committed such atrocities, they must be made to pay the price."

Robert looked troubled. "How many years have passed since then? I think we should just let it go. The money for this Wolf King Festival and the tourney was borrowed from the Lannisters; there is no need to embarrass the Lannisters at this juncture, is there?"

The Hand of the King Jon Arryn echoed, "I am very sorry about the matter of Princess Elia, but the internal unity of Westeros comes first. It is better not to uncover old scars."

Back then, the Lannisters killed Prince Rhaegar's wife and children, removing the obstacles for Robert Baratheon's ascension.

Today, House Lannister is not only Queen Cersei's maiden family but also the royal family's largest creditor; both Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn understand that the royal family cannot punish Duke Tywin's subordinates because of Princess Elia.

Varys smiled and said, "Then we can only pray that the Red Viper of Dorne and Duke Tywin can be safe and sound! I hope they coexist peacefully and join in the grand event."

Eddard hoped that the Dornish and the Lion of Lannister would fight. Eddard planned to build a good relationship with Prince Oberyn Martell; currently, Prince Oberyn's daughter Lareza is in Eddard's Winter Wolves army.

The Lannisters are ambitious, bordering the Riverlands and not far from the North, while Dorne is separated from the North by thousands of mountains and rivers. Befriending Dorne to deal with the Lannisters together fits Eddard's strategy of "allying with the distant while attacking the near."

In the Throne Room of Maegor's Holdfast, on a table in front of the Iron Throne, sat three exquisitely crafted boxes with dragon patterns, containing the three Dragon Eggs Eddard had gifted to Robert Baratheon.

The Iron Throne is a ferocious iron chair. Legend has it that when the Conqueror Aegon collected thousands of swords discarded by enemies upon surrender, he used his mount, the dragon Black Dread Balerion, to breathe dragonfire and melt the longswords, taking nearly sixty days to forge this ferocious iron chair.

The Iron Throne is covered in twisted, sharp spikes; one could easily be scratched by it, and it is said to have even killed kings. This chair is very uncomfortable to sit on, because the Conqueror Aegon once said that a king should not covet comfort while governing the country.

Cersei held a dragon egg in her hands, hunger flickering in her emerald eyes.

"Eddard Stark used these Dragon Egg Fossils to hatch dragons. I must urge Robert Baratheon to let Eddard help the royal family hatch dragons. Otherwise, if the Starks possess dragons alone, it would be strange if the descendants of the Starks didn't rebel in the future!"

Jaime looked at the dragon egg with disdain, "Eddard said he hatched the dragons by praying to the Heart Tree in Winterfell. That sounds unlikely! Does that strange tree carved with a human face, which the Northerners worship, really have such power?"

Tyrion said, "Hatching dragons is very difficult. Before Eddard, many Targaryen kings failed to hatch dragons. Back then, Baelor the Blessed praying before the Seven was of no use."

Cersei said, "There is a Godswood in the Red Keep. As long as Eddard can help the royal family hatch dragons, we don't mind praying with him."

Tyrion revealed his sweetest smile, "Sister, the Heart Tree in the Winterfell Godswood is a Weirwood; the Red Keep's Godswood does not have that kind of tree. Legend says that Green Seers can observe the world through Weirwoods, and Weirwoods have magic. There are not many Weirwoods left south of the Neck, and the Old Gods have no power here."

"If Eddard's claim is credible, hatching dragons requires praying before a Weirwood Heart Tree and devoutly believing in the Old Gods; it may not be possible to hatch dragons in King's Landing."

Cersei frowned: "You mean, Eddard might be lying about hatching dragons?"

Tyrion said, "Only he has hatched dragons; he says what he wants, who can expose him? However, if I were to hatch a dragon, I wouldn't share it with others. Having a dragon yourself while others don't is a lethal weapon. When dragons are as common as warhorses, what deterrent power do they have? Isn't that the logic?"

Cersei gave a light hum, "So you were just guessing. I don't care; anyway, now that the dragon eggs are in the hands of the royal family, I must try to hatch dragons. In the future, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen will all possess their own dragons and become Dragon Knights."

Tyrion smiled awkwardly, "Cersei, according to historical records, in the history of Westeros, only those with Targaryen blood can ride Magic Dragons; tracing back to the ancient Valyria period, one must have pure Valyrian blood to become a Dragon Knight."

"Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella are lovely children, but unfortunately, they do not have True Dragon blood, so even if the royal family has dragons, your children cannot ride Magic Dragons."

Cersei narrowed her eyes, "Who says they don't? Robert Baratheon's grandmother was the daughter of Aegon V, therefore, Robert Baratheon has True Dragon blood; although not much, it is genuine."

Tyrion suppressed his laughter. Even if Robert Baratheon had True Dragon blood, what did that have to do with Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen?

The brilliant Tyrion had long known that his nephew and niece had nothing to do with Robert Baratheon; the golden hair and green eyes of these three children all declared that they were of the Lannister family. Tyrion knew that Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen were all Jaime's seed.

Cersei knew very well that her three children had nothing to do with Robert Baratheon, yet she spoke such nonsense with a straight face, dragging in the Targaryen bloodline. Tyrion couldn't help but sigh that his sister really had a talent for acting; it was a pity she didn't become an actress in a theater troupe.

Tyrion said, "I heard that the young dragon in Winterfell is named Flying Wolf, and she has another name, Lyanna. It is said that the Dragon Soul of the dragon egg is Lyanna, which means that the young dragon is the reincarnation of Lady Lyanna. Robert Baratheon has always loved Lyanna deeply; when that mother dragon grows up, he might be impatient to go to bed with the mother dragon Lyanna!"

Jaime smirked, "It is said that a dragon's body is full of fire."

Cersei had always resented Lyanna. On her wedding night when she married Robert Baratheon, when Robert Baratheon was drunk and pressed against her, he murmured Lyanna's name in his mouth.

Cersei said angrily, "Only a fool would believe that a mortal can be reincarnated as a dragon. Father is almost at King's Landing; by then, Father might be interested in hatching young dragons."

To welcome the arrival of the Wolf King's celebration, more and more nobles from all over arrived in King's Landing.

This is a grand event to celebrate the incorporation of Beyond the Wall into the Seven Kingdoms. Knights and lords from all over, fearing they would miss the grand event, left their fiefs and castles one after another to attend this glorious and honorable event.

The streets of King's Landing, the inns, and the camps outside the city were filled with the banners of nobles.

Eddard and Renly Baratheon welcomed the nobles from The Reach at the gates of King's Landing.

The Warden of the South, Duke Mace Tyrell of Highgarden, arrived in King's Landing with a team of five hundred men. The soldiers of Highgarden were uniformly dressed in green-robed armor, with the rose emblem of House Tyrell engraved on their breastplates. The soldiers of Highgarden held high the rose banners of House Tyrell.

Duke Mace was not yet fifty; he was handsome when he was young, but unfortunately, after entering middle age, he aged prematurely. He was a bald fat man, wearing exquisite green silk.

Renly Baratheon and Eddard welcomed Duke Mace.

"Lord Eddard, your conquest of Beyond the Wall is truly a feat. Since Aegon the Conqueror, no one has conquered more territory than you. King Robert Baratheon wants to crown you the Wolf King? Excellent, what an honorable and noble title! Believe me, my son Loras will become the champion of the Wolf King's Tourney; he is the pride of Highgarden and even the entire Reach."

Renly Baratheon laughed, "I also believe Ser Loras will become the champion of the lance tourney; I practice swords with him every day."

In fact, Duke Renly Baratheon was almost inseparable from Ser Loras; the two practiced swords together, rode horses together, bathed together, and it was rumored that they even prayed in their room all night. However, Eddard was very curious about their way of praying.

His daughter, Margaery Tyrell, also came. Margaery Tyrell had doe-like eyes and lazy brown curly hair, wearing a brown low-cut silk dress adorned with freshwater pearls and sapphires. Lady Margaery was so bright and moving; she was riding a white horse.

Margaery dismounted, as elegant and noble as a princess walking out of a fairy tale, and she gave Eddard her sweetest smile.

"Lord Eddard, the singers of The Reach are all singing of the Wolf King's great conquest Beyond the Wall; your migration of more than one hundred thousand Wildlings to Winterfell is even more of a benevolent act."

Duke Mace's mother, nicknamed the "Queen of Thorns" Lady Olenna Tyrell, also came. She was a sixty-something, short, thin old woman with a head of silver hair, and her speech was sharp and mean.

