Chapter 181: Wolf and Lion Clash, King's Landing Free-Ride, Dragon Pit

"Cersei, have you gone mad? How dare you just find two mutes and attempt to assassinate Robert at the tourney?"

In a secret chamber within the Maidenvault of the Red Keep, Jaime said gloomily, "To kill Robert, at least for me, I've had enough of Robert climbing into your bed every night. I long for my Gilded Sword to drink Robert's blood, just as it drank the blood of the Mad King Aerys back then."

"Slaying the Mad King back then won me the title of Kingslayer; what is wrong with killing another king? It's just that if one must kill, it should be done uprightly. Smearing poison on a sword to commit regicide? That is the method of cowards and scoundrels. Robert deserves to die more heroically."

Cersei said: "Assassinating Robert with poison allows us to frame the Red Viper, Oberyn. That day, the Red Viper questioned Robert in the Throne Room about when he would grant justice for his sister, Princess Elia Martell. After Robert brushed him off with excuses, the Red Viper left with a look of resentment, and the entire court saw it."

"I am truly sick of the Red Viper. His sister has been dead for how many years, and he is still jumping around here. This fellow openly demands that our father pay the price, accusing the noble Duke Tywin of being the mastermind behind the murder of Princess Elia Martell."

"At the Wolf King Festival, the lords of the Marches are all present. The Reach and the Stormlands are the sworn enemies of Dorne. The Lannisters hate the Red Viper, and Mace Tyrell hates him too, because the Red Viper crippled the Heir of Highgarden. Once Robert is assassinated, the nobles of the Marches and Mace will both be happy to believe that Oberyn is the culprit."

"We frame Oberyn, take the opportunity to get rid of him, and then Dorne will inevitably attack the Stormlands. We can then finish off Stannis, Renly, Jon Arryn, and Eddard."

Jaime said helplessly: "Your plan seems perfect, but unfortunately, it failed at the very first step. How could those mute assassins possibly take out Robert?"

"Why did you choose this moment to assassinate Robert?"

Cersei flicked her golden hair; she was wearing a wine-red brocade gown that hugged her curvaceous figure, looking like a goddess descended to earth.

Cersei stroked Jaime's Kingsguard White Scale Armor, "Jaime, are you stupid? Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella are all your seed. They grow more like you and less like Robert every day. Robert cannot do without the gold of the Lannisters, but he invited Eddard south, which clearly shows he wants to shed his dependence on the Lannisters."

"Eddard has dragons in his hands; he is more dangerous than Jon Arryn, Stannis, and Renly combined. Taking advantage of Eddard's unstable footing in King's Landing to finish off Robert is the best choice. Now that most of the nobles from across the Seven Kingdoms are gathered in King's Landing, once Robert is dead, Joffrey can ascend the throne under the witness of the gods and the nobles from all regions."

Jaime narrowed his eyes, "Once Robert is dead, will the Wolf King Eddard, Jon Arryn, Stannis, and Renly all kneel before Joffrey, swear allegiance, and kiss Joffrey's noble ass?"

Cersei said: "According to my plan, once Robert is dead, I can wipe out Eddard, Stannis, Renly, and Jon Arryn in one fell swoop. Don't forget, many of Father's vassals are in King's Landing right now."

Jaime gave a light snort, "Aren't Renly, Stannis, and Jon Arryn the same? Who doesn't have dozens, or even hundreds, of soldiers under their command?"

Jaime suddenly sensed something was wrong, "This is the Wolf King Festival held by Robert to celebrate Eddard's achievements. Why hasn't a single family from the North come, other than the Starks themselves? Is Eddard brewing some conspiracy? Perhaps we should find Tyrion and Father to discuss this."

Cersei said nervously: "Something as big as assassinating Robert cannot be told to Father, and certainly not to the Imp. When the Imp was born, he caused our mother to die in childbirth; he is a deformed little demon monkey..."

Tyrion strolled over, "Sister, speaking ill of people behind their backs is very impolite."

Cersei was greatly shocked, Jaime was somewhat surprised, and Cersei's face twisted with anger, "You actually dared to eavesdrop?"

Tyrion revealed an ugly smile, "Being small has its advantages; when you approach quietly, others find it hard to notice. Don't worry, Cersei, although I am small, this head is disproportionately large, so I can offer you my wisdom."

Cersei said with disgust: "Who wants your wisdom?"

Jaime looked at Tyrion, "Little brother, Eddard has taken those two mute assassins to the dungeon. I heard Eddard will teach the mute assassins to read, and then the information these mute assassins reveal might be unfavorable to the Lannister family. Do you have any brilliant ideas?"

Tyrion said dismissively: "Eddard won't waste time teaching mutes to read. He will subject them to torture, and then he will get a pile of information he wants. Since the assassins are mutes, no one can deny whether the testimony Lord Eddard extracts is true or false."

Jaime and Cersei were both greatly shocked. Jaime said: "I always thought Eddard was a man of honor."

Tyrion laughed: "People always change! Even Jon Arryn said that the rigid, honorable Eddard seems like a different person. The Wolf King Eddard pretends to be very honorable, but in reality, he will stop at nothing."

Cersei said indignantly: "I thought mute assassins were the safest, I never expected they would be used by the enemy..."

Tyrion said: "Sister, failing to consider problems thoroughly leads to this situation. Fortunately, there is still a chance to remedy it. The King's Justice, Ilyn Payne, is our man; he can help us get rid of the mute assassins."

Cersei revealed an evil smile, "Ilyn Payne is a mute himself; that's a good idea."

