Chapter 180: Wolf King Festival, Tourney, and Assassination Plot

To celebrate the Wolf King Festival, which Eddard held to mark his conquest of the lands beyond the Wall, a series of events including a tourney, court banquets, and theatrical performances were organized, attracting knights, free riders, hired knights, wandering warriors, prostitutes, and businessmen from all over the Seven Kingdoms to King's Landing.

Public order in King's Landing deteriorated rapidly, putting immense pressure on the City Watch, commonly known as the "Gold Cloaks," who were responsible for maintaining peace in the city.

In the council chamber, Janos Slynt, Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing, stood before the conference table.

"My lords, I need more men. The day before yesterday, men under Prince Oberyn of Dorne stabbed a soldier from the Westerlands to death in a brothel; the soldier was one of Ser Amory Lorch's men. In a gambling den in Flea Bottom, men from House Blackwood and House Bracken brawled, leaving one dead and one wounded. In a low-class brothel on Silk Street, two headless female corpses appeared overnight."

Janos Slynt had a double chin, was balding, and possessed a stout build; when he spoke, he puffed up like a frog.

The galleon *North Star*, having departed from White Harbor, arrived in King's Landing, bringing with it northern spirits, vodka, Blue Noble, maple syrup, caviar, canned foie gras, black truffles, and tobacco. The Trade Prince of Lys sent a group of famous courtesans, and Robert Baratheon, busy with feasting and merrymaking, missed the Small Council meeting again; therefore, the meeting was presided over by the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Eddard.

Janos Slynt said gloomily, "All the lords have arrived in King's Landing with their retinues and soldiers. I originally thought the City Watch would have no trouble maintaining order, but I never expected that the soldiers of some nobles would become the source of the trouble. Order in King's Landing is getting worse, and I need more money to expand the City Watch."

Eddard said coldly, "Janos, the City Watch has over two thousand men. With over two thousand well-trained Gold Cloaks, managing this city should be easy. If you cannot handle it, we will have to replace you."

The Red Keep is protected by the Royal Fleet and the Gold Cloaks. Since the Royal Fleet is responsible for patrolling Blackwater Bay and some of the fleet is stationed at Stannis's seat, Dragonstone, the Gold Cloaks are the largest military force in the city of King's Landing.

The Gold Cloaks are responsible for the security of the Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast, the major gates of King's Landing, and all the city districts; yet such an important position was handed to Janos Slynt, a man of base character and low birth.

In truth, it is quite logical: Janos Slynt comes from humble origins, has no family backing, is greedy and corrupt, and possesses mediocre ability; he is not beloved by the soldiers in the Gold Cloaks. A man like this in charge of the Gold Cloaks in King's Landing poses no threat to the major nobles or the royal family.

Janos Slynt puffed up and said, "Lord Eddard, because of the Wolf King Festival, the population of King's Landing has risen by one hundred thousand in just a few days. Now, I estimate the total population of the city districts of King's Landing exceeds five hundred thousand. Expecting two thousand Gold Cloaks to manage a city of five hundred thousand—no matter who it was, they could not do it."

"As long as the Small Council allocates a sum of money to me, I can recruit more men and solve the problem. Otherwise, even if you were Prince Daemon reborn, you could not maintain order with a mere two thousand Gold Cloaks."

Stannis said indignantly, "Allocate funds to you, so you can embezzle them? Both Prime Minister Jon Arryn and I know that you sell offices within the Gold Cloaks, put a price tag on every captain of the city gates, and withhold the soldiers' pay."

Janos Slynt's face flushed red, "Lord Stannis, this is slander! King Robert has already investigated me and proven my innocence."

Littlefinger toyed with a quill, "My lords, we may not trust Lord Janos, but please, you must trust King Robert!" Eddard grew increasingly suspicious that this Janos Slynt was clearly a lackey of Littlefinger; like Littlefinger, Janos Slynt rose from the common folk and climbed to a high position in King's Landing by any means necessary.

Varys placed his soft hands inside the sleeves of his silk coat.

"My lords, the Wolf King Festival is about to begin. With the tourney, court banquets, and theatrical performances, how could we do without our brave brothers of the Gold Cloaks? If we replace the commander now, where would we find a replacement for Lord Janos?"

Grand Maester Pycelle shook his snow-white beard, "The problem now is how we solve the manpower issue of the Gold Cloaks. Since His Majesty is holding the Wolf King Festival for Lord Eddard, which has triggered these public order problems in the city, I suggest we draw men from Lord Eddard's Winter Wolves guard to assist the Gold Cloaks."

This old fool was trying every possible way to weaken Eddard's strength; he was a friend of Tywin and a lackey of the Lannisters. Perhaps Eddard should find a way to get rid of Grand Maester Pycelle.

Janos Slynt immediately followed up, "If Lord Eddard is willing to send me men, I will certainly make these Winter Wolves useful."

Eddard shrugged, "My men need to protect me and my family. Lord Janos, you will get your men; Lord Littlefinger will provide the money to help you hire men on the streets."

Littlefinger smiled bitterly, "Lord Eddard, the royal family is riddled with debt, owing over six million Gold Dragons. Do you still have the heart to ask me to spend money?"

Prime Minister Jon Arryn said, "Since the debt is already so high, a little more won't make a difference. There are plenty of people on the streets looking for work; pay them a few copper coins a day to maintain order, and there will be plenty of people fighting for the job."

Janos Slynt left. Jon Arryn said, "Nobles from all over the Seven Kingdoms have sent representatives to attend the Wolf King Festival, yet only the Iron Islands are absent. Not a single Ironborn noble has come to King's Landing to attend the Wolf King Festival."