Lady Olenna held Eddard's arm, "Lord Eddard, these old bones of mine have suffered on the bumpy ride in the carriage. Logically, at my age, I should stay in Highgarden, but I heard that Lord Eddard is a Warg who fights riding a Direwolf; this old woman has never seen a Direwolf!"

"In the South, some preachers are advocating that this is the age of the wolves. Fortunately, Direwolves eat meat and not flowers; otherwise, the roses of Highgarden would tremble!"

Eddard smiled, "Actually, there are also roses in the North, Winter Roses."

Lady Olenna smiled, "So the roses of Highgarden have relatives in Winterfell. Lord Eddard, I heard you have many children; my grandsons Willas and Loras are not yet married. If appropriate, we could actually arrange a marriage."

If he could marry into Highgarden and gain an ally, Eddard would certainly be willing. Eddard hoped that Robb could marry Margaery, but whether Margaery would be willing to marry far away to the cold North was a big problem.

In the eyes of the prosperous nobles of The Reach, the North is a place where poor bumpkins live. According to past examples, marriages of nobles from The Reach who married into the North often ended in tragedy.

The most typical example is Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island. After the Old Bear gave up his title and donned the black, Ser Jorah Mormont became the Lord of Bear Island, and he married Lady Lynesse of House Hightower of Oldtown.

Lady Lynesse was as beautiful as a flower, born of noble birth, and pampered since childhood. As soon as Lynesse arrived at Bear Island, she began to regret it; in her eyes, the castle of the Mormont Clan on Bear Island was not even as good as the castles of some knights in The Reach.

Subsequently, Ser Jorah hired cooks and singers for his wife and bought gold and silver jewelry, spending all the family's savings. In the end, he had to take risks, selling poachers to passing slave traders, ruining his reputation, and could only go into exile overseas with his wife.

Eventually, Lady Lynesse left Ser Jorah, and now she is the mistress of the Trade Prince of Lys.

It is estimated that House Tyrell is unlikely to be willing to marry the little rose Margaery to Robb. The heir to Highgarden, Willas, is not yet married; he is a cripple, but it is said that his character is gentle. Eddard could consider letting Sansa marry him, but Sansa might not be willing; Willas is much older than Sansa.

If Sansa were married to Ser Loras, Sansa would certainly be willing; Ser Loras could almost satisfy everything in Sansa's mind of a Prince Charming. However, Ser Loras is the youngest son in the family and has no right of inheritance; such a marriage is of little significance to Winterfell.

Moreover, Ser Loras seems to have no interest in any beauty; he loves Renly Baratheon more than he loves beauties. Ser Loras is clearly not a suitable candidate for marriage.

Olenna's maiden family is the Redwyne House of the Arbor; the current Lord of the Arbor, Paxter Redwyne, is her nephew. Olenna's daughter-in-law comes from House Hightower of Oldtown; clearly, the Queen of Thorns is well-versed in the benefits of political marriage.

Eddard said, "House Tyrell is ancient and noble; if appropriate, I would certainly be willing to marry into Highgarden."

Olenna revealed a withered smile, "Ancient and noble? Lord Eddard, you really know how to make this old woman happy. In fact, everyone knows it in their hearts; our House Tyrell does indeed have a shaky claim to the power of Highgarden. Before Aegon the Conqueror brought his dragons to Westeros, our family was nothing more than the stewards of the Gardener House, the Kings of the Reach."

"House Florent of Brightwater Keep, House Hightower of Oldtown, House Oakheart of Old Oak, which one is not older than House Tyrell? These families are now mere vassals of the stewards; no wonder they howl and complain behind our backs."

Lady Alerie Hightower, wife of Lord Mace, also arrived; she was a noble and elegant lady with a beautiful appearance, and her son, the Knight of Flowers Loras, and daughter Margaery were both as beautiful as flowers.

The Highgarden procession advanced toward the Red Keep, and along the way, the people of King's Landing sent waves of cheers and applause toward the people of House Tyrell.

Renly looked at Margaery and whispered to Eddard, "Lord Eddard, don't you think that this Lady Margaery looks very much like your sister, Lady Lyanna?"

Eddard shook his head, "No."

Renly was somewhat disappointed, "But I have heard others say that Lady Margaery bears a certain resemblance to Lady Lyanna."

