Chapter 191: Tywin's Decision, The Wolf Swallows the Vale

The western army of the North, led by Robb and Brynden Tully, crossed The Twins; after the Northmen crossed, Lord Walder Frey dispatched one thousand knights and three thousand infantry, and when they arrived south at Fairmarket, Lord Jason Mallister of Seagard joined the Northern army with three thousand Seagard warriors.

At this time, the number of troops from the North and the Riverlands had already exceeded thirty-eight thousand.

Leading the Frey forces was Stevron Frey, the Heir to The Twins; unlike the acerbic and eccentric Walder Frey, Ser Stevron was considered reasonable, and he was already nearly seventy years old.

At first, the soldiers of House Frey of The Twins and House Mallister of Seagard were afraid of the giants, giant eagles, mammoths, terror birds, and shadowcats in the ranks, but soon, a sense of pride in these fierce beasts and giants suddenly arose among the soldiers.

After all, these fierce beasts, skinchangers, and giants were their comrades-in-arms.

The allied forces of the North and the Riverlands arrived at Fairmarket.

Fairmarket was one of the largest towns in the Riverlands, with over thirty thousand residents, yet the local lords, the Tollett family, were merely Knighted Landed Knights, and their family castle was small and cramped, looking like an inn at first glance.

The lord here was Stanley Tollett, a chubby, bald knight, and his daughter was sixteen-year-old Candice Tollett, who had sapphire-colored eyes, brown curly hair, and wore a red brocade robe; with a sweet smile on her face, she stood with her father and the townspeople at the entrance of Fairmarket to welcome the arrival of the Northern and Riverlands army.

Robb walked at the very front of the procession, his direwolf Grey Wind following by his side; behind him were giants riding mammoths, the skinchanger Varamyr sitting on the back of a snow bear, and Tormund Giantsbane, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Harma Dogshead, and Alfyn Crowkiller, all fierce commanders of the Winter Wolves, followed on Robb's left.

Greatjon Umber, Lady Maege Mormont, Medger Cerwyn, Herman Tallhart, Galbart Glover, Robett Glover, William Dustin, and other Northern nobles walked on Robb's right.

In the ranks were also leaders of the Northern Mountain Clans such as "Big Bucket" Wull, Donnel Flint, Aron Norrey, and Liddle, as well as the Rockborn leader Billy Stane of Driftwood Hall and Resson Magnar of King's Hall.

The warriors of the Northern Mountain Clans, the Rockborn, and the cave-dwellers and night-walking tribes among the Wildlings were skilled in mountain warfare, having lived for years in the mountains of the North and Beyond the Wall. The Westerlands were mountainous, and these mountain warriors and Rockborn would prove very useful.

Robb and Brynden dismounted, and Ser Stanley Tollett recognized Brynden Tully at a glance; he grasped Brynden's hand, "Ser Brynden, you have finally returned. Riverrun is under attack, and we have been worried that Fairmarket would also be attacked; fortunately, the Westerlands army of Lord Tywin did not come here."

Ser Brynden Tully said: "We will march to Riverrun immediately; with the Northern army and the Riverlands army united, the Westerlands army will never again be able to ravage the Riverlands."

Candice Tollett looked at Robb with her sapphire-colored eyes, "Is this the legendary Young Wolf? Did your father, the Wolf King Eddard, not come? Rumor has it he is a man who fights riding a direwolf, a giant eagle, and a magic dragon!"

Robb stroked Grey Wind beside him, "My father rides the direwolf Nightwalker and a giant eagle, but he cannot ride a magic dragon yet. My father is at Harrenhal now, not here."

Candice looked at Grey Wind in surprise, "Is this the direwolf Nightwalker?"

Robb smiled, "No. This is my direwolf, Grey Wind; he is the eldest son of Nightwalker. Our family has many direwolves; my brothers and sisters all have their own little wolves, and even my uncle Benjen has one."

Candice looked at Grey Wind curiously, "May I pet this direwolf? He won't bite, will he?"

Robb said: "He won't, not as long as I am here. My father is a warg, and we children of our house all have some skinchanger talent; sometimes, I feel that a part of me is Grey Wind. If you want to pet the direwolf, feel free to try; rest assured, with me here, my Grey Wind will absolutely not bite anyone randomly."

