Chapter 182: Dragonpit and Wolf City, Cersei's Conspiracy, The King's Blood

In a luxurious residence in King's Landing, two warriors, tall and mountain-like, clad in heavy, dark gray plate armor, stood before Cersei and Jaime.

Jaime stroked the hilt of his gilded sword, "Sister, are these your new pets?"

Cersei wore a blue-green brocade dress with a swaying hem; she extended her soft hands to touch the warhammers of the two warriors, "Rustu and Tabit are strongmen from across the Narrow Sea. Their weapons, like Robert's, are warhammers. Robert likes muscle-bound, brainless brutes just like himself; Rustu and Tabit will become the new favorites in Robert's court."

Jaime noticed that these two strongmen were slightly shorter than the Mountain, but taller than both the Hound Sandor and Brienne.

Cersei said triumphantly, "Eddard has monster direwolves, and the skinchangers under his command have monster bears and giant eagles; the strongmen Tabit and Rustu are my monsters. I will use them to spread fear."

Jaime gave a light snort, "Father arranged for Ser Gregor the Mountain to stay in King's Landing; you are not lacking in monsters."

A mischievous glint flashed in Cersei's green eyes, "The Mountain is Father's mad dog, his monster, not mine. Little brother, do you think you could beat Tabit and Rustu wielding their warhammers?"

Jaime smiled slightly, his golden hair shining in the sunlight.

"In a tourney, such opponents might be a bit of a threat, but on the battlefield, heh! I, the Red Viper, the Sword of the Morning, and the Knight of Flowers could all easily kill men like this."

Cersei said, "Strongmen, take off your armor."

When Rustu and Tabit removed their armor, revealing their knotted muscles and sweat-beaded chests, the two strongmen's necks looked like bulls', and their arms were as thick as elephant legs. Rustu had brown-yellow skin, wore his hair long with a thick, bushy beard, and had a fire tattoo on his neck.

Tabit was from the Summer Islands; his skin was as black as coal, and he wore an iron ring through his nose.

Cersei said triumphantly, "Little brother, are you still as confident as before? If it came to wrestling, Tabit and Rustu could easily snap your spine."

Jaime said, "They have the bulk, but they are slow; a flail or a flying arrow would hit them every time."

Cersei waved to the strongmen, "You may withdraw."

After Tabit and Rustu bowed and left, only Cersei and Jaime remained in the courtyard.

Jaime asked curiously, "Where did you find these two hulks?"

Cersei said, "Robert is becoming harder and harder to control; once he discovers that Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are all your seed, he will surely kill every child. The Kingsguard are sworn to protect the royal family; I have bought off Meryn Trant and Boros Blount, but Barristan Selmy and Ser Arys Oakheart have too much sense of honor to be bought with money."

"Once that fool Robert orders our children executed, more than half of your sworn brothers will become our enemies. For the children's safety, I must be prepared."

"I sent people to find guards months ago. Joffrey has the Hound by his side, so I am at ease; Myrcella and Tommen need one each as well. The people of the Seven Kingdoms are not to be trusted, so I sent men to the Free Cities to search. In Lys, my servants found these two war slaves; they have both killed countless enemies."

Jaime said dismissively, "Lys? Lysene bed slaves are what's famous; if you want to find war slaves who can fight, you have to go to Meereen in Slaver's Bay. Gladiators die in the arenas there every day, their blood staining the arena sands red."

Cersei said, "Rustu and Tabit were originally gladiators trained in the Meereen arenas. They were stars of the arena, later sold by multiple slave masters and eventually ended up in Lys. When my servants bought them in Lys, they were the pets of the Trade Prince."

"They are free men now; I want them to be the children's guards, just like the Hound Sandor."

Jaime said, "Although Sandor has a gloomy and strange temper, he comes from House Clegane and is a vassal of the Westerlands. These two strongmen have been slaves in so many cities and served so many masters—what loyalty can such people have?"

Cersei said confidently, "With enough gold, there is enough loyalty."

Jaime said, "Perhaps you should send your two loyal strongmen to stop Eddard from moving to the Dragonpit. Even Tyrion said that if Eddard takes the Winter Wolves to the Dragonpit, he will be outside the Red Keep's control, which would be a huge hidden danger."

Upon hearing the name Tyrion, Cersei suppressed her anger.

"Eddard going to the Dragonpit is for hatching dragons; for the sake of dragons, taking some risks is worth it. The Dragonpit on Rhaenys Hill is next to Flea Bottom, where I have long since arranged eyes and ears. Varys has also assured me that once Eddard is at the Dragonpit, every move he and his family make will still be monitored."

Jaime sighed, "The Spider monitors every one of us; you actually trust that eunuch?"

Cersei said, "I don't trust anyone. I have to rely on Varys's spy network, but one day, I will replace Varys with my own people. Even if Eddard moves to the Dragonpit, he is still in my grasp; Janos Slynt, the Commander of the City Watch, has taken Lannister gold—he is my man."

Jaime said, "People who take money to work for you can just as easily betray you for money. Tyrion suspects Janos Slynt is Littlefinger's man; in any case, I would never deal with scum like Slynt."

Cersei wore an evil smile and stroked Jaime's heart, "That is why you are not fit to rule; a ruler must learn to dance with all kinds of monsters and ghosts. Rest assured, the Lannisters have the upper hand, because Father made arrangements in King's Landing and the Crownlands long ago."

Jaime asked curiously, "What arrangements?"

In the bedroom of the Wolf King's residence in the Red Keep, Catelyn wore a pale red silk dress, with a necklace of mutton-fat jade Mother and red agate trout hanging at her chest.

"Eddard, King Robert has bestowed such a large residence upon us, right next to the Tower of the Hand; you can walk to the Throne Room and the council chamber for court every day, and it is convenient for the Winter Wolves to train in the Red Keep's yard. I can visit the royal sept at any time, and it is also very convenient for you and the children to go to the Red Keep's godswood."