Grand Maester Pycelle opened his weary eyes, "I sent ravens to all the major nobles of the Iron Islands early on, but not one has come to attend the Wolf King's grand event; it is truly quite unexpected. King Balon did reply, saying he was unwell, but surely he could have sent a son to attend the event?"

Eddard said, "Except for Theon, King Balon has no other sons. Theon is currently staying in Winterfell."

Stannis's jaw tightened, and he said angrily, "King Balon is unwell, but are those Ironborn lords of Great Wyk, Old Wyk, and Harlaw also unwell? The Ironborn ignoring the invitation of the Iron Throne is clearly arrogance."

Renly Baratheon laughed, "Brother, you are the Master of Ships and always threaten to hang all the Ironborn pirates. How many of the people of the Iron Islands haven't been pirates? I think they are afraid you will hang them, which is why they dare not come."

Grand Maester Pycelle said, "The Ironborn serve a cruel god like the Drowned God, which destines them to be incompatible with the nobles of the continent of Westeros who believe in the New and Old Gods. When you look into the eyes of an Ironborn, all you see is the cold, cruel, and dark sea. My only worry is, are the Ironborn plotting rebellion again?"

Everyone looked at Varys; the Spider's informants were spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and the Iron Islands were no exception.

Varys revealed a fawning smile, "The Iron Islands are building ships, forging armor, mining, farming, and fishing every day; there is nothing unusual."

Black seawater surged onto the shore, submerging the smith's hearth, the rocks by the sea, and the stables. Eddard recalled the terrifying visions he saw on the Isle of Faces, in the cave of the Wood Dancer.

Could the absence of the Ironborn nobles be a sign they are brewing an attack on the North? But doing so would be equivalent to declaring war on the Iron Throne. Why wouldn't the Iron Islands attack the wealthy and warm Reach or the rich and powerful Westerlands?

Regardless, the Iron Islands remain a threat.

Eddard spoke, "King Balon has been unable to restrain the Ironborn pirates for years. Some intelligence also shows that King Balon shares the wealth with the Ironborn pirates who return from raiding. We must severely punish the Ironborn pirates and restore the shipping lanes of the Sunset Sea."

Stannis said, "It should have been done long ago. The Ironborn pirates have single-handedly blocked the western shipping lanes between the North and the South."

Even Grand Maester Pycelle expressed agreement, "After King Balon's rebellion was suppressed, the Ironborn have held a grudge. King Balon drove away the septons and septas of the Iron Islands, burned the septs, and some septas were stripped naked and raped on the beach by Drowned God priests. The High Septon has been protesting to the Small Council, saying the Iron Islands are persecuting followers of the Seven, and the Seven have almost vanished among the islands."

Jon Arryn pondered for a long time, "This matter must be decided by King Robert. Let's wait until the Wolf King Festival is over!"

Jon Arryn waved his hand wearily, and the high officials of the Small Council left the chamber one after another. At the conference table, only Jon Arryn and Eddard remained.

Eddard said, "I have heard many court figures mention that this Janos Slynt is corrupt and has a very poor reputation among the common folk and the rank-and-file soldiers of King's Landing. Why not remove him? There are plenty of knights in King's Landing now who are more noble in character and more skilled in martial arts than Janos."

Jon Arryn said, "Eddard, you must believe me, no one wants to replace Lord Janos more than I do. In fact, just last year, Stannis and I began investigating Janos's corruption, and two captains of the city gates were willing to come forward and report Janos."

"But these two captains soon disappeared in King's Landing. Janos told me that these two men had deserted. I would rather believe that these two captains were killed by Janos and turned into the brown soup in the Flea Bottom canteen."

"King Robert seems intent on shielding Janos. Why wouldn't he? Littlefinger told me that for every bit of money Janos embezzles, the royal family gets a kickback. Let Janos take the infamy while the royal family gets the money; why wouldn't they?"

Eddard said, "If Robert were a little more frugal, he wouldn't have to tolerate Janos for this bit of money."

Jon Arryn laughed, "If he could be frugal, he wouldn't be Robert. Lord Janos staying in the position of Commander of the City Watch has one other benefit for Robert: it prevents the Lannisters from occupying this position."

"The royal family currently owes the Lannisters over three million Gold Dragons. Some say Robert has sold the Iron Throne and the entire country to the Lannisters. This is of course an exaggeration, but it is not without reason. Cersei has proposed many times that her cousin Daven or her uncle Stafford should take over the Gold Cloaks."

In the past few days, Eddard noticed that the squires around Robert were Lancel Lannister and Tyrek Lannister, both children of Cersei's uncle. The King is surrounded by Lannisters, and even Joffrey Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon, whom Robert believes to be his own, are all Lannisters through and through.

If the Lannisters were allowed to control the Gold Cloaks, King's Landing would truly become the world of the Lannisters. Suddenly, Eddard understood Robert's predicament a little; once you become King and sit on that hideous Iron Throne, there is no way to do as you please.

Eddard returned to the study in the Wolf King courtyard, where Maester Norman delivered a letter.

"A raven flew in from King's Landing today; this is a letter from the young heir Robb in Winterfell."

The letter was written in Robb's elegant handwriting in cinnabar ink. In the letter, Robb mentioned that the household registration policy in the North was unfolding in an orderly manner; whether they were nobles, commoners, wildlings, Rockborn, or Northern Mountain Clans, all had to be registered.