Candice reached out and gently stroked the base of Grey Wind's ears; Grey Wind licked Candice's palm with a tongue as rough as a whetstone, making Candice laugh out loud.

Robb found that he quite liked this beautiful girl, and he said: "Candice, was Fairmarket named after you? You truly are a great beauty."

Candice laughed, "Young Wolf, you really know how to make me happy. Fairmarket was originally named after a beauty from the Riverlands, whose name has long been forgotten. However, our town did indeed produce a great beauty, and that was Maege; she was one of the many mistresses of Aegon IV, and the wife of a smith."

"Aegon IV was known as 'Aegon the Unworthy', dubbed 'the King who screwed the Seven Kingdoms'; he tasted countless beauties in his life, and he publicly acknowledged as many as nine mistresses, and the only commoner mistress among them was our Fairmarket's Maege, the wife of a smith."

Robb frowned and said: "I have heard from our Maester Luwin that this Aegon IV sired many bastards, including Daemon Blackfyre, Aegor Rivers, and Brynden Rivers. Did Maege have any children with Aegon the Unworthy?"

Candice said: "She had a few daughters, all of whom Aegon IV sent to the Faith to become septas. Once Aegon IV grew tired of Maege, he sent her back to her husband, and a few years later, Maege was beaten to death by her smith husband."

Robb sighed: "What a sad story."

Afterwards, the army passed a smithy, and Candice told Robb, "This is the smithy of Maege's husband from back then; it is now run by an old man, who is a descendant of Maege and her smith husband."

Ser Stanley Tollett of Fairmarket dispatched two thousand soldiers to follow Robb on the campaign, and with the cavalry of many small lords nearby, the number of the allied forces of the North and the Riverlands had already exceeded forty thousand.

The army marched south at full speed, heading toward Riverrun.

Saltpans, on the north bank of the mouth of the Trident, had over ten thousand residents, and the lord here was Ser Quincey Cox, a white-haired old man whose family's small castle overlooked the town.

Eddard stood on the balcony of the castle, gazing at the docks of Saltpans in the distance, where more than thirty Northern galleons, longships, armed merchant ships, and grain ships were moored.

Ser Quincey Cox appeared very nervous, "Wolf Prince, you are stationing troops in Saltpans; could it be that this place is about to be attacked?"

Eddard said: "The Lannisters may hire mercenary companies from across the Narrow Sea; previously, the Brave Companions and the Second Sons landed in the Riverlands via Crab Bay and attacked Harrenhal."

Ser Quincey Cox's aged face twisted into a knot, "But the mercenary companies did not land at Saltpans; they landed in the territory of Maidenpool."

Eddard smiled, "Therefore, I have also deployed troops at Maidenpool, with an equal number of ships docked in the harbor of Maidenpool."

Today, the two most important ports in the Riverlands, Maidenpool and Saltpans, were entirely under the control of the direwolves. After the Northern army arrived, these Riverlands nobles near Harrenhal became increasingly obedient to Eddard's orders.

"Ser Quincey, you are getting old, and Saltpans has few troops; the Winter Wolves and the Northern fleet can protect your town. After the war is over, I will help Saltpans develop into a city; how about that?"

Ser Quincey Cox's eyes immediately lit up, "Really? But, before the dragons came to Westeros, the kings of the Riverlands throughout history—whether the King of the Rivers and the Hills, the King of the Storm, the King of the Trident, or the later kings of the Hoare family from the Iron Islands—all refused the charter for Saltpans and refused to let Saltpans develop into a city."

The Trident ran through the entire Riverlands region, and in Eddard's mind, the shipping value of the Trident should not be lower than that of the Blackwater River, the White Knife, or the Honeywine. The White Knife nurtured the Northern city of White Harbor, the Blackwater River nurtured King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros, and the Honeywine nurtured Oldtown, the largest port and second-largest city in Westeros.

Compared to King's Landing, White Harbor, and Oldtown, Saltpans at the mouth of the Trident was far more shabby. Saltpans could not even be considered an important port on the east coast of Westeros.