Jaime was somewhat worried, "Will Eddard suspect Ilyn Payne?"

Tyrion said: "Of course he will, but Eddard shouldn't expect to find out anything! The dungeons, the Black Cells, and the prisons are all managed by the Master of Laws, Renly. If he investigates Ilyn Payne, he has to investigate Renly, pulling up the radish and bringing out the mud. Eddard has just arrived in King's Landing; he doesn't have the strength to reorganize the prison system yet."

Cersei leaned over and patted Tyrion, "It seems that besides finding prostitutes, you are still somewhat useful."

In the training yard of the Red Keep, Eddard stopped Renly.

"Renly, you are the Master of Laws. Among those jailers, are there any you trust?"

Renly was in a deep green Silk Coat, with Brienne in armor guarding his side.

Renly said distractedly: "I have only been Master of Laws for a few years. Many jailers have been working there for many years; everyone does as they please, and I can't be bothered to manage them. To be honest, I haven't been to the prison many times, and I haven't been to the Black Cells even once. The specific affairs are all left to Ser Ilyn Payne to manage."

Eddard frowned, "The King's Justice, Ilyn Payne, is a mute. He is competent as the Royal Executioner, but to let him manage a prison—how can he manage it without a tongue?" Moreover, he is a vassal of the Lannisters and has always been loyal to Tywin.

Renly made a face, "How many prisoners can there be in the dungeon? Ser Ilyn Payne has always been very competent."

Eddard lowered his voice, "Those two mute assassins who attempted to kill Robert are very critical and cannot afford any mishaps. I hope you will dispatch your trusted jailers to guard these two prisoners."

Renly laughed: "Where would I have trusted jailers? How about this: I will send Brienne to guard the prisoners. Is Lord Eddard satisfied now? I am still busy going to Lady Margaery's room to watch the singer Blue Bard perform, and I have to go hunting with Loras in the afternoon. I am truly too busy to get away, so I'm off."

Renly left with his other attendants, and Brienne remained by Eddard's side.

Robert appointed Renly as Master of Laws hoping that judicial rulings and the prisons would be in the hands of the Baratheons, yet Renly was busy with court socializing and didn't even have one trusted jailer. No wonder Stannis always said Renly was a velvet-covered pillow.

Eddard couldn't help but recall the words the Smith Donal Noye of Castle Black had said to him during his visit to Castle Black.

Donal Noye had served at the Baratheon ancestral seat of Storm's End for many years and had watched the three brothers—Robert, Stannis, and Renly—grow up, so he knew the three Baratheons inside and out.

"The personalities of the three Baratheon brothers are vastly different. Robert is bold, true steel; Stannis is pure iron, upright and unyielding, but too rigid and easily broken. As for Renly, he is like bright copper—shiny and beautiful on the surface, but unfortunately of little use."

Eddard and Brienne arrived at the Black Cells. When the Black Cell guard opened the cell door with an Iron key, the two mute assassins were lying on the ground, already dead.

Brienne checked them, "Lord Eddard, these two mute assassins have purple lips; it looks like they were poisoned. Could it be that they took poison before attempting to assassinate Robert, and then went to assassinate the King with a determination to die?"

Eddard shook his head, "Impossible. Look at their teeth; they were all crushed. It seems they were forcibly fed the poison."

Brienne said: "They were mutes, yet someone was still afraid they would say something."

Standing to the side, Ser Ilyn Payne had gloomy eyes, his cheeks sunken like a skull, the top of his head completely bald while a ring of long hair remained around the sides. His whole body was filthy, and he stood silently in place like an envoy of death.

Eddard did not doubt that the Lannisters had ordered Ilyn Payne to assassinate these two mute assassins. The Lannisters acted truly fast.

Damn Renly; if he had paid even a little bit of attention, the Lannisters wouldn't have been able to erase the evidence of the assassination of the King so easily.

Eddard walked toward the Wolf King's residence, passing through the Red Keep's training yard.

The Red Keep's master-at-arms, Allar Deem, was training a group of squires. Eddard saw Prince Joffrey and Sansa together, with Sansa's Direwolf, Lady, crouching to the side.

Prince Joffrey was tall and handsome, with a charming smile on his face, his golden hair like a crown under the bright sun. A well-dressed beast. Eddard did not have a shred of affection for Joffrey.

Robert once told Eddard that when Joffrey was very young, he used a dagger to peel open the belly of a mother cat and picked out the kittens inside to play with. For this, Robert punched Joffrey and knocked out several of his teeth.

There was another time when Prince Tommen was raising a fawn, and Joffrey actually used a hunting knife to skin and dismember the fawn just to get a piece of deerskin. Ever since then, Prince Tommen had been very afraid of his brother Joffrey.

Why was Joffrey with Sansa? Was it Cersei's instruction? However, Eddard had also seen Joffrey walking with Lady Margaery in the Red Keep; perhaps this was just court etiquette among the nobility.

Joffrey was in the training yard showing Sansa his wooden sword techniques, and both Sansa and Joffrey were laughing very happily. It seemed that today Joffrey wanted to play the role of a prince, not a demon.

Joffrey's personal guard, Sandor Clegane, was leaning against the railing of the training yard in his smoke-gray armor, the sunlight shining on his burned face.

Eddard approached, "Sandor, you were truly magnificent at the tourney! You defeated many knights along the way; even the Kingsguard fell under your lance."

Sandor Clegane spat, "Hmph! What's the use of that? Knights are all trash; smear on some holy oil, recite a few vows with a straight face, and suddenly they're a knight? Back then, Prince Rhaegar used his longsword to tap my brother Gregor on the shoulder and personally dubbed him a knight. And what happened? That knight, the Mountain, later raped Prince Rhaegar's wife and killed his little brats."