Eddard lowered his voice, "This place is full of eyes and ears for Queen Cersei, Varys, and Littlefinger; it will be safer for us to move out. I have long wanted to move out of the Red Keep, and it just so happens that Robert has ordered me to the Dragonpit to hatch dragon eggs."

Catelyn frowned, "Even so, you can hatch dragon eggs at the Dragonpit without living there. We could rent a residence outside the Red Keep; that would be better than living in the Dragonpit."

Eddard stroked Catelyn's snow-white neck; there was a Mother figure on her necklace. Catelyn had always been a devout follower of the Seven, but ever since witnessing Eddard hatch dragons before the weirwood heart tree in Winterfell, Catelyn had also begun to believe in the Old Gods.

Catelyn was a devout believer in both the New and Old Gods.

"Why go to the Dragonpit? I heard from Maester Norman that the Dragonpit is a ruin; the ancient bronze gates have been closed for over a hundred years. The last time the Dragonpit gates were opened was during the Great Plague of King's Landing in the time of Aerys I, when two-thirds of the population of King's Landing died."

"The Hand of the King at the time, Brynden Rivers, ordered the Gold Cloaks and the Alchemists to pile the corpses in the Dragonpit and burn them with wildfire, turning the entire sky of King's Landing a strange emerald color. They say it is full of ghosts; the Dragonpit is a cursed place, why go there?"

Eddard said softly, "The enemies in the Red Keep are more terrifying than ghosts, Catelyn. I will tell you the truth: King's Landing could fall into chaos at any moment. We, the Lannisters, the Baratheons, and the conspirators are maintaining a fragile balance; once this balance is broken, the Red Keep will become a killing field."

"King's Landing is not Winterfell; we are far from the center of rule, weirwoods are rare here, and the power of the Old Gods is weak. If we want to escape unscathed, we must be extremely careful. In the game of thrones, one wrong step and you lose everything. For the safety of Arya and Sansa, moving to the Dragonpit is the best choice."

Fear was clearly written on Catelyn's face, "Will things really evolve to the point of being out of control? During the Wolf King Festival, the nobles from all over were clearly gathered together, with court banquets and tourneys..."

Eddard said, "That was nothing but the clamor before the Great War. Back then at Harrenhal, wasn't the 'Year of the False Spring' tourney a clear example? Prince Rhaegar, House Whent, and House Targaryen all began their path to death and destruction because of that tourney."

Catelyn worried, "If I had known, I would have taken the children and left with Edmure when he returned to Riverrun a few days ago."

Eddard said, "You, Arya, and Sansa were invited by name by Robert; you cannot leave without saying goodbye. Otherwise, do you think I would want you to stay here? You don't need to worry; the Lannisters are counting on me to help her hatch dragons, so they won't act rashly."

In fact, the three dragon egg fossils Eddard gave to Robert were fakes made of stone. Even if Eddard had real dragon eggs, it would be difficult to hatch them successfully in a place like King's Landing. The last time he hatched dragons in Winterfell, it was because of the weirwood heart tree that the Starks had worshipped and prayed to for thousands of years, the blessing of the Old Gods, the guidance of the Three-Eyed Crow, and perhaps the ghosts in the Crypts of Winterfell.

King's Landing is the religious center of the Faith of the Seven; the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya's Hill is incredibly luxurious. One can see septons, septas, and missionaries everywhere in King's Landing, as well as ragged Prophets of the Seven who love to preach doomsday heresies.

In King's Landing, traces of weirwoods are hard to find, and the power of the Old Gods is weak here. It is no wonder that in history, few Starks who traveled south from Winterfell to King's Landing returned unscathed.

Eddard ordered Ser Baron Swann to take a squad of Winter Wolves and servants to the abandoned courtyard on Rhaenys Hill first to clear the weeds and trees and clean the rooms. That was where the Dragonpit guards once lived, and it had been uninhabited for over a hundred years.

Subsequently, Jory Cassel took a squad of Winter Wolves and organized the Wolf King's servants to begin loading luggage, furniture, and the like onto carriages to be transported away.

Arya was in the courtyard, playing with her attendants Elmar Frey, Edric Dayne, the bread boy Hot Pie, and Lommy Greenhands. Arya was now a child leader, and many children obeyed her every word.

Because Eddard was named Wolf King by King Robert, Sansa and Arya also held the status of Princesses. Sansa had always been a polite noble lady, while as for Arya, even after becoming a Princess, she still liked to play with the stable boys and kitchen boys.

"Father, are we moving to the Dragonpit?"

Eddard said, "Yes, we are going to hatch dragons there."

Arya was overjoyed and, taking Hot Pie, Elmar, Lommy, and the direwolf Nymeria, left on the first carriage of the move.

The ten-year-old Lord of Starfall, Edric Dayne, remained where he was. Edric said, "Wolf Prince, Lady Arya and Lady Sansa, Domeric and Lareza have taught me many things; I didn't have so many good friends even in Dorne."

Eddard patted Edric's head, "I have many sons and wards at home in Winterfell; if you are willing to join the Winterfell family, you can be my ward." Back then, the Sword of the Morning died by Eddard's sword, and there was a complicated, tangled love affair between Ashara and Eddard; Eddard felt he had an obligation to look after the Daynes.

Edric Dayne was thrilled, and so, in the presence of the Lightning Lord and the Red Priest Thoros, Eddard officially took Edric Dayne as his ward. Among Eddard's wards, there was now one more noble.

Sansa walked over, appearing somewhat unhappy, "Father, may I stay? Prince Joffrey said I could live in any guest room I like; there are plenty of guest rooms in the Red Keep anyway."

Eddard pulled Sansa into a corner, "Sansa, haven't I told you? Stay away from Joffrey. He is a beast in human clothing. King Robert told me he cut open a pregnant mother cat with a knife, just for fun."

Sansa widened her naive eyes, "Father, that is nothing but a rumor. People are jealous of Joffrey, that is why they maliciously slander him. Why do you have a prejudice against Joffrey? He is so handsome, so friendly, kind, and charming."