The Riverlands had fertile soil and numerous rivers, and its agriculture and handicrafts were very developed, yet it had not nurtured any cities; instead, it had many towns with populations over ten thousand, such as Fairmarket, Stoneway, Saltpans, Lambswold, Maidenpool, and the small town of Lord Harroway, and many of the lords of these towns were Knighted Landed Knights living in small castles, with low titles.

In fact, if one thinks about it carefully, the reason is very simple: the Riverlands had been a battleground since ancient times, and there had always been the saying, "When Westeros goes to war, the Riverlands bleed." The kings who ruled the Riverlands throughout history never had stable reigns and often faced internal and external troubles; how could these kings dare to delegate power to small towns to develop?

Coupled with frequent wars, the Riverlands were almost always at war with their neighbors, whether the opponent was the King of the Rock to the west, the King of the Vale to the east, the King of the Reach to the southwest, or the King of the Storm.

Even the Ironborn from the Iron Islands had once established a vast Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers in the Riverlands, and many of the ancient and noble Kings of the Rivers and the Hills had their bloodlines extinguished, let alone these nobles of the towns. Some towns were ravaged by war just as they were developing, and their populations plummeted.

In the future, after Eddard annexed the Riverlands, he would develop Saltpans into a city; this was the mouth of the Trident, and goods from as far away as Seagard, The Twins, and Riverrun, as well as goods from villages along the way, could all be transported to Saltpans by ship.

Saltpans could also serve as the mouth of the Riverlands, absorbing goods from all over Westeros, the Free Cities, and the world.

Eddard stood on the balcony of the castle of Ser Quincey Cox, the Lord of Saltpans, and saw a raven flying toward him; he immediately controlled it with his mind, and the raven landed on Eddard's arm, and Eddard removed the letter.

Ever since Eddard began to absorb the power of nature according to the teachings of the Three-Eyed Crow, his skinchanger ability had become increasingly powerful; he could easily control birds and beasts, occupy the souls of these animals, and make them obey his commands.

Eddard removed the letter tied to the raven's leg; the letter was sent by Catelyn from Harrenhal.

It turned out that Eddard's ally in the Vale, Lord Yohn "Bronze" Royce of Runestone, had already led the Runestone army, united with Lady Anya Waynwood of Ironoaks, Ser Symond Templeton of Nine Star, Lord Horton Redfort of Redfort, Lord Benedar Belmore of Strongsong, and Lord Eon Hunter of Longbow Hall, and with a combined army of over twenty thousand, they had already besieged the Eyrie.

These Vale nobles, loyal to Jon Arryn, learned that Littlefinger had killed Jon Arryn and that Lysa had been having an affair with Littlefinger for many years, and thus they were all filled with righteous indignation and demanded that Lysa hand over Lord Robin Arryn.

That snot-nosed brat who frequently suffered from seizures was the Warden of the East, Lord of the Eyrie, and ruler of the Vale; these nobles did not want the Lord of the Vale to be controlled by the harlot Lysa.

Now, Lord Nestor Royce, the Lord Protector of the Gates of the Moon below the Eyrie, had closed the city gates and was in a standoff with the army of Bronze Yohn, while Lysa and Lord Robin Arryn were trapped inside the Eyrie.

At the same time, Lord Gerold Grafton of Gulltown, Lord Lyonel Corbray of Heart's Home, and Lord Benjicot Mallister of Old Anchor publicly accused Bronze Yohn of treason, declared their support for Lysa, and had already begun to assemble their armies.

Civil war in the Vale was imminent, and Eddard knew that the time to annex the Vale had come.

Catelyn also mentioned in the letter that Lysa had written to her, requesting her help and hoping to receive aid from the Northern and Riverlands armies.

It seemed that, faced with the pressure from the lords of the Vale, Lysa had completely panicked; she did not write to Eddard for help, but chose to ask her sister Catelyn for help. It seemed that in Lysa's heart, family affection still occupied a certain place.

Eddard immediately came to the great hall of Saltpans Castle, where Ser Wendel, Lord Roose Bolton, Lady Maege Mormont, and Lord Rickard Karstark were waiting; Eddard looked around at everyone.

"There is civil unrest in the Vale, and I am going to resolve the problem."