Eddard said, "You hate your brother. The toy maker in Winterfell told me about the time your brother pushed you into a brazier over a knight toy."

The Hound said indignantly, "Maybe I should go to Winterfell and slaughter that loose-tongued carpenter. I think about how to kill Gregor every moment of every day. Now the Knight of Flowers and the Red Viper both want to kill the Mountain, but they won't succeed; the Mountain can only be killed by me."

Eddard said, "What if I gave you more gold to abandon the Lannister and serve me?"

The Hound gave an ugly smile, "You think I'm a mercenary? Forget it! A dog won't follow a direwolf. I suggest you hire that Tarth girl, that ugly thing Brienne. Don't let the fact that she's a woman fool you; she's actually got some skill."

"In the final four, neither you nor Brienne are knights, and neither am I. Those noble knights and the High Septon are furious."

Sansa and Joffrey walked over, and Eddard said, "Sansa, what are you doing here?"

Sansa said gently, "Father, Prince Joffrey took me to the sept and the godswood to play. We even went to see the dragon bone in the secret passage; it was so scary."

Joffrey said to Sansa, "Lady Sansa, I'll come find you to play when I have time. Next time, we can go to Flea Bottom together, or go hunting in the Kingswood."

Sansa was overjoyed, and Joffrey left with Sandor.

Eddard said, "Sansa, you had best stay away from Joffrey in the future."

Sansa was confused, "Why? Prince Joffrey is so handsome, so gentle and considerate."

"He is not a true prince; one day you will understand."

Eddard took Sansa back to the Wolf King's residence, which was the mansion Robert Baratheon had bestowed upon Eddard, located inside the Red Keep, right next to the Tower of the Hand.

Walking into the courtyard, Arya was chatting with the warriors of the Winter Wolves newly recruited by Eddard.

At the tourney, Eddard won the joust and crowned his daughters Sansa and Arya as the Queen of Love and Beauty with winter roses, while also pocketing the prize of forty thousand gold dragons.

During the melee, Eddard ferreted out an assassin wearing a weapon smeared with poison, thwarting an assassination attempt against King Robert. After the melee was cancelled, King Robert directly bestowed the twenty thousand gold dragon prize money from the melee upon Eddard.

Eddard decided to make good use of such a large sum of money.

During the tourney, many outstanding wandering warriors, hired knights, and even nobles were brought into the fold by Eddard with gold dragons and joined the Winter Wolves.

Among them were the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, Sir Dermot of the Rainwood, the boorish Sir Tallad, the Marches sharpshooter Anguy, Sir Baron Swann of Stonehelm in the Marches, and the Summer Islands Prince Jalabhar Xho, who was wandering the King's Landing court.

Sir Baron Swann was skilled in archery, the mace, and the lance; he was hailed as having the potential to become a Kingsguard, was highly skilled in martial arts, and most importantly, had good character.

The chubby Red Priest Thoros had a kind personality and loved to drink; he was a favorite of Robert's court. Thoros was a hero who emerged during the suppression of the Greyjoy Rebellion; back then, he wielded a burning sword and was the first to charge onto the battlements of Pyke, the city of the Great King Balon.

At every tourney, Thoros would fight wielding his burning magic sword. He had originally counted on winning the melee, but who knew the tourney would be cancelled? As a drinking, carousing priest, Thoros did it all, and recently he had even learned to smoke from Robert; Thoros's funds were becoming increasingly tight.

Eddard used vodka and Blue Noble to entice Thoros to join the Winter Wolves. Thoros said, "Wolf King, as long as there's enough wine and meat, this Thoros will follow the Wolf King!"

Anguy won second place in the archery competition, losing to Fellan of the Winter Wolves. Anguy came from the Marches, was thin and tall, had freckles on his face, and used a yew bow.

In the competition, Fellan used the dragonbone longbow bestowed upon him by Eddard. The range of the dragonbone longbow was peerless under heaven; the second-ranked was the goldenheart longbow from the Summer Islands, and the yew bow produced in the Stormlands was recognized as the best bow in Westeros.

Even Fellan admitted that if Anguy had been using a dragonbone longbow, he might not have been Anguy's opponent. The archer Anguy joined Eddard's command, and the Winter Wolves gained another sharpshooter.

Sir Dermot and Sir Tallad were both hired knights; their armor was very plain, but the strength of the two was no less than Eddard's Captain of the Guard, Jory Cassel, and they had participated in the Kingswood anti-bandit operations many times, possessing rich combat experience.

In fact, Eddard had also invited Sir Lothor Brune, who performed outstandingly at the tourney; he was also a poor hired knight, but unfortunately, he was intercepted by Littlefinger first.

In a viper's nest like King's Landing, every extra sword increased Eddard's strength by a fraction.

In the Wolf King's residence, the Red Priest Thoros smiled and said, "Lord Eddard, I heard from Arya that you are hosting a banquet tonight for Lord Beric Dondarrion of Blackhaven in the Marches?"

Eddard said, "Yes, I have ordered the cooks of the Red Keep to prepare a feast, so tonight there will be black truffle, roasted lark, and peacock meat to eat."

Sir Baron Swann laughed, "The Wolf King is hosting a grand banquet, so we can enjoy the good food along with him."

Eddard returned to the bedroom on the second floor, where Catelyn was by the window, looking at the group of newly recruited Winter Wolves below.