As a young maiden, Sansa liked pretty boys; Eddard could understand that. Eddard noticed that Sansa was always happy when she was with Domeric, Waymar Royce, and the Knight of Flowers.

Joffrey could be considered tall and handsome, but Domeric and Waymar Royce were also handsome men; as for the Knight of Flowers, any handsome boy became mere grass in front of Ser Loras.

Nowadays, Eddard arranged for Domeric and Waymar Royce to be responsible for protecting Sansa every day, just to satisfy his daughter's fantasy about handsome men; he truly did not understand why Sansa was obsessed with Joffrey.

The Iron Throne. Eddard suddenly remembered that when they were in Winterfell, Catelyn and Septa Mordane often taught Sansa that to become a Lady, one must pay attention to noble etiquette at all times, for only a Lady had the chance to marry a King.

Loras, Domeric, and Waymar Royce might be more handsome than Joffrey, but none of them were heirs to the Iron Throne.

Eddard, carrying his suspicions, looked at Sansa, "Good daughter, you like Joffrey, you dream of becoming Queen?"

Sansa blushed politely, "Why not? Isn't every girl like this? Once I become Queen, countless noblewomen and Knights will have to kneel before me and swear their allegiance. Septa Mordane told me that King Robert and you are as close as brothers; as long as Father goes to propose, King Robert will certainly not refuse."

Eddard believed that Cersei and Robert would both be happy to let Sansa and Joffrey be betrothed, but if that happened, Sansa would have to remain in the Red Keep for a long time, becoming a hostage of the Lannisters, and Joffrey would sooner or later reveal his cruel nature. Sansa clearly could not foresee such danger.

Sansa had always dreamed of becoming Joffrey's Queen and bearing healthy babies for King Joffrey; she wanted to raise the Prince, to become an excellent future King—this could also be considered a kind of delusion of power!

Eddard stroked Sansa's chestnut hair with his hand, "Good daughter, being a Queen is nothing special; I have become the Wolf King, and you are already a Princess, why must you marry Joffrey? However, if you insist, in a few years, I will propose to King Robert for you." The premise being that Robert and Joffrey could live for a few more years.

Sansa revealed a sweet smile, "Really? You truly are my good father!"

Eddard said: "Now, take your Direwolf Lady and ride the carriage to the Dragonpit."

On Rhaenys Hill, Catelyn and Eddard stood before the massive bronze gate, looking up at the enormous Dragonpit that resembled mountain peaks.

Catelyn murmured: "Gods have mercy, isn't this place too big?"

"This was once a Dragon lair, of course it is massive." Eddard turned around, "Restoring the Dragonpit is a long-term project; we will first restore the courtyard for our Winter Wolves."

The courtyards near the Dragonpit were where the Dragon guards of the Targaryen family lived in those years; the Dragon guards were responsible for protecting the Dragonpit and the safety of the Dragons. However, during the time of Aegon III, the last Dragon died in the Dragonpit; since then, the Dragonpit was abandoned, and these courtyards were abandoned along with it. It has been over a hundred years now, and no one has lived here.

The courtyards were overgrown with trees and weeds, and some of the doors and windows of the courtyards were covered in moss; fortunately, the courtyards were made of stone, and after a hundred years of time, they remained sturdy.

The Red Priest Thoros, Earl Beric Dondarrion, led the Winter Wolves and servants to clear away the weeds and fell the trees. The servants cleaned the dust in the houses, placed beds, tables, and chairs, spread velvet quilts and carpets from Myr, and hung tapestries from Norvos.

Soon, the innermost courtyard took on a brand-new look.

"Wolf Prince, you can move in now." The Lightning Lord, Earl Beric, extended an invitation to Eddard.

Ever since Earl Beric arrived in King's Landing, he had been deeply loved by the residents of Flea Bottom; Eddard gave him the nickname "Lightning Lord," and Earl Beric was happy to accept it.

Eddard, Catelyn, Arya, and Sansa walked in. Sansa pinched her nose, "The smell here is strange; the conditions are far worse than the Red Keep."

Arya said: "Don't be so precious! This place is great! You can climb trees, go on adventures in the Dragonpit, and go down the mountain to Flea Bottom, where you can meet many new friends."

Sansa frowned and said: "No need to think about it, those new friends are just as smelly as your friends Lommy and Hot Pie. Flea Bottom is a gathering place for fleas and sewer rats; only the poor live there."

Eddard said: "Sansa, a noble must win the love of the people; therefore, you must respect the common folk, otherwise, the common folk cannot possibly fight for you. The Mad King Aerys and the cruel Maegor were overthrown precisely because they could not gain the support of the people."

Sansa lowered her head and said: "Father, please forgive me; I was excited for a moment, which is why I spoke without thinking and said the wrong thing."

After Arya and Sansa left, Catelyn and Eddard walked out of the courtyard and came to the hill of Rhaenys Hill, looking toward the Baelor's Sept in the southwest—the largest Sept in Westeros, standing on Visenya's Hill. The seven Crystal Towers were clearly visible, emitting seven-colored rainbow light in the dusk's twilight.

Catelyn clasped her hands together, "If only we lived on Visenya's Hill! There isn't even a Godswood or a Sept here; there is no care from the New and Old Gods."

Eddard said: "We can tidy up a courtyard to serve as a Sept; as for the Godswood, although there is no Weirwood, we can fence off a patch of forest and carve human faces onto them."

Catelyn was somewhat worried, "But without a Weirwood, the power of the Old Gods will weaken significantly. Can the Old Gods hear our prayers? Will the Old Gods watch over us?"

Fortunately, besides the care of the Old Gods, Eddard had the Winter Wolves, skinchangers, and Direwolves in his hands, which would protect the safety of his family.

Catelyn looked at the massive open-air fortress, the Dragonpit, to the side, "Many Dragons once lived here, but the last Dragon died right here. Eddard, King Robert asked you to hatch Dragons; we shall pray piously, and once the Dragons are hatched, we can return to Winterfell."