The nobles of the North exchanged suspicious glances, and Roose Bolton whispered, "Wolf Prince, I have always assumed that Lady Lysa would bring the Canyon Knights to join us. Why would the Vale fall into civil strife first?"

Eddard said calmly, "Rest assured, everything is under my control."

Harrenhal is of the utmost importance; Eddard must go to the Vale, so the personnel commanding Harrenhal are critical.

"Lord Rickard, you are to return to Harrenhal. During my absence from Harrenhal, you shall be responsible for its defense."

Lord Rickard Karstark was very pleased and said, "Wolf Prince, I shall certainly not fail this mission." Lord Rickard Karstark left with his sons.

"Ser Wendel, I want you to take the Beijing Donghaian Fleet to Gulltown."

Ser Wendel of White Harbor was somewhat surprised, "What for, going to Gulltown?"

Eddard said, "Gerold Grafton of Gulltown is currently gathering troops; he is attempting to send an army to the Eyrie. You are to bring the fleet to Gulltown and line them up in the waters outside the port of Gulltown. Once Gerold Grafton sees the fleet, he will understand that he should obediently stay in Gulltown."

"If the Gulltown fleet dares to attack, resolutely annihilate them. However, I estimate that House Grafton does not have the guts; their fleet cannot compare to the Beijing Donghaian Fleet." Ser Wendel accepted the order and left.

Among Lysa's supporters, House Corbray of Heart's Home is ancient and proud but has already declined; House Mallister of Old Anchor is adjacent to the Runestone of "Bronze" Lord Yohn. House Corbray and House Mallister are destined to be unable to send many troops.

House Grafton is different; House Grafton of Gulltown is the only noble house capable of wrestling with House Royce of Runestone.

As the only city in the Vale, Gulltown is larger in scale than White Harbor, and House Grafton, which rules Gulltown, possesses great strength.

Back during the War of the Usurper, the Mad King Aerys wrote to Lord Jon Arryn of the Eyrie, demanding that Jon Arryn hand over his two wards, Eddard and Robert Baratheon. Jon Arryn raised his arms and declared open opposition to the tyranny of the Mad King Aerys.

Jon Arryn ruled the Vale for many years and was deeply loved by the commoners and nobles. However, when Jon Arryn raised the banner of the rebel army, not every noble house in the Vale responded; there were still nobles who supported the Mad King Aerys on the Iron Throne in King's Landing, and the greatest threat among them was House Grafton of Gulltown.

The Lord of Gulltown at the time was Marq Grafton, who led the Gulltown army to blockade the coast of Gulltown and once occupied the mountain passes, causing Robert Baratheon and Eddard to be trapped in the Vale, unable to return to their respective fiefs to summon their great armies.

Helpless, Eddard chose to head north, traveling via the Three Sisters to return to White Harbor. Robert Baratheon remained in Gulltown to fight; he killed Lord Marq Grafton on the walls of Gulltown, and only then did House Grafton agree to submit to House Arryn and join the rebel army to fight against the Mad King Aerys.

One must know that if Robert Baratheon had not killed Marq Grafton back then, the rebel army might have been extinguished in the Vale while still in its infancy.

Today, more than a decade later, Gulltown has become a key house in the turmoil of the Vale.

If Gulltown sends troops to support Lysa, the Vale will likely erupt into bloody conflict. Eddard sent the Beijing Donghaian Fleet to demonstrate, ensuring that House Grafton recognizes the situation.

Roose Bolton looked at Lord Rickard and Ser Wendel as they left, and said gloomily, "Wolf Prince, I feel that I am more experienced than Ser Wendel. Why not let me command the fleet to Gulltown? Of course, if I could obtain command of Harrenhal, I would also be very happy."

Eddard smiled, "You are my brain trust; I cannot do without you offering me strategies!"

Roose Bolton was not satisfied with this answer; he simply felt that he was not being put to important use.

In truth, Eddard did not trust Roose Bolton at all; the loyalty of the Leech Lord was a serious problem.

Subsequently, Eddard took one thousand cavalry and left Saltpans.

Lady Maege Mormont rode beside Eddard, and she said with some worry, "Lord Eddard, we only have one thousand cavalry. We should mobilize ten thousand troops from Harrenhal to march into the Vale; one thousand is too few."