Catelyn said, "Eddard, I support you with both hands for recruiting knights like Sir Baron Swann and Sir Wyllis Wode, but what is the use of recruiting someone like the Red Priest Thoros? Besides drinking, eating meat, visiting brothels, and playing with a fire sword, can he do anything else? This man is not even pious to his own god."

Eddard laughed, "Thoros is a good man, and that is enough; other shortcomings can be tolerated. Speaking of piety, do you think the High Septon is pious? I heard from Varys that many archbishops at Baelor's Sept are regulars at brothels; don't tell me the archbishops go to brothels to teach the prostitutes how to pray."

Catelyn said, "What about those hired knights? Hired knights are no different from mercenaries; for money, they can betray us at any time. Don't forget, Sam was robbed by hired knights of the Tarly House when he was heading north to The Wall. Throughout Westeros, incidents of hired knights becoming bandits are common."

Eddard said, "There are good people among hired knights, and there are bad people among sworn knights and landed knights. The Mountain is a landed knight, yet he has done every evil thing."

"Many great knights were hired knights when they were young. Ser Duncan the Tall was a hired knight at first, then he became a sworn knight, and finally he made it to the Kingsguard. Hired knights are not necessarily bad; the key is how you win their loyalty."

That evening, Lord Beric Dondarrion arrived at the Wolf King's residence, and Eddard, Catelyn, the Red Priest Thoros, Anguy, Sir Baron Swann, and others received Lord Beric Dondarrion together.

Lord Beric Dondarrion was handsome and dashing, with golden-red hair; he wore a brocade robe, and on his chest was the famous lightning emblem of House Dondarrion.

Sansa's companion Jeyne Poole blushed the moment she saw Lord Beric, whispering to Sansa that she was willing to marry Lord Beric on the spot.

Lord Beric's squire was the ten-year-old Edric Dayne; he was the nephew of the famous "Sword of the Morning" Arthur Dayne, Ashara was his aunt, and his other aunt Allyria was Lord Beric's fiancée.

Although young, Edric Dayne was the current Lord of Starfall and head of the Dayne family; the Dayne family was as ancient as House Hightower and was one of the few noble families in the Seven Kingdoms that could be traced back to the Dawn Age.

On the table were porcelain plates, and the delicacies on the plates included roasted lark, steak brushed with maple syrup, caviar roasted duck, and crispy, golden-brown roasted suckling pig.

Lord Beric said excitedly, "Wolf King, the porcelain produced in Winterfell is truly exquisite."

Eddard said, "If there is an opportunity, I can send you a set with lightning engraved on it; how does that sound?"

Catelyn noticed Edric Dayne beside Lord Beric and smiled, "Lord Beric, is your squire from the Dayne family? He must know the famous Sword of the Morning."

Edric Dayne said, "Arthur Dayne is my uncle, and Lady Ashara is my aunt."

Upon hearing the name Ashara, the smile on Catelyn's face stiffened and vanished. Catelyn had always suspected that Ashara was the biological mother of Jon Snow.

To avoid embarrassment, Eddard hurriedly said, "Lord Beric, how long do you intend to stay in King's Landing?"

Lord Beric thought for a moment, "I came to King's Landing this time hoping that King Robert could send troops to help Blackhaven to sweep away the bandits in the Red Mountains. It is almost entirely Dornish bandits there, but the Dornish side refuses to help suppress the bandits; it is rumored that some Dornish nobles are even sponsors of the bandits and share the goods the bandits plunder from the Marches. Relying solely on the strength of the Marches nobles, it is impossible to wipe out the bandits."

Sir Baron Swann gave a light huff, "The Dornish are vipers. My family's Stonehelm, the coastal territory, is constantly attacked by pirates. The Dornish say those pirates come from the Stepstones, but anyone with eyes understands that these pirates come across the sea from Dorne."

"The Dornish cannot be trusted! I have no doubt that the two mute assassins who appeared in the melee were hired by Prince Oberyn the Red Viper; who knows more about poison than the Red Viper? The Red Viper has always been eager to avenge his sister, and presumably, he feels that King Robert also had a hand in the tragic death of Princess Elia. Once the Dornish assassinate King Robert, they will surely launch a massive attack on the Marches."

For thousands of years, the lords of the Marches had resisted Dornish invaders for the Stormlands, and the Stonesmen and the Dornish harbored deep hatred for each other, neither trusting the other.

That Baron Swann and Lord Beric believed the Red Viper was the culprit intending to assassinate Robert did not surprise Eddard at all.

This was the conspiracy the Lannister attempted to frame on Oberyn the Red Viper, but fortunately, it was seen through by Eddard.

Eddard said, "Lord Beric, I am now the Minister of Internal Affairs; I can help you petition King Robert for the bandit suppression in the Red Mountains. I heard you have been staying at an inn in King's Landing; move into my mansion! It is livelier here."

Lord Beric laughed, "I happen to be interested in your giant eagles; if there were giant eagles in the Red Mountains, those bandits hiding in the caves would not be so rampant."

That night, Lord Beric brought more than thirty of his Dondarrion family guards and moved into Eddard's Wolf King residence.

The next day, Eddard went to the Hand's Tower to visit Jon Arryn in his study; Lysa sat to one side, nursing Robin Arryn. The frail Robin was six years old and still nursing.

Jon Arryn said, "Eddard, thank you for your Maester Norman; Robin's seizures are much more stable now. They used to happen almost every day, but now they only occur every three to five days."

Eddard said, "We have hot springs in Winterfell. Soaking in them would be even better for Robin's seizures. If Lysa is willing, I am happy to send Lysa and the child to Winterfell."

Lysa frowned.