Hatching Dragons was merely a pretext; setting up camp at the Dragonpit was Eddard's true goal.

After settling down on Rhaenys Hill, Eddard could begin to restore the Dragonpit and reinforce defensive works on the road up the mountain. If the Lannisters continued to look forward to hatching Dragons and were willing to give Eddard more time, Eddard could even build a castle.

South of Rhaenys Hill was Flea Bottom, where there were plenty of hungry poor people struggling to make a living in King's Landing. For a few Copper Coins or even a single meal, one could hire workers to work at the construction site; there was no problem at all with manpower for restoring the Dragonpit and building the castle.

The Wolf Castle on Rhaenys Hill in King's Landing stood in the distance, facing the Red Keep on Aegon's High Hill to the southeast and the Baelor's Sept on Visenya's Hill to the southwest; Eddard felt very excited just thinking about it.

Rhaenys Hill was one of the three major hills of King's Landing and also the northernmost hill. In the future, the Winter Wolves would be stationed there; to the south, they could easily attack the slum of King's Landing, Flea Bottom, and to the north, they could easily attack the traditional wealthy district of King's Landing south of the Old Gate.

In times of necessity, Eddard could also command the Winter Wolves to capture the Old Gate directly north of Rhaenys Hill, the Dragon Gate to the northeast, and the Iron Gate to the east.

That day, Jory Cassel led the cavalry to clear out a courtyard and converted it into a stable; the abandoned courtyard next to the stable was used to store fodder, and all the cavalry's warhorses were fed in the stable.

After Eddard arrived in King's Landing, he recruited soldiers and horses. The seven hundred Winter Wolves who initially arrived in King's Landing with the Wolf King had grown to nearly one thousand, and the number of warhorses was two hundred more than the men, so the Winter Wolves had plenty of warhorses.

There were several ancient wells on Rhaenys Hill, and the water source was sufficient.

Domeric and Fellan led the soldiers to tidy up a courtyard and set up stoves. The cook Borgus, whom Eddard hired from King's Landing, brought kitchen servants including Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands, Kutz, Woth, and Koss to buy barrels of olive oil, apples, pumpkins, flour, bread, dried meat, lemons, and blueberries from the gourmet street.

Borgus was a master chef recommended to Eddard by Renly; he was skilled at making blueberry cakes and lemon cakes, which were deeply loved by Sansa and Catelyn, and he was now Eddard's kitchen manager.

The Winter Wolves moved barrels of Vodka and Blueberry Wine into the cellar of the Dragonpit. Eddard's black bear Randolph and white bear Little Add rolled the wine barrels together with the soldiers; these two bears had grown much larger and could easily shatter a person's spine and head.

In the future, on Rhaenys Hill, servants could cook for Eddard and the Winter Wolves, which reduced the possibility of being poisoned by enemies significantly. When they were at the Red Keep, meals were supplied by the Red Keep's royal kitchen, and before every meal, Shield Dawson and Syrio Forel would taste it.

Maester Norman brought his Ravens and medicine and moved into an old tower; this would be the Maester's tower of the Dragonpit in the future.

Eddard called for the Captain of the Guard, Jory Cassel.

"Jory, from now on, Rhaenys Hill is our territory. Divide the Winter Wolves into three shifts to take turns standing guard and patrolling; without permission, no one is allowed to come up the mountain privately."

"The underground warehouse of the Dragonpit has an underground passage that extends directly under Visenya's Hill; that is where the Alchemists' Guild used to store Wildfire, and soldiers must be sent to guard it below as well."

After Jory Cassel left, Eddard called for the Eagle King McCain and the Prince of Giant Eagles Michu.

"McCain, send your owls, eagles, and falcons to take turns patrolling the air around Rhaenys Hill, focusing on the Old Gate and the Iron Gate. Michu, you ride the Giant Eagle to patrol the air above Rhaenys Hill; I will leave the ground patrols to Bear King Byars, the Direwolves, and the Winter Wolves."

Eagle King McCain's snow-white eyebrows raised, "Father of Life, is there really going to be a war?"

Eddard said: "Be prepared, Winter is Coming."

A murderous aura appeared in the eyes of the Prince of Giant Eagles, Michu, "If any enemy provokes us, we will pounce and kill them, dig out their black hearts, and let the Giant Eagles eat them."

The next day, the Lightning Lord, Earl Beric, led the Red Priest Thoros to recruit over three hundred craftsmen and laborers from Flea Bottom. People transported stones from the quarry outside the Old Gate and began to build city walls and Arrow Towers on the road up Rhaenys Hill. Byars' bears helped the people move stones together; a group of craftsmen and laborers widened their eyes in fear and curiosity when they saw the big bears.

Septa Mordane and Arya, along with the maid Osha and others, tidied up a courtyard and placed statues of the Seven, lighting Incense Candles. This was the first small Sept on Rhaenys Hill since the Remembrance Sept. The Remembrance Sept of those years was built to commemorate Queen Rhaenys and was eventually burned down by Dragonfire when "cruel" Maegor suppressed the Faith Militant rebellion.

Eddard chose a small forest on Rhaenys Hill to serve as the Godswood. Because there were no Weirwoods on Rhaenys Hill, Eddard chose to carve a human face onto an elm tree to act as the Heart Tree.

Eddard stroked the weirwood bracelet on his right wrist; it was a gift given to him by the Three-Eyed Crow. Although there were no weirwoods here, the Old Gods were still with him.

In the Red Keep, Joffrey stood before a mirror in a red and gold silk robe, while Cersei straightened his clothes.

"Joffrey, you truly are radiant. Tell Mother, tell me, you can win Sansa's heart for me."

Joffrey's thick lips looked just like two worms after the rain; he pouted.

"Sansa is stupid to death. I would rather be with Lady Margaery; at least she doesn't look as silly as Sansa."

Cersei did not like Margaery. The little rose from Highgarden had become a star in Robert Baratheon's court; she was amiable, beautiful, dignified, and loved by all. In Cersei's view, since Margaery entered the palace, she seemed to be seducing Robert Baratheon while simultaneously seducing Joffrey.