Eddard said, "Two thousand cavalry will join us at the Ruby Ford."

Roose Bolton said, "Three thousand is still too few to conquer the Eyrie."

Eddard said calmly, "You are wrong. Conquering the Eyrie has never relied on cavalry and infantry."

Eddard lazily raised a hand, and the Magic Dragon, the flying wolf, Prince of Giant Eagles Michu, and Giant Eagle Princess Bessa appeared in the sky; a total of more than twenty giant eagles and magic dragons flew over.

Roose Bolton, Lady Maege Mormont, and other Northern nobles were all stunned.

Back then, Queen Visenya conquered the Eyrie relying on the magic dragon Vhagar. Today, Eddard not only has magic dragons but also giant eagles. Eddard is determined to take the Eyrie, the castle of House Arryn in the Vale.

In the Westerlands, at Crakehall, Jaime and Lord Roland Crakehall of Crakehall drank golden wine together; these fine wines were all looted from Renly Baratheon's camp.

That late night, Lord Randyll Tarly led the Horn Hill cavalry in a sortie, and Jaime voluntarily retreated. Subsequently, the Westerlands infantry arrived. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Randyll Tarly could only lead his troops away. Renly Baratheon's camp fell into the hands of the Westerlands, and the Reach army routed overnight, having already retreated south to the Reach.

Renly Baratheon's Rose Chariot, fine wine, treasured porcelain, exquisite armor, dragonbone longbows, and more, all fell into the hands of the Westerlands.

The surprise attack by the Westerlands army slaughtered more than five thousand Reach knights and captured fewer than one hundred noble knights.

On the castle's tapestry was the spotted boar sigil of House Crakehall.

Lord Roland Crakehall was over sixty, with a full head of silver hair and a sturdy body, looking just like a strong old boar. Roland Crakehall said, "Ever since my son, the Stout Pig, was captured by that damned Wolf King at Harrenhal, I haven't had such a satisfying victory in a long time."

"Ser Jaime, it is you who brought victory to Crakehall and the Westerlands."

Jaime sipped the golden wine, "Lord Roland, actually, the one who secured this victory was you. If you hadn't led the Westerlands army to use the forest to stubbornly block the steel torrent of the Reach, I wouldn't have had time to rescue you, and Crakehall might have fallen."

The Golden Lady Taena was eating honey steak on the side. With her blonde hair and green eyes, she looked somewhat similar to Cersei, but without a doubt, compared to Queen Regent Cersei, the Golden Lady was wilder, deadlier, and more dangerous.

Every time she ate food, she would sprinkle a handful of gold powder on it. Lord Tywin gave the Golden Lady a high reward; could it be that those Gold Dragons were being eaten into the Golden Lady's stomach just like that?

On that bloody night of the surprise attack on the Reach, the Golden Lady's lion and bewitching wild wolf bit some of the Reach soldiers to death; most importantly, they made the enemy feel fear. Nothing is more important than spreading fear.

Jaime poured a full glass of wine for the Golden Lady, "Golden Lady, the victory belongs to you. You, your beasts, and those scouting sparrows helped us."

The Golden Lady sprinkled a handful of gold powder into the wine and then drank it in one gulp.

Jaime was curious, "Why do you add gold powder to your food and wine?"

The Golden Lady revealed a sunny smile, "Ser Jaime, gold is the most precious metal. A little bit of gold powder allows me to see through the mists of the human world, to better communicate with the world, and to see clearly some truths that mortals cannot see."

Roland Crakehall snorted, "My lady, you call yourself a beast tamer, but I think you're a witch. My hall does not welcome witches. You claim you can see the truth; pray tell, what truth is that?"

The Golden Lady said, "Ignorant people. That night, the Westerlands defeated the Rose Stag. However, behind you, in the north, the sparrows brought terrible news: Lannisport has suffered an attack by an enemy fleet."

Some Westerlands nobles began to laugh loudly. Roland Crakehall said, "Lannisport? You say Renly Baratheon sent a fleet to attack Lannisport? How is that possible? As everyone knows, the Redwyne Fleet did not participate in the war. Even if some ships from the Reach went north, they couldn't attack Lannisport, because Lannisport has the protection of the fleet."