Jon Arryn said, "In fact, I have always had a plan to send Robin to Winterfell to be your ward."

Lysa looked as if she had been pricked by a needle; she stood up hurriedly and clutched Robin's head.

"No! Robin must stay by my side; no one can take care of him as well as I can."

Lysa left, clutching Robin indignantly.

Jon Arryn sighed, "Lysa has suffered too many miscarriages, and every one of them has made her more neurotic. If all the children Lysa and I had conceived had survived, I might have had no fewer children than you."

Among the miscarried children, there was certainly Littlefinger's seed, Eddard did not doubt. Unfortunately, Eddard could not grasp evidence of Littlefinger's illicit affair with Lysa; the only person who could confirm that Littlefinger had defiled Lysa years ago was Lord Hoster, who was far away in Riverrun, and besides, a father would never publicly testify that his own daughter had committed adultery with another man.

Eddard said, "The two mute assassins in the Black Cells are dead."

Jon Arryn did not seem surprised at all, "Someone wanted to assassinate King Robert and failed, so naturally they had to dispose of those assassins. Eddard, it is fortunate that you saw through everything; since this conspiracy has been thwarted, I think the matter of the assassination attempt on the King can end here. That is also Robert's intention."

"In the Throne Room, I met Lord Mace, Lord Randyll, and some nobles from the Stormlands, all of whom believe the Red Viper Oberyn is the mastermind behind it. Some mentioned that the Lannisters might be the culprits, and others suspect it is the pet of Balon's second brother, Euron, because the Silence is full of such mutes."

Regardless of who the culprit was, continuing the investigation would only cause turmoil in the court and the Seven Kingdoms. Eddard understood a little why Robert liked to play deaf and dumb more and more.

Eddard said, "The culprit tried to poison Robert; this time they failed, but there will surely be a next time."

Jon Arryn said, "Then we can only pray that the Kingsguard can protect their King."

Eddard smiled bitterly, "The Kingslayer is protecting the King; will Robert be safe? Lord Jon, you must also be careful; the enemy hiding in the shadows might poison you."

Jon Arryn said calmly, "I am already over eighty years old; if death comes suddenly, it would be a gift. Back then, we overthrew the Mad King Aerys, and both Robert and I were committed to building a brand-new kingdom. It is easy to conquer the world but hard to hold it; I have worked hard for this for more than a decade, and I increasingly understand why Aerys went mad."

Jon Arryn pointed to the mountain of letters piled on his desk.

"Every time I open my eyes, there is endless work to handle. The fire in the Kingswood, the storms in the Narrow Sea, the requests from the Night's Watch, the pirates of the Summer Sea, the riots of the Mountain Clans in the Vale, the thugs in King's Landing raping the Silent Sisters, the territorial disputes of the minor lords in the Crownlands, the foreign delegations requesting audiences, the various terrible news brought back by the Spider, the bills sent by Littlefinger..."

"People always say the Hand of the King is the King's hand; they think it is a noble and soft hand, but in reality, this hand has long been covered in calluses and scars. I am exhausted and weary, and I have wanted to lay down this burden many times, yet there is no suitable Heir."

"Stannis is not well-loved, Renly is a guest at the table; if I let Tywin take over as Hand of the King, then the country would truly be sold to the Lannisters. Fortunately, you have come to King's Landing now; once you are familiar with everything here, I can lay down this burden and return to the Eyrie with my wife and child."

Eddard looked at the aging Jon Arryn before him with some sympathy. The old man would eventually return to the Eyrie, but would it be a triumphant return, or would he be escorted by the Silent Sisters? Too few Hands of the King have walked away from the Hand's Tower unscathed.

"The storm of death sweeps in, the eagle falls to the ground," this was one of the visions Eddard saw in the cave of the Wood Dancer on the Isle of Faces; the crescent falcon is the sigil of House Arryn, could this portend Jon Arryn's fate?

Jon Arryn said, "The recent Winter festival in King's Landing has attracted over a hundred thousand people to flood into the city; the prostitutes' business is so good that the brothels have no beds left, and some prostitutes have run to the Dragonpit to use the ruins there to receive guests. A drunken patron accidentally opened a jar containing Wildfire and, after drinking the Wildfire, dropped dead on the spot."

"When the Gold Cloaks went to investigate, they discovered that over six hundred jars of Wildfire were hidden in the Dragonpit, all left over from the time of the Mad King Aerys. These Wildfire jars are extremely dangerous; encountering even a tiny spark could cause the fire to spiral out of control. The Commander of the City Watch, Slynt, complains of a lack of manpower, and the Gold Cloaks are unable to handle these Wildfire jars. Eddard, could you take your Winter Wolves to handle it?"

Eddard pondered for a long time, "Wildfire is the excrement of the Alchemists. Back then, my father, Lord Rickard, and my eldest brother Brandon were killed by the Mad King's lackeys, the Alchemists. Who knows how many people these Alchemists helped the Mad King kill back then? I can take the Winter Wolves to dispose of the Wildfire, but the Alchemists must also be handed over to me for disposal."

Jon Arryn said, "Robert has long wanted to drive these Alchemists out of King's Landing."

Because the Mad King Aerys was obsessed with fire, the Alchemists' Guild was very favored during the Mad King's reign; the wise man of the Alchemists, Rossart, was even the last Hand of the King for the Mad King Aerys. In his later years, the Mad King Aerys was muddled and cruel, and he liked to use the Alchemists to roast the commoners and nobles who angered him.

After Robert ascended the throne, the status of the Alchemists' Guild plummeted; the Alchemists in King's Landing were like rats crossing the street, and their days became increasingly difficult.