Information such as the gender, wealth, occupation, and appearance of the northern residents would be recorded in the household registration. The population under the rule of the vassals in all parts of the North had been clearly recorded, and as a result, more hidden populations were discovered, making it more convenient for House Stark to conscript soldiers and collect taxes from vassals in the future. With household registration, the lives of bandits, robbers, and marauders would become even more difficult, and the North could effectively combat crime.

Robb mentioned in the letter that the vassals in various places were generally cooperating with the household registration policy of Winterfell. Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort was initially unwilling to execute it; he tried to win over Lady Barbrey of Barrowton and Lord Roderick Ryswell of the Rills to protest to Winterfell together.

However, the ravens flew back and forth, and no one supported Lord Bolton, so Roose Bolton had to start counting the identity information of the residents, promising to send the household registration information of the Dreadfort territory to Winterfell in the coming months.

Eddard took the heir of the Dreadfort, Domeric, as his foster son and had Fellan marry Barbrey, which ultimately disintegrated the alliance of the Barrowlands, Dreadfort, and the Rills centered on the Dreadfort. Now, even if Roose Bolton wanted to protest Winterfell's policy, it would be difficult for it to be effective.

However, Eddard would not forget the wolf skin tent that appeared in the vision on the Isle of Faces; Eddard suspected this was a premonition of Roose Bolton backstabbing the Starks. Historically, when the Bolton House of the Dreadfort was the Red King, they had flayed many Stark clansmen and made them into cloaks to wear, in addition to the hair-raising Flayed Man tents.

Today, the Wolf Castle, Red Wolf City, being built at the mouth of the Last River in the North, is under construction. Hundreds of giants and thousands of wildlings are busy at the construction site under the command of the architect Donnel and the craftsmen.

Once Red Wolf City is completed, it will strengthen the maritime defense of the North's east coast and simultaneously deter the Dreadfort, because Red Wolf City is only a two-day ride from the Dreadfort. If Roose Bolton dares to act rashly, he will have to pay the price of having his lair ridden over by the Winter Wolves.

The household registration policy was ordered by Eddard to be promoted in the North when he left Winterfell to head south. Today, almost all the residents within Winterfell have joined the Stark Estate and become tenant farmers of the Starks. Eddard manages them in groups of five households, and the management efficiency has been greatly improved.

In fact, Eddard wanted to promote a policy of "registering households and equalizing the people," managing the subjects of the North by household unit, while simultaneously abolishing the existing nobility on Northern lands. This was clearly unrealistic, as it would infringe upon the interests of the Northern nobility, the leaders of the Forest Clan, the leaders of the Northern Mountain Clans, the chieftains of the Rock-born tribes, the Wildling leaders, and other nobles large and small.

Perhaps Eddard could wait for the mother dragon and the flying wolf to slowly grow up; with dragons, Eddard would have a lethal weapon to intimidate his vassals, while simultaneously bestowing wealth upon the vassal nobles to pull off a "releasing military power over cups of wine" Wolf King version.

Furthermore, Robb mentioned in his letter that the defenses of the West Coast Wolf Castle had been reinforced, and Helen Pyke had recruited thousands of fishermen at Sea Dragon Point to be incorporated into the navy. Robb also conveyed his father's orders: Winterfell was currently producing siege equipment, and the Rills and Barrowton were ordered to produce trebuchets, ballistae, battering rams, and other siege engines.

Lady Barbrey and the Count of the Rills did not understand why these machines were being prepared during peacetime; they complained for a while, but still carried out Eddard's orders.

Because Eddard had seen on the Isle of Faces that the black seawater was surging in. If Eddard could not stop the prophecy from coming to pass and the West Coast Wolf Castle fell, with the Rills and Barrowton having siege equipment, the North could immediately attempt to retake the coastal Wolf Castle.

While the Ironborn were indeed brave and skilled in battle at sea, they did not have the habit of holding onto cities. Back when Balon Greyjoy rebelled, the longships of the Ironborn caused great casualties to King Robert Baratheon's army at sea.

But once Stannis, in the naval battle at Fair Isle, commanded the Royal Fleet and the Redwyne Fleet of the Arbor to crush the Iron Fleet, the maritime power of the Ironborn was severely crippled. In the end, Robert Baratheon's army tore through the Ironborn's maritime defenses and landed on the Iron Islands; one Ironborn castle after another fell in succession, and even King Balon's Pyke could not hold out for long against trebuchets and siege soldiers.

After the Wolf King Festival ended, Eddard would suggest that Robert Baratheon severely punish the Ironborn pirates. If King Balon refused, the Iron Throne would join the North in sending troops to the Iron Islands. By then, King Balon's head would be stuck on the beach, the Iron Islands would fall into civil strife, and the prophecy would be terminated.

Of course, this was on the condition that the situation in King's Landing remained stable. Nowadays, schemers like Cersei, Littlefinger, and Varys were all restless; once the secret of Cersei's bastards was revealed, the Seven Kingdoms would inevitably crumble and fall into mutual slaughter.

Eddard prayed for the situation to remain balanced, to give him time to develop allies in the South and wait for the young dragons to grow up.

Eddard had already made ample preparations for that terrifying prophetic scene; everything else could only be left to the gods in heaven.

When Eddard walked out of the council chamber under the escort of his guards Dawson and Syrio Forel, he met Randyll Tarly and his youngest son Dickon in the courtyard.

Lord Randyll said, "Lord Eddard, I just happened to meet a friend in the Red Keep, and he told me that my foolish son Sam seems to have appeared in Winterfell and even became Lord Eddard's foster son. I sent Sam to join the Night's Watch; could it be that Winterfell is also part of the Night's Watch?"

That damned eunuch Varys; it must have been him who revealed Sam's whereabouts to Lord Randyll.