"Margaery wants to have both father and son; she is truly insatiable," Cersei thought gloomily.

Cersei could tolerate Robert Baratheon messing around outside. As King, no one could stop him from straying; after all, on nights when Robert Baratheon was away, Cersei and Jaime had a great time, and sometimes she could even find Lancel Lannister for a change of pace. As long as he didn't bring women back to the Red Keep, Cersei could pretend she didn't see whatever Robert Baratheon wanted to do.

The women Robert Baratheon had sought before were all prostitutes or commoner wives; rarely were they nobles. A noble lady of Margaery's level approaching Robert Baratheon voluntarily clearly had ambitions.

If Margaery were stupid enough to dare sleep with Robert Baratheon in the Red Keep, Cersei was determined that once she caught them in bed, she would strip Margaery naked, send a nun to drag the harlot through the streets from the Red Keep all the way to Baelor's Sept, and let those lowlifes get a good look at Margaery in the buff.

At the thought of this, a triumphant smile appeared on Cersei's face.

"Mother, what are you smiling at?" Joffrey's words pulled Cersei back from her fantasies to reality.

"Nothing." Cersei cupped Joffrey's face and kissed him lightly. "Joffrey, go to Rhaenys Hill, visit Sansa, and take her for a stroll in King's Landing. By the way, help me ask Sansa what exactly Wolf King Eddard is planning. Sansa is a stupid girl; she won't be able to resist your Prince's charm and will surely tell you the truth."

On Rhaenys Hill, Sansa wore a crystal-colored silk gown, with her direwolf Lady elegantly accompanying her side. A massive gray shadow swept overhead, and Sansa looked up to see Giant Eagle Prince Michu landing before her on his giant eagle.

"Michu, can you take me flying sometime?"

Michu shrugged lazily. "Lady Sansa, flying is a very dangerous thing. One careless moment and you could fall from a great height; I don't want to take you on such risks."

Sansa said, "In the Red Keep, many nobles and squires are interested in the giant eagles. If you participated in more court activities, you would surely meet many new friends."

Michu said, "I am a servant of the Father of Life and have no need to know other nobles. The Father of Life has settled my family and my people of the Giant Eagle Tribe in Winterfell. Winterfell possesses everything the Giant Eagle Tribe needs; I will not linger in the South."

Sansa pouted. "But the South is more prosperous! King's Landing has Baelor's Sept, and the Red Keep has the Dragonpit, and the harbor has ships from all over the world. I heard Lady Margaery say that The Reach is full of flowers, with wheat fields, grapes, and pumpkins laden with fruit everywhere."

Michu said indifferently, "Lady Sansa, no matter how good the South is, it is not home. The North and Beyond the Wall are our true homes."

Joffrey brought The Hound Sandor Clegane to the summit of Rhaenys Hill, only to be stopped by the Red Priest Thoros of the Winter Wolves.

Sandor Clegane wore a suit of smoke-gray plate armor, his helmet, fashioned into the shape of a hound, tucked under his arm.

Thoros was smoking with a bronze pipe and laughed, "Sandor, how did you end up here? Did the dog get lost?"

Sandor said irritably, "Thoros, I thought you'd rolled back to Myr; turns out you joined the Winter Wolves. It seems Eddard can't recruit anyone if he's taking in trash like you."

Sandor had always hated the Red Priest Thoros because every time there was a melee, Thoros would charge around swinging a flaming sword. Because his brother had shoved his face into a brazier when he was a child, Sandor had always been terrified of fire and had been knocked off his horse by Thoros many times. In recent years, Sandor had simply quit the melees.

Thoros said, "Here with the Wolf Prince, there is plenty of wine, meat, and tobacco. It's a good job."

Sandor said, "Cut the damn chatter, Prince Joffrey wants to see Lady Sansa."

Joffrey and The Hound arrived before Sansa.

Sunlight shone on Joffrey's golden hair, making him look magnificent and extraordinarily handsome; Sansa's heart nearly melted.

"Prince Joffrey, why have you come?"

Joffrey said, "Naturally, to visit my beautiful Lady Sansa."

At this moment, Joffrey noticed the giant eagle and Michu nearby, a trace of contempt appearing in his eyes. "Are you that savage who keeps flying back and forth over the Red Keep?"

Sansa introduced him, "This is Giant Eagle Prince Michu."

Joffrey said disdainfully, "He's a wildling from Beyond the Wall; what kind of prince is that?"

Sansa said in surprise, "Prince Joffrey, it is very impolite of you to say that."

Michu looked coldly at Joffrey, and the giant eagle also stared at Joffrey as if watching a dying rat. The giant eagle stood as tall as two men, its beak like a warhammer and its talons like blades.

Joffrey grew a bit afraid. "Sansa, I invite you to visit Baelor's Sept, and then we can go to the riverside to watch the Braavos Troupe perform. Tonight they are performing 'Dance of the Dragons'."

Sansa followed Prince Joffrey and Sandor away from Rhaenys Hill, with two Winter Wolves soldiers escorting her.

Prince Joffrey and Sansa saw wood carvings and glass panes sold here from Winterfell inside Baelor's Sept; the images of the Mother, the Father, the Stranger, the Smith, the Maiden, the Crone, and the Warrior were lifelike, and the price of each piece of art reached hundreds or even thousands of Gold Dragons.

Afterward, they rode their horses to the banks of the Blackwater River and watched the Braavos people perform the play 'Dance of the Dragons' at the site of the former tournament grounds.

When they saw the Queen's bastards dying one after another on stage, Joffrey smiled, "The bastards even dreamed of inheriting the Iron Throne; they deserve to die so miserably."

Sansa said, "That's how the play is performed, but in history, Queen Rhaenyra's three children were not necessarily bastards; they all had dragons."

Joffrey said, "Uncle Imp told me. The dragon blood in them was inherited from their mother; their father was that Harwin Strong. A Kingsguard actually sleeping with a Queen—shameless."