At this moment, Lord Tywin and Ser Kevan walked in.

Lord Roland, Jaime, and a group of Westerlands nobles hurriedly stood up to welcome them. Lord Roland laughed, "Lord Tywin, the Golden Lady actually said that Lannisport has been attacked."

In Lord Tywin's golden eyes, anger flickered.

"The Golden Lady is right. A raven just arrived, bringing terrible news: Lannisport has been tragically attacked. Our fleet was attacked by the enemy using fire, and dozens of ships were all tragically burned to ashes."

The smile on Roland's face stiffened and vanished, "Why would Lannisport be attacked?"

Ser Kevan said, "According to the descriptions of the surviving Lannisport fleet captains and sailors, the enemy ships were all Ironborn longships, and the enemy was flying the golden sea monster of House Greyjoy."

The joy of victory over Renly Baratheon's army instantly turned bitter, even tasting of ash.

Jaime said indignantly, "Damned Ironborn, we should have guarded against them long ago. Back then, King Balon usurped the throne and declared himself king; he sent his brothers Euron and Victarion with the Iron Fleet to burn our Lannisport fleet in the harbor with fire."

"Now, with three kings standing in Westeros, attacking each other, King Balon must want to usurp the throne again and wear that ugly Driftwood Crown, so he sent troops to attack our Lannisport fleet."

Lord Roland Crakehall said, "Since that is the case, we can immediately send troops to attack the Iron Islands. Lord Farman of Fair Isle possesses quite a few warships."

Lord Tywin said, "The positioning of the Fair Isle fleet is to protect the Westerlands coastline and prevent incursions by the Ironborn. If we let the Fair Isle fleet go and contend with the Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands, we will surely be defeated. Back then, Stannis, with the Royal Fleet and the Redwyne Fleet together, only then defeated the Iron Fleet in the Battle of Fair Isle."

"When the Lannisport Fleet was destroyed, I immediately began rebuilding it. I spent a great deal of money, yet in the end, the fleet remained just as vulnerable. I trained the Lannisport City Watch to be the strongest in Westeros, but unfortunately, the people of the Westerlands are not skilled at navigation or naval warfare. Perhaps, now that I have returned to Lannisport, I should hang every captain who abandoned their ship to save their own life."

Jaime said angrily, "A Lannister always pays his debts; we must march on the Iron Islands immediately."

Duke Tywin seemed to find this interesting, and he said, "Jaime, first of all, if the Westerlands rashly attacks the Iron Islands, we may not necessarily gain the upper hand; at sea, the Ironborn are the most formidable warriors. Furthermore, I do not believe the enemy was sent by the Iron Islands."

Jaime was puzzled, "The enemy is clearly flying the golden kraken banner of King Balon of the Iron Islands, and they are sailing longships; how could they not be Ironborn, not the Iron Fleet?"

Tywin said, "At first I thought so too, but soon, I sensed something was wrong. There were only thirty-some ships that attacked Lannisport. If the Iron Fleet had sent troops to attack Lannisport, it would prove that the Iron Islands had completely declared war on the Westerlands; so why would they only send a mere thirty-some longships?"

"If the Iron Islands were to launch a surprise attack, the correct approach would be to simultaneously attack the Farman family's Fair Isle, the Banefort family's castle Hollow Hill, attack the Kenning family's Kayce, attack the Prester family's Feastfires, and attack Lannisport, rather than sneaking away and disappearing without a trace after raiding Lannisport."

Ser Kevan said, "It is very clear that some enemy wants to stir up a conflict between the kraken and the lion."

Jaime thought for a moment, "If the enemy is not the golden kraken of the Iron Islands, then who could it be?"

Duke Tywin said, "The answer is quite obvious: it is either Renly or the Wolf King Eddard. However, the Reach has very few longships, while in the West Coast Fleet built by the Wolf King Eddard, some of the shipbuilders are Ironborn, and they have many longships. I have heard that Eddard has an Iron Bitch, Helen Pyke, under his command; it is very likely that she is the one who attacked Lannisport."

Jaime followed Tywin and Kevan to the study in the Rookery, which was originally the study of Lord Roland Crakehall, but was now used by Duke Tywin.