Eddard said, "Lord Randyll, back then the hired knight you sent to escort Sam north killed the sworn knight of your house, and the hired knight even wanted to assassinate Sam. Fortunately, Sam escaped into the Wolfswood. I took him in."

Young Dickon was startled, "My brother isn't hurt, is he?"

Eddard said, "No, he has become friends with my son Robb and Jon Snow in Winterfell."

Lord Randyll said unpleasantly, "So, I should thank Lord Eddard, then? My son is a coward. I cannot accept such a coward inheriting Horn Hill and the family's assets, which is why I forced him to put on the black. In this way, he gave up his right of inheritance, and I could let Dickon become the heir of Tarly House."

"Now that Lord Eddard has taken Sam as a foster son, could it be that Lord Eddard wants to help this fool Sam seize the inheritance rights of Tarly House?"

Eddard said, "Lord Randyll, Sam has already given up the inheritance of Horn Hill. As for the lands of Tarly House, I am not interested. Who else in the Seven Kingdoms has a larger territory than I do? My lands Beyond the Wall are all waiting to be cultivated; how could I possibly be interested in the lands of the Reach?"

"Winterfell and the Citadel now have a partnership, and many apprentices and assistant maesters are receiving training in Winterfell. I have also established the Wolf Academy. Sam will become a maester, and maesters also take vows and give up inheritance rights. To be honest, I think Sam is more suited to be a maester than to dance with swords and guns."

Randyll said disdainfully, "Putting on a chain and being a servant at the desk of a castle noble—that indeed suits Sam. If it were before, I would be angry that Sam chose this path, because a descendant of Tarly should not be a servant. Now, I have already severed the father-son relationship with Sam; whatever he loves to do is none of my business."

"Actually, it's fine for Sam to stay in Winterfell, and it doesn't matter if he doesn't become a maester, because he simply lacks the guts to resist my decisions; he lacks the courage to defend his own rights. Lord Eddard, I went to great pains to cultivate Sam, and you won't be able to turn this coward into a warrior either. You can never raise a pig into a wolf."

Lord Randyll turned and left. Dickon stayed for a moment longer, "Lord Eddard, I hope you take good care of Sam. Tell him that Mother and Sister are both looking forward to him coming home."

Eddard patted Dickon on the shoulder, "You are a good person. Unlike your father, he seems not to care about Sam's life or death at all."

Dickon said, "My father is just upright and cold-hearted. Father often says that if Tarly House wants to maintain its status in the Reach, where powerful families abound, the descendants must be brave, skilled in battle, and outstanding. Father is very disappointed in Sam, but Sam is his son after all."

The long-awaited Wolf King Festival finally began.

Outside the King's Gate in King's Landing, a high platform was erected, and tens of thousands of nobles and commoners gathered here to witness the investiture ceremony of the Wolf King Eddard.

The master of ceremonies announced loudly, "Welcome the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, King Robert I of House Baratheon!"

King Robert wore a black and green silk coat, with the crest of House Baratheon, the crowned stag, embroidered in gold thread on his chest. The crown on the stag's head was made of freshwater pearls, and the craftsmanship was exquisite.

King Robert's crown was equally luxurious: a crown made of pure gold, with the crowned stag leaping high in the center, surrounded by the Seven. There was the Father made of pure gold, the Mother of red agate, the Maiden of emerald, the Smith of iron, the Warrior of bronze, the Crone of tourmaline, and the Stranger of black gold, each one lifelike.

Queen Cersei wore a bright gold and green brocade dress, with cat's-eye stones, emeralds, and sapphires inlaid on her belt, looking bright and moving.

On the high platform, every noble in attendance was dressed gorgeously; looking around, it was a sea of jewelry, fur coats, and silk.

The seven white knights of the Kingsguard, draped in white cloaks as white as snow and wearing white scale armor, lined up around King Robert.

Hand of the King Jon Arryn, Grand Maester Pycelle, Duke Stannis, Duke Renly, Littlefinger, Varys, and other high officials of the small council stood to Eddard's right. The High Septon, Duke Tywin, Duke Mace, Prince Oberyn, the heir to Riverrun in the Riverlands Sir Edmure Tully, Lord Randyll, Baelor Hightower, Paxter Redwyne, and other prominent figures appeared on the King's left.

Robert specifically arranged for Prince Oberyn to be far away from Duke Tywin; after all, the hatred between the Dornish and the Lannisters was irreconcilable.

The King's squires Lancel Lannister and Tyrek Lannister, along with four Gold Cloaks, carried a pure gold ice wolf statue to the high platform.

Robert said loudly, "Duke of the North, Eddard of House Stark, helped the Seven Kingdoms conquer the lands Beyond the Wall and annexed the lands Beyond the Wall. Today, the territory of the Seven Kingdoms stretches from Dorne in the south to the Land of Always Winter in the north; this is a great conquest that even Aegon the Conqueror failed to achieve!"

"I commend the great achievements of Eddard Stark, and I officially confer upon Eddard the title of Wolf King and bestow upon him a pure gold ice wolf!"

Robert personally bestowed the Golden Ice Wolf upon Eddard. This ice wolf was lifelike, its teeth made of ivory and its eyes of garnet, as if it were a ferocious living creature.

As a return gift, Eddard gave Robert exquisite porcelain, painted with the crowned stag crest of House Baratheon, as well as black truffles, maple syrup, foie gras, perfume, and other Northern specialties, along with barrels of Blue Noble and vodka.

The nobles and commoners applauded thunderously, cheering and shouting "Wolf King Eddard," "Long live King Robert!"