Robert had always been unable to forget Lyanna; it was said that whenever he visited brothels, he always chose prostitutes who looked like Lyanna.

It seemed Renly intended to make Robert fall in love with Margaery, but due to Cersei's existence, even if Margaery won Robert's favor, she could only be the King's mistress; as the apple of Highgarden's eye, Margaery would certainly not be satisfied with only being the King's mistress.

Could it be that Renly had already discovered the secret that Cersei and Jaime were having an affair and that Robert's children were Jaime's bastards? And thus arranged for Margaery to enter the palace in advance? Eddard could not fathom Renly's intentions; this young Baratheon was always smiling, had good social skills at court, and was well-loved by the people of King's Landing, though his personal ability was far inferior to Stannis.

The only thing Eddard could be certain of was that Renly was Highgarden's ally on the Small Council, and he had always been very close to the Rose of Highgarden.

Sir Edmure Tully of Riverrun in the Riverlands arrived in King's Landing; among his party were some of Edmure's close friends, including Sir Petyr Frey, Marq Piper, Karyl Vance, and others.

Edmure's red beard seemed even thicker, and Eddard said, "Has Lord Hoster's condition improved?"

Edmure said, "Ever since taking the pills from Maester Norman, Father's condition has gradually improved. Eddard, I heard that King Robert has offered a prize of a full forty thousand Gold Dragons; I hope I am watched over by the gods and can take the championship."

Nearby, Marq Piper, Karyl Vance, and others were all clamoring to be the champion.

Edmure Tully's horsemanship and lance skills were quite average; even in some small tourneys in the Riverlands, he had never won a tourney championship. Eddard very much doubted whether Edmure could defeat some of the Hired Knights, but saying that to his brother-in-law would be too hurtful.

So Eddard only said, "I hope you can succeed."

Lord Walder of the Crossing, due to health reasons, failed to arrive in King's Landing, but he sent more than a dozen descendants and bastards to participate in the King's Landing tourney, including Martyn Rivers, Aenys Frey, Walder Rivers, Black Walder, and others.

Eddard noticed that some of these Freys were clearly at odds. It seemed that House Frey was not of one mind internally.

In the time that followed, Eddard and Renly received Lord Tytos Blackwood of Raventree Hall in the Riverlands; he was a fierce warrior of the Riverlands. In ancient times, House Blackwood originated in the North; according to their family lore, they once ruled a large area of the Wolfswood, and only migrated south to the Riverlands after being defeated by the King of Winter Stark.

House Blackwood was also one of the few noble families south of the Neck that worshipped the Old Gods.

Subsequently, Eddard met Randyll Tarly of the Tarly House of Horn Hill.

The bald Randyll Tarly wore a short beard and had a cold, hard gaze; on his back, he carried the Tarly family's famous Valyrian Steel sword, "Heartsbane."

Randyll Tarly was one of the most excellent military commanders in the Seven Kingdoms; he was also the only person who had ever defeated Robert head-on during the War of the Usurper. Back then, Randyll led the vanguard of the Reach and defeated Robert at the Battle of Cider Hall.

Eddard said, "Lord Randyll, will you be participating in the tourney?"

Randyll said, "I will only be a spectator in the stands; tourneys are children's games. I heard that His Majesty Robert is offering tens of thousands of Gold Dragons in prize money for this foolish tourney; it is simply a waste!"

"Conquering Beyond the Wall is gratifying, but there is nothing to boast about; after all, defeating over a hundred thousand Wildlings who cannot even scrape together armor is not difficult at all; if it were me, I could do the same."

Renly smiled obsequiously, "Lord Randyll, you are too blunt. But then again, conquering Beyond the Wall is something even Aegon the Conqueror did not do back then."

Randyll said, "That is because Aegon the Conqueror did not deign to conquer it; besides, back then, Aegon never succeeded in conquering Dorne, so how could he have the mood to pay attention to the barren lands Beyond the Wall?"

Randyll turned to Eddard, "I am actually quite curious; I heard that Wights and White Walkers have appeared Beyond the Wall, and that Lord Eddard is still stationing troops at The Wall; is this true?"

Eddard began to feel nervous; could it be that Randyll knew Sam was in Winterfell?

Eddard said, "Wights have appeared, but White Walkers have not yet appeared."