Tywin sat in his chair and said wearily, "The Northern Western Army has already crossed The Twins, and House Frey has joined the Northern Army."

Jaime said in shock, "Lord Walder's son married Aunt Genna; he is a relative of the Lannisters!"

Tywin said, "I also originally thought that House Frey would support the Lannister cause. As long as the Frey House of The Twins stood on the side of the Lannisters, we could easily threaten the Neck and also attack Riverrun from the rear, penetrating deep into the heart of the Riverlands. It is a pity that Lord Walder trimmed his sails at the critical moment and turned to Stark."

Ser Kevan said, "Actually, one cannot blame Lord Walder; he has dozens of children and grandchildren, and relatives all over Westeros. I heard that in the Western Army, there are giants, giant eagles, wargs, and thirty thousand Northern soldiers, and among them are the most elite Winter Wolves from Winterfell. Facing such a massive army, if Lord Walder had resisted even slightly, The Twins would have been attacked immediately."

"The Westerlands Army has never been able to take Riverrun, and we cannot provide large-scale support to The Twins. Facing the attack of the Northern Army, even if The Twins withstood the first wave of the offensive, the neighbors in the Riverlands would soon besiege The Twins; how long could The Twins hold out?"

Duke Tywin said coldly, "Having lost the support of House Frey, our hope of victory in the Riverlands is even slimmer. Stannis, Renly, and the Wolf King Eddard are all scrambling to attack the Lannisters; the root cause of everything is that Cersei strangled Robert to death. I have always found it strange: to kill a fool like Robert, a cup of poisoned wine or a hunting accident would have sufficed; why did it have to be done in the King's hall, publicly strangling Robert with a strongman?"

"Not to mention that rumors are spreading everywhere among the common folk that Joffrey is a bastard of you and Cersei. That fools actually believe such slanderous rumors is because Cersei was too sloppy in the matter of killing Robert, leaving evidence for others to use; as a result, Stannis, Renly, and Eddard are spreading this matter everywhere."

Jaime sat opposite Tywin, and he really wanted to tell his old man that Cersei's children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, had nothing to do with Robert; they were all Jaime's own seed.

Jaime suspected that Tywin knew perfectly well and just refused to admit it; after all, Tywin had gone to great lengths to put his daughter on the Queen's throne, and Tywin longed for a king with Targaryen dragon blood and Lannister blood to rule the Seven Kingdoms.

Unexpectedly, Cersei and Jaime did something even more extreme, giving Tywin three "pure gold" Lannister-blooded grandsons; they were both grandsons and grandsons-in-law, and the thin Dragonlord blood in Robert was not inherited by these grandsons in the slightest.

Duke Tywin said, "I have already written to your Uncle Stafford, asking him to take gold and go discuss an alliance with King Balon. The enemy from the North attacked Lannisport flying the golden kraken banner; surely King Balon will be angry as well."

Jaime said, "King Balon's only living son is in Eddard's hands. He may not necessarily send troops."

Tywin said, "Who can say for sure? King Balon is a hard-hearted man; I hear that in recent years he has become increasingly reliant on his daughter Asha, treating Asha as if she were a son. Regardless, the Iron Islands must be won over. The Ironborn trade longships and sharp swords for the gold of the Westerlands; everyone knows this is a good deal."

Ser Kevan said, "If necessary, we could even support King Balon in wearing the Driftwood Crown. In any case, these days, crowns are not worth much."

Tywin said gloomily, "The moment Joffrey sat on the Iron Throne, Westeros fell apart and was drenched in blood. Stannis occupies most of the Crownlands, Renly holds the Stormlands and the Reach, Eddard dominates the North and is marching on the Riverlands. It is very difficult for the Lannisters to win this war."

Jaime said excitedly, "Father, we defeated Renly; I estimate Renly will be devastated in the Reach for a long time. Why don't we take the cavalry and rush to King's Landing to defeat Stannis?"

A cold glint flashed in Tywin's golden eyes, "I will not rush to King's Landing; Cersei, Joffrey, and Tyrion need to save themselves in King's Landing."

Jaime's eyes widened, "Stannis is cold and ruthless; once King's Landing falls, Cersei, Tyrion, and your grandchildren will not escape death. The Iron Throne will also be lost."