Prince of Giant Eagles Michu rode a giant eagle and flew over the Wolf King Festival. The giant eagle spread its wings and let out a sharp cry. All the nobles and commoners were stunned, and then burst into cheers.

Eagle King McCain's eagles, owls, and falcons swept across the sky. Subsequently, Bear King Byars's great bear let out a roar, and the ice wolf Night-Walker howled at the sky, joining the chorus of beasts and showing the primordial power of the North.

Afterwards, Eddard's black and white bears danced a funny dance on the steps, and the nobles burst into laughter.

In the crowd, Cersei said sourly, "A pure gold ice wolf; the gold of the Lannisters has just fallen into the pockets of the Starks."

Jaime said, "Sister, I heard that Eddard is also going to participate in the jousting tournament! He wants to win the prize of forty thousand gold dragons, but it's a pity that I won't let him have his way."

Cersei whispered, "Jaime, Father is looking forward to you winning the championship. Don't worry, I have already made arrangements."

Jaime was surprised, "What arrangements?"

"You will understand when the time comes."

Subsequently, the master of ceremonies announced loudly that the Wolf King Tournament had officially begun.

At the tournament, the high platform was filled with nobles from all over the Seven Kingdoms, while commoners crowded into the crowd to watch. Some spectators from afar climbed up nearby large trees to see the competition.

Jon Arryn saw that Eddard was also on the list for the jousting tournament and said in surprise, "Eddard, you have always disliked tournaments; why did you sign up for the jousting tournament this time?"

Robert laughed, "That's because I asked Eddard to sign up. This is the Wolf King's tournament; Eddard must participate!"

There were more than two hundred knights from the Seven Kingdoms competing, not including warriors who were not knights, such as Eddard and The Hound Sandor.

Like ordinary tournaments, the losers of the tournament would lose their armor and warhorses to the winners, and the losers would need to pay to redeem them, while a full set of armor cost several gold dragons.

No wonder the blacksmith business on Iron Street in King's Landing was booming, and the temporary blacksmith shops outside King's Landing were also lined up. Nobles were busy forging gorgeous armor, and even hired knights who slept under hedges and wandered everywhere would scrape together a set of simple armor and ride inferior horses to participate, dreaming of winning a match and earning the money for a set of armor and a warhorse.

The opening match of the entire tournament was between the heir to the Dreadfort, Eddard's foster son Domeric Bolton, and Boros Blount of the Kingsguard.

There were only seven members of the Kingsguard, the number corresponding to the seven gods in the faith of the Seven. Back then, Aegon the Conqueror's sister and queen Visenya created the Kingsguard to protect King Aegon.

The Kingsguard was a lifelong position. Like the brothers of the Night's Watch, once they took the oath to join, they gave up their right of inheritance, did not marry, did not have children, and wholeheartedly guarded the King and members of the royal family.

In the stands, Sansa watched the Kingsguard with excitement.

"Father, can Domeric defeat the Kingsguard? The Kingsguard are the finest knights in the songs, aren't they!"

Eddard smiled, "In the days of 'Sword of the Morning' Arthur Dayne and the 'White Bull' Gerold Hightower, that was indeed the case, but now, there are some stuffed shirts in the Kingsguard as well."

Sir Boros Blount had loose cheeks and a broad chest; he was somewhat portly, and Eddard had always considered him the least skilled of the Kingsguard.

After Domeric arrived in King's Landing, he trained in the yard every day, receiving pointers from the Red Keep's master-at-arms Allar Deem and Sir Barristan Selmy, further improving his already superb lance skills. Sir Barristan Selmy, who had won the Tourney many times, believed Domeric had the strength to win the championship.

Sure enough, Domeric unhorsed Sir Boros Blount in the first round and successfully advanced.

Sansa, Arya, and thousands of knights at the scene cheered for the darling of Winterfell, Domeric.

Queen Cersei sat on the high platform and said angrily, "Sir Boros can't even beat a ward from Winterfell; he is truly a waste!"

Fortunately, in the following matches, Sir Arys Oakhart of the Kingsguard defeated Lord Bryce Caron of Nightsong in the Marches, saving face for the Kingsguard.

Eddard's brother-in-law, Sir Edmure Tully, boasted before the match that he would win the championship, but he was defeated by a mystery knight in the very first round.

The mystery knight would cover his face with a helmet and use a shield that either had no sigil or an unknown, makeshift one.

This mystery knight wore dark grey armor and was tall; the sigil engraved on his shield was a stag wearing a sapphire necklace.

The Crown of the Stag was the sigil of House Baratheon, so everyone speculated that this mystery knight was a knight serving House Baratheon, though whether he was a man of King Robert Baratheon, Stannis, or Renly Baratheon, no one could say for sure.

Eddard's first opponent was Bronze Yohn's second son, Robert Royce; Eddard broke three lances before eliminating Robert, and it was clear that Robert's martial prowess was far higher than that of his younger brother, Waymar Royce.

House Royce of Runestone was one of the most powerful houses in The Vale; to strengthen his relationship with House Royce, Eddard had taken Waymar Royce as a ward, though Sir Robert would have been a better choice, but he had already set his heart on seeking a position at court.

Renly Baratheon appeared wearing armor as green as a dense forest, his helmet fashioned into the shape of a stag with pure gold and gemstones, looking magnificent. Renly was met with cheers and applause from the crowd the moment he appeared, yet his performance was unsatisfactory; he was defeated in the first round by a hired knight wearing worn-out armor named Lothor Brune.

The "Kingslayer" Jaime's first opponent was Sir Dontos Hollard, a ridiculous knight who was drunk all day long, his nose covered in broken veins; he was a well-known drunkard in Robert Baratheon's court.