Randyll shrugged, "It seems there are more and more strange things; fortunately, there is still The Wall and the Night's Watch."

Subsequently, Randyll, along with his youngest son Dickon and dozens of attendants from Horn Hill, set off toward the Red Keep.

Even when talking about The Wall and the Night's Watch, Randyll did not mention Sam a single time; it seemed that in Randyll's eyes, Sam was not worth mentioning at all, and he did not care about Sam's life or death.

Duke Tywin arrived in King's Landing with six hundred Lannister personal guards; his standard-bearer was Sir Addam Marbrand. Duke Tywin wore a dark black silk robe, with the Lannister family sigil, the Roaring Lion, outlined in gold thread on his chest; his saddle and spurs were made of pure gold.

Duke Tywin had broad shoulders, was tall and slender, and had a golden beard from his temples to his chin; his pale green eyes were also dotted with a hint of gold.

Duke Tywin was undoubtedly the wealthiest person in Westeros because Casterly Rock possessed gold mines; the gold wealth of House Lannister was not only second to none in Westeros, but even as far as Slaver's Bay, Qarth, and even Yi Ti, legends of House Lannister's gold were spread.

Renly warmly welcomed Duke Tywin, while Eddard greeted Tywin with cold courtesy.

Duke Tywin said, "Lord Eddard, after conquering Beyond the Wall, you are now the Wolf King who shakes Westeros; Robert had a pure gold Direwolf crafted for you; do not doubt it, those were all Lannister gold. I just don't understand, why exactly should the Wolf King's celebration spend Lannister gold?"

Eddard said, "You have to ask Robert about that; it is the royal family that borrowed money from the Lannisters, not me."

Subsequently, Duke Tywin led his party through the streets of King's Landing.

However, compared to the cheers won by other nobles, Duke Tywin's party only won sparse and scattered applause. The people did not love Duke Tywin, even though he had served as Hand of the King in King's Landing for over twenty years.

The people of King's Landing would not forget that more than a decade ago, Duke Tywin colluded with Grand Maester Pycelle to trick the Mad King Aerys into opening the gates of King's Landing, after which the Lannisters let their soldiers burn, kill, and loot; countless women were raped, and many civilians were killed.

The people of King's Landing would also not forget the brutal crimes committed by Duke Tywin's mad dog, the Mountain, Sir Amory Lorch, and others against Prince Rhaegar's widow, Princess Elia Martell of Dorne, and Rhaegar's children.

At sunset, the "Red Viper" Oberyn Martell of Dorne finally arrived.

Prince Oberyn rode on a bay horse; he had a sharp nose and a sharp forehead, a pair of black eyes like a black mamba, and a thick head of black hair.

When Prince Oberyn was young, he once studied at the Citadel; after forging a few links of a chain, he felt the Citadel was too rigid and left.

He spent several years as a mercenary in the Disputed Lands across the Narrow Sea and even founded his own mercenary company; in the Disputed Lands, the Stepstones, and the Dornish Marches, Prince Oberyn was one of the deadliest killers, making people tremble with fear.

Prince Oberyn was accompanied by his mistress Ellaria Sand; Ellaria could not be called a great beauty, but she was full of exotic charm. Prince Oberyn's four youngest daughters were all born to Ellaria Sand.

The Dornish have Rhoynar blood, so their social customs are open; Prince Oberyn never married and fathered a bunch of bastards with multiple mistresses; in Dorne, the Red Viper's bastard daughters were called "Sand Snakes." Prince Oberyn taught his daughters from a young age to be independent and to have the ability to protect themselves, so his daughters all became female warriors.

One of the Sand Snakes went to Winterfell; she was Lareza, who was now in Eddard's Winter Wolves. However, Eddard very much doubted whether Prince Oberyn even knew his bastard daughter had gone to Winterfell.

Eddard said, "Prince Oberyn, welcome to King's Landing."

Prince Oberyn said, "Lord Eddard, I heard that King Robert appointed you as the Wolf King and named you Minister of Internal Affairs; he wants to build a wealthy and powerful Westeros; does this mean that the Iron Throne will give Dorne the justice that is long overdue? Those true culprits who killed my sister must pay the price!"

What was bound to come had come. Eddard said, "I absolutely support punishing the culprits of that year, but, unfortunately, I am new here; regarding the matter of Princess Elia and her children being brutally murdered, I need time to investigate."