That afternoon, Eddard took three hundred Winter Wolves and temporarily recruited hundreds of Forced Laborers from the streets, arriving at the Dragonpit on Rhaenys Hill, emptying the six hundred-plus jars of Wildfire there, and sending them directly to the docks.

Subsequently, Eddard took the Winter Wolves to the Alchemists' Guild hall beneath Visenya's Hill.

The Alchemists Hallyne, Meryn, Monst, and others hurried out to welcome them.

Eddard noticed that every one of these Alchemists was shabbily dressed, either wearing patched silk or faded wool clothing. Compared to the usually gorgeously dressed craftsmen, the current situation of the Alchemists was indeed miserable.

Hallyne smiled obsequiously, "Lord Wolf King, you are truly an honored guest; we originally petitioned King Robert, hoping to use Fireworks to liven up the celebration for the Wolf King on the night of the Tourney, but it is a pity that His Majesty Robert did not respond."

Eddard said, "You Alchemists are about to face disaster, and you are still thinking of getting close to His Majesty?"

Hallyne, Meryn, and Monst exchanged fearful glances, and Monst said, "Lord Wolf King, we Alchemists have not provoked anyone."

Eddard said, "Hundreds of jars of Wildfire were discovered in the Dragonpit; the power of those Wildfire jars is enough to burn down the entire Dragonpit. Why did your Alchemists' Guild store such dangerous items under the Dragonpit?"

Hallyne smiled apologetically, "Lord Wolf King, after King's Landing fell back then, many of the wise men in our organization died, and we were short-handed, so naturally we were negligent in managing these Wildfire jars. If Lord Wolf King is willing to allocate funds to us, we will certainly handle the Wildfire properly."

Eddard said, "Your Wildfire seriously threatens the safety of King's Landing and must be handled by the Winter Wolves. Give me the ledger for the Wildfire."

Hallyne brought out the ledger, and Eddard discovered that the Alchemists had hidden over seven thousand jars of Wildfire underground; the underground warehouse extended from the bottom of Visenya's Hill all the way to beneath the Dragonpit on Rhaenys Hill.

Eddard's face was gloomy, "You actually hid so many dangerous Wildfire jars; this is simply malicious. Could it be that you want to burn down all of King's Landing to avenge the Mad King Aerys?"

Hallyne, Monst, and Meryn, along with a group of Alchemists, knelt on the ground, sweating profusely from fear, not daring to let out a breath.

"These Wildfire jars must be transported to the North to be disposed of properly. You Alchemists must escort the Wildfire all the way north; once you reach the North, you will serve House Stark to atone for your crimes. If you disobey, just wait to be sent to The Wall."

These Alchemists had no choice but to accept; they were escorted to the harbor by the Blackwater River.

The Alchemist Ginter of Winterfell was also producing Wildfire on a small scale, but because the Alchemists in Winterfell were too few in number, and Ginter also had to divide his attention to make Porcelain and conduct metal experiments, the Wildfire reserves in Winterfell were very small.

Stacking Wildfire together is very dangerous, but when used properly, it is a sharp weapon for killing enemies on the battlefield. The process of making Wildfire is extremely complex and very dangerous, and the cost of producing one jar of Wildfire is high.

Eddard did not know how many years and how much money the Mad King Aerys had spent to accumulate thousands of jars of Wildfire; now, all these Wildfire jars had fallen into Eddard's hands.

The Red Priest Thoros of Myr of the Winter Wolves hired dozens of carriages on the street to move the jars of Wildfire one by one from the underground warehouse of the Alchemists' Guild and onto the carriages.

Tyrion walked out of a brothel, saw Thoros, and hurriedly called out, "Thoros, what are you doing?"

Thoros said, "Executing the Wolf King's order."

Tyrion looked at the jars on the carriages, "The excrement of the Alchemists. Why does the Wolf King want to move these Wildfire jars away?"

Thoros spread his hands, "I don't know about that; I assume it's His Majesty Robert's order."

The Wildfire jars were transported to the harbor and loaded entirely onto the North Star, the Eros, and the Mermaid.

These were all ships from the North; nowadays, Winterfell had many goods, and ships frequently traveled between King's Landing, bringing fine wines, Maple Syrup, Black Truffle, wool textiles, and other goods from the North. Besides trade, these ships had another important function: to stay in the harbor so that if a coup occurred in King's Landing, Eddard and his family could retreat to the ships as quickly as possible and complete their escape by sea.

By the time all the Wildfire jars were on board, night had shrouded King's Landing.

The Mermaid was a large-bellied merchant ship from White Harbor; the Eros was a Swan Ship from the Summer Islands. This ship had participated in the Skagos Rock Seed War two years ago, and in recent years, it rarely returned to the Summer Islands, basically running the route from White Harbor to King's Landing, White Harbor to Braavos, and White Harbor to Lys long-term.

The captain of the Eros, the black man Didier, was a friend of Eddard; nowadays, the home port of this Swan Ship was more like White Harbor than the distant Summer Islands.

Eddard handed all thirty-plus Alchemists and apprentices over to Captain Didier, "Take them to White Harbor and have Lord Wyman send them to Winterfell for settlement. As for the Wildfire, send word to Robb that he must dig underground pits in the wilderness; the various Wolf Castles can also store a small amount, but do not stack large piles of Wildfire jars together."

Once these Alchemists reached Winterfell, Eddard would have a bunch of "chemists" on his hands; in the future, Winterfell would not only be able to produce Wildfire, but also Fireworks, and could even develop Gunpowder.