Jaime easily eliminated Dontos; his second opponent was a son of the Commander of the City Watch Janos Slynt, and his third opponent was a son of the Onion Knight, who was a ship captain.

None of these people were Jaime's match. At this moment, Jaime noticed that the opponents eliminated by Prince Oberyn, the Knight of Flowers, and The Hound were all heavy hitters like Lord Yohn Royce, Lord Jason Mallister of Seagard, and Jory Cassel. Jaime immediately thought of the "arrangements" Cersei had mentioned.

Jaime suppressed his anger and found Cersei on the high platform.

"Is this the arrangement you spoke of? My opponents are all drunks like Dontos, or captains and brats. What honor is there in defeating such opponents?"

Cersei sipped blueberry wine from a gold cup, "We paid the prize money. This tourney is full of experts; you'll meet them eventually."

Tyrion smiled, "Sister, you're going to ruin Jaime. A tourney needs evenly matched opponents to warm up; how is brother Jaime supposed to build his form fighting these low-lifes?"

Sure enough, the Imp's words were prophetic; Jaime's next opponent was Barristan Selmy, and Jaime was ultimately unhorsed by the "Bold" Sir Barristan.

The audience cheered in unison. The Kingslayer and the Lannister were not beloved by the masses in King's Landing, while Sir Barristan was a living legend. King Robert Baratheon let out a thunderous laugh upon seeing Jaime fall.

The subsequent clash between heavyweights, however, nearly erupted into a bloody conflict.

The Knight of Flowers, riding a white warhorse, defeated The Mountain Gregor Clegane, then mocked him for "leveling the mountain's peaks." The Mountain was enraged; after dismounting, he swung that terrifying two-handed greatsword at Sir Loras. Although Sir Loras escaped, his warhorse was decapitated, blood splattering everywhere.

The Mountain's followers, Raff the Sweetling, Old Chiswyck, Dunsen, Polliver, and others, immediately clashed with the Knight of Flowers' followers.

The Red Viper, Prince Oberyn, brandished his lance and threatened to slaughter The Mountain to avenge Princess Elia Martell. Then the Gold Cloaks, the Kingsguard, and The Hound all rushed into the arena to maintain order, and it was only after King Robert Baratheon's roar that the conflict was halted.

After glaring at King Robert Baratheon and Eddard, The Mountain turned and left.

Eddard said, "Robert, I heard The Mountain kills the innocent indiscriminately; what is the use of keeping such a man?"

Robert said, "Just hearsay. The Mountain is nothing but a dog for Duke Tywin; the country needs dogs to fight wars, so we use him for now."

Eddard hoped for the day when the rabbit dies and the dog is cooked.

Sir Loras stroked his warhorse, which was drowned in blood, and said angrily, "The Mountain, you slaughtered my warhorse; I will surely kill you to avenge it."

Prince Oberyn said contemptuously, "Little flower knight, The Mountain is mine; you cannot take him!"

The Hound said gruffly, "No, my brother's head is clearly mine; none of you can take it!"

When they were children, Gregor had pressed his younger brother Sandor's face into a brazier and roasted it with charcoal, just because Sandor had stolen his knight toy. Years later, Gregor's father died accidentally while hunting in the forest, and both of his wives died inexplicably in their beds. In the castle hall, servants disappeared without a trace, and even the dogs dared not approach the hall. All sorts of terrifying rumors circulated in the lands of House Clegane.

Now that The Mountain had offended Sir Loras, Eddard could perhaps use this point to have Sir Loras deal with House Clegane. Regardless of whether Duke Tywin's mad dog or the noble son of Highgarden died, seeds of hatred would be sown between House Lannister and House Tyrell.

After night fell, Robert had no choice but to announce that the tourney would continue the next day.

That evening, court attendants set up tables, and Robert feasted in the open air with nobles from all over.

Everywhere there were noble tents embroidered with various magnificent sigils. Eddard saw the fox-and-flowers of House Florent, the silver falcon and crescent moon of House Arryn, the nightingale of House Caron, the lightning of House Dondarrion, the twin towers of House Frey, the burning tree of House Marbrand, and so on.

Eddard met the Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna Tyrell. Many said that it was actually Lady Olenna who ruled The Reach and Highgarden, not the Duke of Tyrell.

The old woman said angrily, "Tywin's mad dog is truly too arrogant, actually swinging a greatsword at my grandson Loras. Do not doubt it, that strike was aimed at Loras; it just happened to hit the horse's head."

"That warhorse was a gift from Lord Renly Baratheon to Loras. Now, Loras will surely go to sleep in sorrow."

Eddard said, "Lady Olenna, The Mountain is a false knight. Rest assured, if I have the chance, I will certainly eliminate The Mountain."

Subsequently, Eddard brought up the matter of purchasing grain from The Reach.

"The North used to buy grain from The Reach by detouring through Dorne, crossing the Narrow Sea, and arriving at White Harbor; this route is too long. Now, the shipping route along the West Coast of the North has been restored. Seagard has joined my convoy plan; in the future, grain from The Reach can go directly north through Seagard. The Northern fleet will maintain the safety of this route, and Ironborn Pirates will not dare to provoke fully armed warships."

Lady Olenna said, "That would be wonderful. After so many years of continuous summer, many granaries in The Reach are overflowing with grain; we can sell it to the North. The North can also sell Blue Noble, Maple Syrup, Vodka, and Aromatic Candle to The Reach. Lord Eddard, if you can sell porcelain to The Reach, many nobles will surely scramble to buy it."