Prince Oberyn said with disdain, "Starting to prevaricate and stall again? Eddard, although you just arrived in King's Landing, you have already learned how to lie and quibble. I never liked you; back then, wasn't it your little sister Lyanna who seduced Prince Rhaegar away? Causing Prince Rhaegar to be distracted and die at the Battle of the Trident."

"Don't be in a hurry to deny it; in Dorne, many people know that back then, you and your older brother Bran defiled Lady Ashara of Starfall, and didn't she give birth to a bastard for you? That is that Jon Snow."

"Lady Ashara was pregnant with your child, yet you slaughtered her older brother at the Tower of Joy, the 'Sword of the Morning' Arthur Dayne; after Lady Ashara gave birth to the bastard, you shamelessly took the child away, and she jumped into the sea in despair. Is that how it happened?"

Renly laughed, "Prince Oberyn, you are being too sharp, aren't you? Asking about Lord Eddard's bastard is impolite."

Prince Oberyn said, "That is why you are all hypocritical. In Dorne, bastards are equally respected; we value family affection, just as I value my sister Princess Elia."

"My older brother Prince Doran has always urged me to wait patiently, but we have waited for more than a decade and still have no results. If the Iron Throne cannot give me justice, I will use the blood of the Lannisters and their mad dogs to end all of this."

Prince Oberyn led five hundred Dornish warriors into King's Landing in a grand procession.

Renly Baratheon worriedly said: "Lord Eddard, won't the people of Lannister clash with the Dornish? The Dornish also have a grudge against the people of Highgarden; the leg of the Highgarden Heir, Willas Tyrell, was broken by the Red Viper at a Tourney. I hope no one dies in these few days."

In the parlor of Maegor's Holdfast, Aromatic Candles flickered, and Duke Tywin sat together with Cersei, Tyrion, and Jaime.

Cersei excitedly said: "Father, Eddard is simply ambitious; Robert Baratheon enfeoffed him as Wolf King and also appointed him as Minister of Internal Affairs."

Duke Tywin interlaced his fingers and placed them on his chest: "I have heard of all this. No matter how high the position he holds in King's Landing, I am not worried. What I am truly worried about is the North."

Tyrion said: "Winterfell has gained a Dragon."

Duke Tywin said: "Besides the Dragon, Eddard has also strictly banned private salt in the North. People can go without meat, but they cannot go without salt. I must say, Eddard's Salt Ban is a brilliant move; both nobles and commoners must obey the Stark."

"Eddard is also building Wolf Castles and constructing a fleet throughout the North. The fleet on the East Coast is fine, but for the Westerlands, the truly dangerous one is the North Coast Fleet."

Jaime said disdainfully: "Father, how many ships can that poor place, the North, build? The Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands is right at the doorstep of the Westerlands, and we, the Lion of Lannister, have never been afraid."

Duke Tywin said: "The North being poor is a thing of the past. Nowadays, one can buy Blue Noble, Perfume, and Aromatic Candles produced in Winterfell even in Lannisport. The Maester of every noble house in the Westerlands uses cinnabar ink produced in Winterfell. Not to mention luxury goods like Black Truffle, Caviar, and Maple Syrup—Eddard is feigning poverty."

"If the situation within the Seven Kingdoms changes in the future and we come into conflict with the Stark, the Tully family of the Riverlands are allies of the Direwolf. The armies of the North and the Riverlands will strike from the direction of Golden Tooth. We can rely on the mountain fortresses of the Westerlands to block the enemy's advance; we could even sweep through the defenseless Riverlands."

"However, if our army sorties and the Longships of the North Coast Fleet sail south to attack Lannisport, Hollow Hill, and Fair Isle, it will shake the morale of the coastal Vassals of the Westerlands. This is a huge threat. I heard that Eddard built a castle called Blacksmith City at Sea Dragon Point, and he appointed a female Ironborn pirate as Acting Castellan to train the navy there."

Tyrion sensed the danger: "Sea Dragon Point is even closer to the Westerlands."

In Cersei's emerald eyes, anger flickered: "Everyone knows that the Smith is one of the Seven. The Old Gods that these Northerners worship are trees carved with human faces; they don't worship the Seven at all. Now, Eddard building Blacksmith City clearly exposes his ambition to expand southward."