In the Maidenvault of the Red Keep, Cersei wore a low-cut sea-blue gown, the sapphire necklace at her chest shimmering under the candlelight; she took a sip of plum wine, a triumphant light flickering in her eyes.

"Sir Ilyn Payne took out the mute assassin with ease; the Wolf King will never get his hands on the lion's tail!"

Jaime said: "Robert is feasting the lords of the realm at court today, and the nobles from all over are getting along famously. It seems the matter of the assassination has been turned over. I find it strange, why did Eddard not appear at today's court banquet?"

Tyrion said: "Because while you were busy eating and drinking, the Wolf King emptied the Alchemists' Guild of King's Landing of its wildfire, seized every single alchemist, and has already shipped them off to the North. Over seven thousand jars of wildfire—think about how much that must be worth?"

The smile on Cersei's face vanished, replaced by anger, "These are assets of King's Landing, by what right does that Northerner Eddard do this? I must protest to Robert."

Jaime was thoughtful, "Much of that wildfire was left behind by the Mad King Aerys. Keeping it in King's Landing is a huge safety hazard. Those obsessed with wildfire and dragonfire eventually turn into madmen; I, for one, am happy to see Eddard take the wildfire away."

Tyrion sighed, "What I find most distressing is not the wildfire, but the people who make it. When King's Landing fell back then, many alchemists lost their lives overnight. There were only a few dozen wise alchemists left in the city, and now Eddard has taken the whole lot of them."

"I hear Eddard opened a Wolf Academy in the North, and Archmaester Marwyn of the Citadel has gone to Winterfell. Now that Stark has obtained so many alchemists, the future strength of the Wolf Academy will surely be terrifying."

Cersei said disdainfully: "Wolf Academy? I see it as wolfish ambition. I will have Robert keep Eddard in King's Landing indefinitely. As long as he and his family stay in King's Landing, the North will not dare to act rashly. My people monitor Eddard's Wolf Castle residence day and night; as long as he stays in the Red Keep, he is in the palm of my hand."

Jaime said: "The Wolf King's residence is packed with the Winter Wolves; watching him and trapping him are two different things. Eddard made a fortune relying on the tourney; he won a great deal of gold, and recently many experts have joined the Winter Wolves, such as Baron Swann and Thoros of Myr."

Cersei said disdainfully: "I am also recruiting mercenaries; the three brothers from the Vale are working for me."

Tyrion said: "Jaime is right, watching the Wolf King is useless. The Wolf King claims to have hatched dragons before the Weirwood Heart Tree; this is unprecedented, but Archmaester Marwyn has confirmed it, and I am in no position to question it—after all, Marwyn is the Citadel's authority on dragon research."

"Since Eddard gave Robert three dragon eggs, let him hurry and hatch them. With dragons, everything will be different. If they cannot be hatched, then it proves Eddard is likely lying."

"Now Stark has dragons and the other southern nobles do not; this is the most fatal part. Without dragons, once the dragons of Winterfell grow up, even if you trap Eddard in the dungeon, when the giant dragon's wings shroud King's Landing, expecting the Gold Cloaks to fight a magic dragon is clearly unrealistic."

Under the starlight, Eddard returned to the Wolf Castle residence, and the Captain of the Guard Jory Cassel said: "Wolf King, the guards of the Winter Wolves have discovered that some laundresses, stable boys, and guards of the Red Keep seem to be deliberately monitoring our residence."

Eddard smiled bitterly: "This is normal. These eyes are either the Spider's people, Queen Cersei's people, or Littlefinger's people. If there are the Spider's eyes as far away as Winterfell, what more here?"

Perhaps Eddard should rent a large estate in King's Landing and move out of the Red Keep; that way, it would be relatively safe.

The next day, at the Small Council meeting in the council chamber, Grand Maester Pycelle asked about the wildfire.

"Lord Eddard, wildfire is the property of the Alchemists' Guild; why did you move all of it away?"

Eddard said: "Wildfire burns and explodes. I am surprised that the Small Council actually allowed these terrifying substances to be piled up under Baelor's Sept, the Street of Sisters, and the Dragonpit. Once they ignite, most of King's Landing will lose its life."

Stannis frowned, "Is wildfire truly that lethal?"

Littlefinger said: "Lord Eddard, I hear you sent the wildfire to the North? How is this any different from finishing with a whore and not paying the bill?"

Eddard said: "If the royal family truly considered wildfire an asset, they wouldn't have let these jars of wildfire rot underground for so many years. If you asked the Alchemists' Guild to handle it, you would have to pay them."

Jon Arryn said: "This kind of alchemist's filth, if not handled properly, will pollute the environment and turn fertile land into cursed land. Piling wildfire in King's Landing serves no purpose and is instead a potential threat. Eddard helping us dispose of it is a good thing."

After the Wolf King's celebration ended, a large number of nobles left King's Landing one after another and returned to their respective fiefs; the Red Keep became much quieter in an instant.

But some nobles remained, such as Margaery Tyrell, who became a star figure at court.

Loras Tyrell remained at court; Sir Loras was previously Renly Baratheon's squire. He serves as Renly Baratheon's guard and is hailed as the most beautiful guard, while Renly Baratheon's other guard, Brienne, is hailed as the ugliest.

The Mountain Gregor Clegane left King's Landing, but after Prince Oberyn the Red Viper left with the Dornish, he chose to return. Now the Mountain lives with his squad of personal guards in a residence below Aegon's High Hill; it is said that it is Lord Tywin's private residence.