By purchasing grain from The Reach and selling expensive luxury goods in return, the North could earn a great deal of money from the trade.

Subsequently, Lady Olenna said, "I have seen your daughter Sansa; she is truly a beautiful girl. My Loras is not yet married; does Lord Eddard have any intention of marrying his daughter into Highgarden?"

Eddard said, "Sansa is still too young. Sir Loras is certainly fine, but I think your eldest grandson Willas is more suitable for my Sansa."

Willas was the Heir of Highgarden, while Loras had no inheritance rights at all, and Loras was famously uninterested in beautiful women. Since it was a political marriage, Eddard naturally hoped for a match of equal status.

Lady Olenna said, "Our Willas is a hot commodity. Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne, Asha Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, and many noble ladies of The Reach are all potential marriage candidates. I will consider Sansa carefully."

Eddard said, "If Lady Margaery is willing to marry my Robb, I would be very happy to facilitate this marriage."

Robb was the Young Wolf of the North and the Heir of the North; such a status could make any noble of the Seven Kingdoms tempted, and Highgarden was no exception.

Lady Olenna said, "I am also willing to marry Margaery to Robb, but Margaery seems unwilling to marry into the distant North. You must know, our daughters of House Tyrell have never married so far away! Moreover, Margaery is determined to remain at Robert Baratheon's court."

To become Robert Baratheon's new favorite and replace Cersei? Eddard had long guessed this possibility.

Eddard returned to his tent, and at this moment, Lord Varys walked in, dragging his Pearl Slippers.

"Lord Eddard, I have received some urgent intelligence: someone intends to assassinate His Majesty the King at tomorrow's melee."

Robert Baratheon did not like jousting, but he was keen on the melee because the melee was closer to actual combat.

Eddard was not at all surprised that someone wanted to assassinate Robert Baratheon. "Lannister?"

Varys wore a sugary smile. "Lord Eddard, you truly are a clever man. Intelligence indicates that the golden lioness is in Flea Bottom, having found two pieces of scum to attempt to assassinate King Robert during the tourney. Of course, there is also a terrifying piece of news: the Red Viper seems to want to use poison weapons during the melee to murder the King."

"The Red Viper is assassinating the King?" This actually surprised Eddard a little. "That is highly unlikely; the Red Viper hasn't even signed up for the melee."

Varys said: "But the Red Viper's men will participate. The Red Viper has always hoped to avenge his sister, Princess Elia Martell. As soon as he arrived in King's Landing, he ran to His Majesty Robert to seek justice. King Robert gave him many comforting words but took no substantive action. The Red Viper and King Robert parted on bad terms; everyone at court saw it. One would think the Red Viper has had enough of waiting and simply decided to assassinate the King."

Eddard gave a light huff. "Impossible. Once Robert dies, the Iron Throne falls into the hands of Joffrey Baratheon. He is more like a Lannister than a Baratheon!" Eddard did not doubt that Varys knew Joffrey was a bastard; he wanted to test Varys's opinion.

Varys laughed exaggeratedly. "Joffrey is not yet of age, which means Cersei will control the government, so there! The Red Viper seems to have no motive to assassinate Robert. That is what the intelligence says; it is impossible for every piece to be true."

Eddard said: "I suspect the assassin sent by the golden lioness will smear poison on their weapons and then frame the Red Viper. After all, Oberyn is famous for using poison weapons."

Varys said: "The problem now is, how do we persuade His Majesty Robert not to compete?"

Eddard said: "I have my own ways."

Eddard arrived at Robert's tent, where Lancel Lannister and Tyrek Lannister, the two squires, were both by his side.

Eddard said: "Robert, I have an emergency to report to you."

Robert waved his hand to signal the squires to withdraw. Eddard said: "Someone wants to assassinate you during the melee."

Robert said disdainfully: "Assassinate me? Let them try. With my warhammer in hand, who have I ever feared? If I withdraw from the competition, I will be seen as a coward. I will break the assassin's ribs and then drag out the mastermind."

Eddard said: "The assassin will use poison; if you go to fight openly, you will surely die. Poison is the weapon of a coward. How about this: you compete as normal tomorrow, and I will make arrangements."

The next day, the tourney continued.

After losing his warhorse, the Knight of Flowers Loras seemed off his game. After several rounds of fierce fighting, he was defeated by the mysterious Knight of the Sapphire Stag.

Ser Barristan was defeated by Eddard, and The Hound eliminated Domeric.

In the end, the final four of the jousting tourney were Prince Oberyn, The Hound Sandor Clegane, the Knight of the Sapphire Stag, and Eddard.

As a Warg and skinchanger, ever since Eddard became able to use Mind Control on direwolves, bears, and giant eagles, the bestial nature within Eddard's body had grown increasingly powerful. He possessed eyes like an eagle, the agility of a wolf, and the strength of a bear, which gave him a natural advantage in the joust. This was the reason Eddard was able to overcome every obstacle and fight his way into the final four.

Eddard's opponent in the semi-finals was Prince Oberyn. Prince Oberyn said: "Lareza came to find me; she hopes you will beat me. Lord Eddard, how did you turn my Sand Snakes into wolf pups?"

Prince Oberyn was a difficult opponent; his lance was as flexible as a black mamba. However, Eddard possessed wolf-like eyes and bear-like strength. The Red Viper was unable to turn the tide and was knocked off his horse by Eddard.

In the other semi-final, Sandor Clegane relied on his fierce strength and several times nearly knocked the mysterious knight holding the Sapphire Stag shield off his horse. The mysterious knight's shield was poked full of holes by The Hound, and the sigil on it was almost impossible to distinguish.