Tyrion said: "What I worry about is that Eddard has established a standing army in the North, combined with military agricultural colonies, and it is developing very well. Eddard also announced that the North does not allow grain exports, and he is constantly buying grain from The Vale, the Riverlands, King's Landing, Pentos, and The Reach. Eddard is building glass farms in Winterfell and using the ice cellars of the Night's Watch at The Wall to store large quantities of seafood."

"He says it is to prepare food for winter, but is it really necessary to be this exaggerated to survive the winter?"

Jaime smiled lightly: "Didn't Eddard relocate over a hundred thousand Wildlings to the North? People have to eat, after all."

Tywin said: "This is where Eddard is truly terrifying. Capturing Wildling slaves might not be difficult, but being able to make the Wildlings follow the banner of the Direwolf all the way to Winterfell without shackles, and with over a hundred thousand people not scattering, proves that Eddard has already won the hearts of the Wildlings Beyond the Wall."

Cersei said gloomily: "There are Wargs and skinchangers among the Wildlings. They ride Bears, Direwolves, and giant eagles, wandering back and forth in the castle, and Robert Baratheon actually lets them be."

Tywin said: "And I heard that the skinchangers Eddard brought to King's Landing are only a tiny fraction of the skinchanger army he has in his hands; there are even more skinchangers left in Winterfell. On the battlefield, how can Knights deal with these monsters riding beasts? The fierce beasts spread fear, which will affect morale. Once soldiers show signs of collapse in front of the fierce beasts, the battle is over."

Tyrion said: "Don't forget, Eddard also has several hundred Giants under his command; Giants are too terrifying on the battlefield."

Tywin said: "And Dragons. Since the Stark have hatched Dragons, the Lannister cannot fall behind. The Lannister must think of every possible way to get their own Dragons."

Cersei revealed a sweet smile: "Father, Eddard foolishly offered the three Dragon Eggs to Robert Baratheon, and now those Dragon Eggs belong to the royal family. Anyway, the royal family owes the Lannister millions of Gold Dragons, and Robert Baratheon won't be able to pay it back even if he dies. Why don't I persuade him to take the Dragon Eggs and send them to Casterly Rock as collateral?"

Tywin nodded: "I hope Robert Baratheon agrees. Even if we have the Dragon Eggs, how should we hatch them?"

Tyrion said: "According to Eddard's claims, the conditions for hatching Dragons are very harsh. First, one must have a Weirwood Heart Tree, and then piously convert to the Old Gods faith and pray for the Dragon Eggs to hatch."

Tywin gave a cold hum: "If that is truly the case, wouldn't it be very difficult to hatch Dragons south of the Neck?"

Jaime said: "Father, Magic Dragons have been gone for hundreds of years, after all. Nowadays, Eddard is probably the only one in the world who has hatched Dragons. What if we cannot hatch Dragons?"

Tywin said: "Then the Stark's Dragons must die. Human armies find it very difficult to contend with Magic Dragons on the battlefield. Back then, the Dragonlords of Valyria relied on Dragons to defeat the Old Ghis Empire, forcing the Ghiscari of Slaver's Bay to kneel and submit; subsequently, the Magic Dragons attacked the Rhoynar city-states, and the hundreds of thousands of troops gathered by the Rhoynar city-states were likewise wiped out in front of the Magic Dragons. Nymeria was forced to cross with ten thousand ships, wandering through most of the world, and only then chose the lands of Dorne as a place to settle."

"When the Magic Dragons approached the territory of the Andals, Andalos, the Andals could only migrate to Westeros in the west. Aegon and his sisters relied on three Dragons to destroy six of the Seven Kingdoms. The mighty fortress Harren the Black built north of the Gods Eye was useless, the steep mountains of the Vale of Arryn were useless, and the rainforest terrain of the Stormlands and Storm's End could not stop the Dragons either. The tens of thousands of cavalry of the combined forces of the Westerlands and The Reach were all buried under Dragonfire. Is the lesson not painful enough?"

"Therefore, the Lannister must either hatch Magic Dragons, or they must slay the Dragons!"

Thanks to Dote MR Little Rocket Forever Happy and Agenor for the monthly tickets, thank you for the support!

(End of this chapter)