It seems Tywin wants to keep a mad dog in King's Landing to cheer for his daughter. In this way, House Lannister possesses three fierce warriors in King's Landing: The Hound Sandor, Jaime, and the Mountain Gregor.

This day, Robert feasted Eddard in the hall; Queen Cersei and Tyrion were also there, with Jaime standing guard to the side.

After the wine and food were finished, the servants brought up the three dragon eggs.

Robert said: "Eddard, only you have successfully hatched dragons; hurry and help me hatch dragons! My sons Joffrey and Tommen, and my daughter Myrcella, are all looking forward to having their own little dragons!"

Cersei smiled broadly, "Wolf King, you said last time that hatching dragons requires weirwood; I asked Grand Maester Pycelle, and planting that kind of Weirwood Heart Tree shouldn't be particularly difficult. Where do you think in King's Landing is easiest to hatch dragons? Is it the Godswood of the Red Keep?"

Eddard shook his head, "No, it is the Dragonpit. That was where the Targaryen family raised dragons; many dragons were born and grew up there, and the dragon souls there remain powerful."

Robert's eyes lit up, "So, you think the hope of hatching dragons is very high? Just say whatever you need."

Eddard said: "It requires pious prayer, Robert. I must take my family and my direwolves to pray day and night; therefore, I request to move to the Dragonpit to live."

Tyrion sensed something unusual and frowned: "But the Dragonpit has been abandoned for over a hundred years; living there wouldn't be convenient, would it?"

Eddard said solemnly: "If one wants to hatch dragons, how can one seek comfort? There are some abandoned residences next to the Dragonpit that were for the dragonkeepers of the past; they can be lived in after a bit of cleaning. I will live in these residences with my family and the Winter Wolves."

"If you want to successfully hatch dragons, you must show sincerity; rebuilding the Dragonpit is the best way. Rebuilding the Dragonpit will honor the Old Gods, just as Baelor's Sept honors the Seven. If the royal family allocates me a sum of money, I will pray while rebuilding the Dragonpit. By the time the Dragonpit is rebuilt, the eggs should be about ready to hatch, and the dragons will break their shells and be born."

Robert let out a hearty laugh, "As long as dragons can be hatched, spending a little money to rebuild the Dragonpit is no problem."

Tyrion said: "The Dragonpit is a cursed place. Originally, the Hill of Rhaenys had the Sept of Remembrance. Back then, Maegor the Cruel rode a dragon and burned the Sept of Remembrance, then built the Dragonpit. During the Dance of the Dragons, the Shepherd led a mob to attack the Dragonpit, and countless rioters, soldiers, and dragons died together."

"After the dragons went extinct, the Dragonpit was abandoned. During the time of Aerys I Targaryen, a plague swept through King's Landing, and Bloodraven once piled dozens of feet of corpses in the Dragonpit and burned them with wildfire. The Dragonpit is filled with death, plague, and ghosts; can such an ominous place hatch dragons?"

Eddard said: "The Dragonpit is full of ghosts, but isn't the Red Keep the same? The Targaryen kings, princesses, princes, and nobles who died in this castle are countless. Only death can pay for life. Don't forget, the dragon of Winterfell, the flying wolf, has a dragon soul that is the reincarnation of Lyanna."

Robert said excitedly: "Oh! Lyanna, hurry and hatch the dragons!"

Tyrion advised: "Your Grace, rebuilding the Dragonpit is a waste of money and manpower; I suggest we think this over carefully."

The beautiful vision of possessing dragons made Cersei somewhat dizzy; she said excitedly: "Tyrion, what do you know? Hurry and let Lord Eddard take the dragon eggs to the Dragonpit to hatch the dragons!"

Eddard picked up the tray with the three dragon eggs, "Then I will pack my things, take my family and attendants, and move to the Dragonpit to settle down."

Eddard and Robert left together; in the Throne Room, only Tyrion, Cersei, and Jaime remained.

Cersei was as happy as a little girl, "Eddard didn't want to help us hatch dragons, but with Robert's order, isn't he obediently serving us now? The Lannisters will soon be able to possess their own dragons; this is something that generations of Kings of the Rock and Lords of Lannister could never do!"

Tyrion said coldly: "Sister, that Eddard is playing you for a fool, and you don't even realize it. He is moving to the Dragonpit with the Winter Wolves and his family; once he leaves the Red Keep, it is equivalent to breaking free from the Red Keep's control."

"The Dragonpit is located on the Hill of Rhaenys; like the Red Keep on Aegon's High Hill and Baelor's Sept on Visenya's Hill, it is one of the three great heights of King's Landing. The Dragonpit itself overlooks most of King's Landing and is easy to defend and hard to attack. The Hill of Rhaenys is next to the Dragon Gate and Old Gate in the north; who knows what kind of trouble Eddard will stir up?"

"You don't even have to think to know that the Dragonpit Eddard rebuilds will be a fortress with defensive works—it will be a Wolf Castle! I tell you, what hatches in the Dragonpit might not be a dragon, but a magic wolf!"

Thanks to All-in-One Computer Dingding, Meimei Taotao Dad, 20221204002731333, Daily Running Main God, 160604081233167, 20190607092426420, 20200402180003770, Slow-moving Traveler, Physical Persuasion, skauiowi, Clownfish 123, Village Entrance Barber, 20181110113021597, Watching Spring and Autumn, 20181123172259488, 20220526114254760, Happy Orange Hehehe, Truant Bear Child, 20220317153404155, Wind Blowing Swaying, 20171212083553286, Bright Moon Shines on Pine Ridge, ghost1024, 20200608095952101, Extra O, for the monthly tickets sent, thank you for the support!

(End of chapter)