Sandor thrust his lance at the mysterious knight. After the mysterious knight parried with their lance, the lance in their hand shattered, while the lance in Sandor's hand remained intact.

Sansa, in the stands, said excitedly: "The Hound is going to win."

Just when the entire audience thought the mysterious knight was sure to lose, the mysterious knight swung their shield and charged with all their might, actually knocking Sandor, who held the lance, off his horse, and laughing last by relying on a single shield.

The highly anticipated final officially began. This concerned the ownership of the forty thousand Gold Dragon championship prize.

The mysterious knight changed into a brand-new shield, gripped a lance, and appeared opposite Eddard.

Lances thrust; the torrent of steel echoed across the tourney grounds. The mysterious knight and the Wolf King Eddard fought one-on-one, as if they were lovers at a harvest feast, or like trembling black and white swans in a lake. Tens of thousands of spectators held their breath.

The mysterious knight was just half a beat slow, and Eddard's lance bypassed their shield. The mysterious knight fell heavily to the ground. The entire arena was filled with gasps of astonishment, followed by thunderous applause and cheers.

Eddard flipped off his horse, reached out a hand, and helped the mysterious knight lying on the ground to their feet.

"Sir, you truly are a terrifying opponent. I won by luck; you may remove your mask."

The mysterious knight removed their mask, and only then did Eddard realize that the mysterious knight was actually a woman.

Her face was covered in freckles, her skin was rough, and her nose had clearly been broken many times. Her yellow hair was like a squirrel's nest, messy and tangled. Her teeth were uneven, and her lips were thick like worms. A pair of large, sapphire-like eyes were the only part of her that could be called beautiful.

Eddard said in surprise: "You are Brienne of Tarth?"

The girl said in astonishment: "Lord Eddard, you know me?"

Eddard said: "In King's Landing, I often heard Renly Baratheon mention you. He said you are the most excellent knight in Storm's End and even the entire Stormlands."

Brienne said coldly: "I want to be a knight, but unfortunately I am not; a woman cannot be a knight."

Amidst the cheers of the audience, Eddard said: "Lady Brienne, would you be willing to serve in my Winter Wolves?"

Brienne shook her head in refusal. "Our House Tarth are vassals of Storm's End. Duke Renly Baratheon is very good to me; my sword fights only for Duke Renly Baratheon."

Eddard greeted the mountain-like cheers of the nobles and commoners. "Wolf King Eddard" became the champion of the tourney, and countless knights anointed with Holy Oil became Eddard's foils.

The High Septon said gloomily: "The tourney is a competition under the grace of the Seven. Champion Eddard is a Northerner; he believes in the Old Gods. Runner-up Lady Brienne is a woman. The Hound is not a knight. The Red Viper is a knight, but he is a Dornish who likes to use poison and swings both ways."

"Can the knights of the Seven Kingdoms no longer defend the glory of the Seven?"

Tyrion said with a wicked smile: "High Septon, the Old Gods can hatch dragons; our Seven should hatch seven of them! The Old Gods also have Wargs and skinchangers; where have the miracles of the Seven gone?"

The High Septon said piously: "The Seven are full of miracles everywhere. Who do you think brought prosperity and beauty? Of course, it was the Seven."

In the subsequent archery competition, Fellan of the Winter Wolves displayed great power. Relying on the Dragon Bone Longbow gifted by Eddard, he defeated Jalabhar Xho of the Summer Islands, Ser Baron Swann, and the commoner Anguy from the Marches in the final, winning the archery championship.

The ten thousand Gold Dragon prize for the archery champion fell into Fellan's hands.

What followed was the melee. Before the melee, Eddard led the Winter Wolves and suddenly rushed into the arena, demanding to inspect the participants' weapons. Sure enough, poison was found on the swords of two warriors.

These two warriors had no tongues; they were mutes. Eddard noticed Cersei wearing an arrogant smile. She had done it thoroughly.

Robert said gloomily: "Two mutes? This kind of trash wants to assassinate the King? Who sent you?"

The mute assassins let out gurgling sounds. Robert said with disgust: "They have no tongues, so we can't ask who the mastermind is. Keeping them is a waste of food. Summon the King's Justice Ilyn Payne to execute them."

Eddard said: "Robert, mutes can also reveal some things; we can teach them to read and write. Throw these two fellows into the Black Cells and guard them strictly."

The smile on Cersei's face vanished; she was clearly becoming nervous.

Thus, Robert ordered the King's Justice Ilyn Payne to take away the two assassins. Eddard remembered that Ser Ilyn Payne was a Lannister man.

Back when Duke Tywin was serving as Hand in King's Landing, Ser Ilyn Payne was the Captain of the Guard. Because he said behind Tywin's back that Tywin was the true Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerys had his tongue pulled out with red-hot pincers.

After rooting out the assassins, Jon Arryn and the others all advised canceling the melee. In the end, the melee was canceled. Because Eddard successfully prevented the assassination, Robert awarded the twenty thousand Gold Dragon prize money from the melee to Eddard.

Eddard won sixty thousand Gold Dragons in one day, plus Fellan's ten thousand Gold Dragon prize money.

The North and the Winter Wolves won big.

As for the assassins, Eddard believed this was the death warrant for the Lannister downfall.

Thanks to 20190712220123637, 1653292463745191936, With You Sincere Joy 1, 20210725133247921004355, Ignorant Youngster, Thousand Rocks Ten Thousand Turns Profound Mutual Generation, Mo Shang & 183; & 176, Half Sword Drifting East Suddenly Drifting West, for the monthly tickets sent. Thank you for the support.

(End of chapter)