As Wolf King and Master of Laws, Eddard could enter most places in King's Landing at will. During the few days since moving to Rhaenys Hill, Eddard had sent the Winter Wolves to distribute food for free in Flea Bottom, founding the Wolf House Canteen to provide food far better than brown soup to relieve the commoners.

Children like Hot Pie and Lommy Greenhands carried baskets in Flea Bottom every day, hawking bread and hot pies, but in reality, they were scouting for information for Eddard. The Lightning Lord Beric Dondarrion had planted many eyes and ears in Flea Bottom, Cobbler's Square, and the wealthy districts, having the Winter Wolves pose as merchants and peddlers wandering the streets.

Although Eddard's intelligence network was not worth mentioning compared to the Spider's, it had at least taken the first step.

Eddard focused his inspection on the three city gates closest to the Dragonpit.

The first one Eddard visited was the Old Gate. This gate was located directly north of Rhaenys Hill, and the nearby neighborhood was the wealthy district of King's Landing. Silk Street, lined with high-end brothels, was located near the Old Gate, and many craftsmen, masters, and nobles from various places lingering in Robert Baratheon's court had mansions near the Old Gate.

The captain of the Old Gate was Aral, a confidant of Commander of the City Watch Janos Slynt. He was ruthless, and the people of Flea Bottom hated Aral to the bone.

The captain of the Dragon Gate was a bastard named Humfrey Waters. Waters was the surname for bastards in the Crownlands, just like Snow in the North. Humfrey Waters had a good reputation among the commoners and the Gold Cloaks; Eddard felt this man might be someone who could be won over.

Subsequently, Eddard inspected the barracks of the Gold Cloaks, where Commander of the City Watch Janos Slynt received Eddard.

"Wolf Prince, there's nothing worth seeing in the barracks. Shall we go to a nearby inn and have a drink?"

Eddard shook his head. "I noticed the equipment of the Gold Cloaks on the street is of very poor quality. Lord Slynt, some suspect you are skimming money meant for the Gold Cloaks' supplies; is that true?"

Janos Slynt said indignantly, "That is slander! I, Slynt, have never embezzled a single copper coin!"

Eddard ordered Janos Slynt to open the armory, and he flipped through the Gold Cloaks' uniforms in the crates.

"Look, these golden cloaks have holes, and this armor is too thin; this is completely against regulations. King's Landing is the King's capital, and the Gold Cloaks represent the image of the Seven Kingdoms. You dare to skim on military uniforms, Lord Janos; you have gone too far."

Sweat crawled across Janos's forehead. "Wolf Prince, the Gold Cloaks' uniforms and armor have always been like this! The quality isn't that bad."

"I will let you off this time. This batch of Gold Cloaks' uniforms is substandard; I am confiscating them." Eddard ordered, and Sir Baron Swann and the Lightning Lord began leading the Winter Wolves to seize the uniforms.

Seeing that Eddard was not pursuing his personal responsibility, Janos Slynt breathed a long sigh of relief.

As they walked to the gate of the barracks, a bare-chested Gold Cloak walked over; he was a big man.

"Wolf Prince, my name is Lemon. Janos Slynt is always docking my pay, and when I protested, he beat me severely. I don't want to serve in the Gold Cloaks anymore; I want to join the Winter Wolves."

Eddard nodded, "Granted. From now on, you shall be assigned to the Lightning Lord's unit."

A few days later, Robert Baratheon and Cersei invited Eddard to dine at the Red Keep. Tyrion sat beside Eddard. Jaime and Ser Barristan stood guard to the side.

Cersei wore a wine-red, low-cut fur gown, her waist cinched with a ruby belt. "Wolf King, how is the hatching of the Dragon Eggs in the Dragonpit coming along?"

Eddard said, "Every day, aside from handling official business, I pray devoutly in the Godswood before the Dragonpit. Hatching a dragon is not a task for a single day or night; you must give me enough time."

Robert Baratheon puffed on his Briar Pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"Exactly, Cersei, why are you rushing? The Stark family prayed in the Godswood at Winterfell for thousands of years before the Old Gods bestowed their grace. Eddard has only been praying at the Dragonpit for a few days, what are you so anxious about?"

Tyrion stared at Eddard with his mismatched eyes and smirked, "Wolf King, I hear your Winter Wolves are reinforcing defenses and building Arrow Towers on Rhaenys Hill. Is this also part of the prayer?"

Eddard said, "There are three priceless Dragon Eggs in the Dragonpit, right next to Flea Bottom. It is only natural for me to build walls and Arrow Towers! Although King's Landing is currently peaceful and secure, it is better to be prepared. Don't forget, the extinction of the dragons back then was largely because the mob attacked the Dragonpit, killed too many dragons, and stole too many Dragon Eggs."

Cersei said, "Wolf King, the King and I have high hopes for your dragon hatching; please do not let us down. Inviting you here tonight, there is another important matter: I hope Joffrey can be betrothed to Sansa."

It had come at last. With Joffrey frequently visiting the Dragonpit to see Sansa these past few days, Eddard knew Cersei was brewing a conspiracy.

Robert Baratheon said, "Eddard, we are good brothers. It is rare that these two children, Sansa and Joffrey, get along so well. I think they are a pair, and it just happens to make up for my regret of not being able to marry Lyanna Stark."

Eddard said slowly, "Robert, I would very much like for Sansa to be betrothed to Joffrey. I even hope Arya can be betrothed to Tommen. However, the betrothal ceremony must take place under the gaze of the Weirwood Heart Tree in Winterfell."

A flicker of suspicion flashed in Cersei's green eyes. "A daughter of Winterfell getting betrothed has this custom? This is the first I've heard of it."

Eddard sipped some Blue Noble. "Before the dragons hatched, it indeed did not exist. You must know that when I hatched the dragons in Winterfell, it could not have been done without the prayers of my two innocent daughters. Naturally, my daughter's betrothal must go to Winterfell."

Cersei had counted on using Joffrey's betrothal to tether Eddard's daughter Sansa, keeping her in King's Landing long-term. She had not expected Eddard to turn the tables and insist on holding the betrothal ceremony in Winterfell. If Joffrey and Tommen went to the North, it would be difficult for them to return unscathed.

Robert Baratheon frowned, "The children are still young anyway; the matter of the betrothal can be put off for a few years."

Eddard said, "Robb and Princess Myrcella are the most suitable match. Robb is the future Wolf King of the North; Princess Myrcella marrying Robb could not be more appropriate. Anyway, Myrcella has nothing to do in the Red Keep all day; why not send her to Winterfell for a visit? If she falls in love with Robb, the Starks and the Royal Family can be betrothed."

Robert Baratheon said in a gruff voice, "That's a good idea."

Cersei squeezed out a reluctant smile. "Myrcella cannot marry far away to the North. Our daughter is a devout follower of the Seven; she can only marry a follower of the Seven."

Robert Baratheon let out a hearty laugh. "Eddard, hurry up and hatch those dragons! Once the Starks and the Baratheons both have dragons, distance won't be a problem when our children marry."

After the banquet ended, Robert Baratheon and Eddard left, leaving only Tyrion, Jaime, and Cersei in the hall.

Jaime said, "Eddard has no intention of a betrothal; he is afraid of leaving his precious daughter in King's Landing."

Tyrion said, "The more I look at Eddard hatching dragons, the more it seems like a ruse. I have noticed Eddard is buying hearts in Flea Bottom and the wealthy districts, and he has many eyes and ears. He has already learned to use the tactics of the Spider and Littlefinger against us."

"I heard Janos Slynt complaining that Eddard confiscated several hundred sets of armor from the Gold Cloaks on the grounds of poor quality, yet he didn't mention a word of it at the Small Council."

Cersei gave a cold hum, "Is Eddard so poor he's gone mad? Even snatching the Gold Cloaks' armor?"

Tyrion said gloomily, "If Eddard's purpose in confiscating the armor was just to make money, that would be fortunate. I am worried that if he has his Winter Wolves dress up as Gold Cloaks and suddenly attack the Red Keep, this..."

Cersei was startled, "If Eddard really did that, it would be treason. If Robert Baratheon discovered Eddard was hoarding Gold Cloak armor, Robert Baratheon's warhammer..."

"Would not strike his good brother Eddard." Tyrion wore his sweetest smile. "Which of Janos Slynt and his band of scoundrels doesn't have a stash of Gold Cloak equipment and armor hidden at home? With Robert Baratheon's tendency to smooth things over, even if you went to accuse Eddard of hoarding Gold Cloak uniforms with ill intent, you couldn't prove anything."

Cersei pondered for a long while. "Eddard's meager forces are not worth mentioning; I have hidden quite a few Mercenaries in King's Landing. Eddard is staying on Rhaenys Hill, surrounded on all sides. With longbows, heavy crossbows, and catapults ready, how could he escape? If he cannot hatch the dragons, he won't be leaving King's Landing alive."

Robert Baratheon and Eddard strolled through the Red Keep's Godswood, the leaves rustling.

"Eddard, our children will be betrothed in the future; you must help me take good care of my children. Joffrey is a bit mischievous, but Myrcella and Tommen are both good children."

These are Lannister Bastards, nothing to do with you. Jaime cuckolded you. Eddard wanted very much to tell Robert Baratheon, but would Robert Baratheon believe him? The more than three million Gold Dragons the Lannisters lent the Royal Family were not spent in vain. Lannister gold had long since permeated every corner of King's Landing: the Church, the Gold Cloaks, the Kingsguard...

And the nobles near the Crownlands. According to information gathered by Eddard's men in Flea Bottom, when Tywin left King's Landing, he made arrangements at Stokeworth, Rosby, and Harrenhal, but no one knows exactly what those arrangements are.

From a factual perspective, the bastards Robert Baratheon fathered with other women were all black-haired; the Baratheon black-haired trait is strong. Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are all blond. Grand Maester Malleon's "Lineages of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms" can prove that when Lannisters and Baratheons intermarry, the offspring are all black-haired.

In the eyes of decent people, the evidence identifying Cersei's children as Bastards is considered ironclad. However, fairness and justice do not exist in King's Landing. The people here might cheer for your performance at a Tourney one day, and the next, they might be keen to watch you get beheaded, hanged, or throw stones and eggs at a former hero in a cage.

It is estimated that the moment Robert Baratheon begins investigating the children's bloodline, he will lose his life, and Jon Arryn and Eddard will be buried along with him.

The leaves of the Godswood rustled. Robert Baratheon patted Eddard on the shoulder. "Jon Arryn is old. In the future, my children can only be entrusted to you. You must take good care of my children."

Eddard nodded, "Robert Baratheon, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of them."

However, the ones Eddard intended to take care of were not the Lannister Bastards, but Robert Baratheon's own bastards—those who appeared in the visions on the Isle of Faces. Eddard knew them; some were right here in King's Landing. Eddard had to dig them out before the Lannisters did; otherwise, if these bastards fell into Cersei's hands, they would certainly be dead.

Fortunately, in these past few days, Eddard's men had already discovered the whereabouts of Robert Baratheon's bastards.

Eddard, accompanied by Ser Baron Swann and the Lightning Lord, arrived at a high-end brothel on Silk Street.

The brothel's madam, Shaya, was a Summer Islander. Her skin was like black jade, and she wore an amber silk gown, possessing a noble temperament.

"Wolf Prince, you shone brilliantly at the Tourney. The girls in our brothel have all been hoping the Wolf King would come to visit! I wonder what kind of girls the Wolf King likes? We have plenty of beauties for you to choose from."

Eddard said calmly, "I have come to visit a friend's child." Eddard whispered into Shaya's ear, telling her.

Shaya was stunned for a moment, "So that's how it is. Please, follow me."

In the brothel's backyard, Eddard saw Robert Baratheon's daughter, Bella. She was only a few months old. Her mother, Lolly, was young and was currently nursing Bella.

Lolly had blond hair, while Bella had a thick head of black hair. A strong proof of Baratheon blood.

Eddard said, "Lolly, I want to adopt your daughter. Come with me!"

Lolly frowned, "Wolf Prince, does that man not want me anymore? I have been waiting for him."

Eddard said, "It is precisely because of that man's concern that I have come to look after you."

Lolly lowered her head, "If the Wolf Prince is willing, I am willing to be your mistress."

Eddard said, "Lolly, you are still young. You don't need to be anyone's mistress to support yourself. Bella and you will never have to worry about food or clothing. Come with me!" Eddard gave Shaya three Gold Dragons as the fee to redeem Lolly.

Danzi, Arayaya, Mary, and other prostitutes came together to see off Lolly and the mother-daughter pair of Bella. These people were prostitutes, yet they had all helped take care of young Bella. In Eddard's eyes, these prostitutes were far nobler than some sanctimonious noblewomen.

Eddard brought Lolly and Bella back to the residence next to the Dragonpit. Catelyn frowned, "Eddard, have you acquired another bastard daughter?"

Eddard said, "This is Robert Baratheon's bastard daughter. We must protect her well; otherwise, Cersei might kill the mother and daughter."

Catelyn was then relieved and immediately arranged for a maid to prepare rooms for Lolly and Bella.

Eddard took the Lightning Lord and Ser Baron Swann and rode straight to Iron Street.

Iron Street was the district where the smiths of King's Landing gathered. At the foot of the hill, they forged horseshoes, sickles, and chains. The further up one went, the higher the grade of the smithy. At the summit were the gathering places of the Master of Arms.

Eddard arrived at Tobho Mott's smithy. Tobho Mott welcomed him hurriedly. He wore a magnificent black velvet silk coat, with the smith's crest engraved in gold thread, and the sleeves were adorned with freshwater pearls.

Tobho Mott is a renowned Master of Arms of the Blacksmiths' Guild in King's Landing; he has a substantial income and is one of the few blacksmiths in King's Landing who has mastered the technique of forging Valyrian Steel, a skill he specifically traveled to Qohor to learn back in the day.

When Eddard said he had come looking for Robert Baratheon's bastard, Gendry, the smile immediately vanished from Tobho Mott's face; he led Eddard to the backyard, where Eddard saw Gendry.

Gendry had a sturdy build; he wore a short-sleeved coarse cloth shirt, his arms were strong, his chest was covered in chest hair, and his eyes and hair looked exactly like Robert Baratheon's; he held a horned helmet tucked under his arm.

"Gendry, come with me! I need a smith."

Tobho Mott hurriedly blocked him, "Wolf Prince, you cannot take him away for no reason."

Eddard handed over a Gold Dragon, "This is enough to pay you."

Tobho Mott pushed the money back to Eddard, "I don't want your money. Gendry is my apprentice, and I don't want my apprentice to get into trouble; you and I both know who Gendry is, and I don't want this boy to have any dealings with people from the court; it will get him killed."

Eddard said, "Staying here is what will get him killed, and it might even implicate you."

Tobho Mott said, "As a master, I must protect my apprentice; no matter what, I will not let you take Gendry away."

Eddard admired Tobho Mott; this master smith was stubborn, but he was a man of good character. Eddard turned to Gendry, "Kid, if you run into trouble in the future, remember to come to the Dragonpit to find me."

One afternoon, Cersei was taking a walk in the Red Keep when Littlefinger appeared before her.

"Your Grace, may I have a word with you in private?"

Cersei had her handmaiden and Jaime wait to the side; she walked over and asked suspiciously, "What is it? So mysterious."

Littlefinger said, "The Wolf King seems to have suddenly taken an interest in King Robert Baratheon's bastards; he found a bastard daughter at Shaya's brothel and also went to Iron Street to find the Master of Arms, Tobho Mott, to demand a bastard named Gendry, though fortunately, he was refused by Tobho Mott."

Cersei's heart tightened immediately; Littlefinger wore a mischievous smile, "These bastards all have black hair, just like Robert Baratheon. What is the Wolf King looking for Robert Baratheon's bastards for? I am quite curious!"

Cersei forced herself to remain calm, "Lord Littlefinger, thank you for sharing this news; I will handle it."

After Littlefinger left, Jaime approached, "What did Littlefinger want to talk to you about?"

Cersei said angrily, "Send someone to Tobho Mott's smithy on Iron Street immediately and kill that bastard named Gendry."

That night, Eddard drifted into sleep, and the Weirwood Bracelet on his wrist sent out waves of whispers; in his dream, Eddard transformed into a Direwolf, traveling by night and sprinting across Rhaenys Hill.

Suddenly, the world spun, blood tore through the sky, and flames swallowed the stars.

Eddard saw a silver-haired Prince holding a Silver Harp, with a blood-red three-headed dragon behind him spewing flames, and the surrounding rivers began to boil; suddenly, the harp in the silver-haired Prince's hand turned into a sharp sword, and with one strike, he killed a Warrior holding a warhammer and wearing a stag helmet.

A flock of Mockingbirds came chirping and surrounded an eagle; under the moonlight, the Mockingbirds tore the eagle's wings to shreds, and the eagle fell to the ground and died.

A woman in blood-red clothes manipulated the Titan of Braavos, tearing one enemy after another to pieces; Eddard saw that the woman in blood-red clothes had flames dancing wildly in her eyes, and the large red gemstone on her chest was sipping blood.

Thanks to Taolipanfeng, ChangbaiVeLuMe, 20190831110137001, Nishizuma, Net Literature Purification Master Pure-hearted Young Man Tang Shao, Lupangdexiaocao, 20180222133722856, 20230113125210637, 20230220022822689, Darong Vitamin C, Mozhi, 20190825083732508, Qiangbixiaonengshou, Yueyetingchuixue for the monthly tickets sent; thank you for your support!

(End of chapter)