Tywin said coldly, "I am fighting this war for Joffrey for the sake of the Lannisters. The status of House Lannister comes before anyone else. If the war situation is unfavorable, for the sake of the family's interests, I am even willing to sacrifice myself, let alone the Iron Throne. At the critical moment, I will abandon Joffrey; we cannot sacrifice the entire Lannister family for a crown and an ugly iron chair."

"As for Cersei and Tyrion, they can only rely on themselves to save King's Landing."

In King's Landing, Cersei sat on the steps at the entrance to the stairs of the Iron Throne in the Throne Room, like a defeated hen.

Cersei's emerald eyes were filled with despair, and she muttered, "Stannis has captured Stokeworth and Rosby."

Tyrion said, "This was bound to happen sooner or later. Lady Tanda of Stokeworth and Lord Gyles of Rosby have already brought their families, wealth, and guards to the Red Keep in King's Landing; those two castles are no different from empty shells, and Stannis's army will take them sooner or later."

Cersei said indignantly, "You are a piece of trash! If Father and Jaime were here, Rosby and Stokeworth would never have fallen."

Tyrion said, "Those two castles are meaningless; I believe Stannis does not value those two small castles either."

Cersei stood up with a "Whoosh!", "Meaningless? Now King's Landing has completely become an isolated island in the Crownlands, and Stannis could attack the city at any time. The Commander of the City Watch, Janos Slynt, told me himself; he said that Stannis's cavalry has appeared outside the Dragon Gate and the Iron Gate. I ordered Father to send the Western Army immediately, and he actually dared to openly defy my orders!"

Tyrion laughed, "Sister, did you think Father would abandon the Westerlands to save King's Landing? How could that be possible? From the moment you sent your strongman pet to strangle Robert with Rhaegar Targaryen's harp strings, you brought endless enemies upon the Lannisters. Father has to deal with the Tullys and Starks in the Riverlands, and Renly's army from the Reach in the Reach."

Cersei said disdainfully, "Fortunately, there are enough mercenaries and City Watch in King's Landing. I will inspect the city defenses myself; if Stannis wants to come, I will make his army break their heads and bleed."

Tyrion said, "You must bring Joffrey; the Gold Cloaks and the people of King's Landing have not seen Joffrey for too long, and many people suspect that Joffrey is already dead."

Joffrey's daily life consisted of staying in the Red Keep, shooting small animals with a crossbow. The claw marks of the giant eagle left terrible scars on his scalp; even after the stitches were removed and his hair grew out a little, the scars on his scalp remained terrifying. Because no hair grew on the wounds, the scars looked particularly horrific amidst the golden stubble.

Joffrey's appearance now was only slightly better than that of his guard, The Hound. The Hound had half his face burned away, while Joffrey had terrible scars on his scalp.

Joffrey became increasingly gloomy and eccentric. The day before yesterday, he shot a servant with a crossbow just because the hunting falcon in the servant's hand reminded him of the giant eagle.

Cersei and Tyrion took Joffrey and left the Red Keep, escorted by the Kingsguard and the Lannister guards in red cloaks and lion helmets, heading straight for the Old Gate.

The mercenary Bronn led a squad of mercenaries to protect Tyrion; in these extraordinary times, the more guards he had around him, the more at ease Tyrion felt.

Because the Wolf King Eddard had destroyed the gate of the Old Gate when he escaped from King's Landing, Tyrion had to find craftsmen to work day and night to build a brand-new oak gate. Tyrion needed to ensure the new city gate was strong enough; otherwise, Stannis's battering ram might break through the gate in a few hits.

They passed through Flea Bottom, the slum of King's Landing. Along the way, there were hungry people everywhere, looking at them listlessly.

Because Stannis's army occupied Duskendale, Stokeworth, and Rosby, the entire Crownlands north of King's Landing had been occupied by Stannis.

Recently, refugees pouring into King's Landing from all over had caused the population of King's Landing to rise, returning to the scale of the Wolf King Festival, approaching five hundred and fifty thousand people.

Due to the war, the Rose Road, the Kingsroad, the Golden Road, and Blackwater Bay were all blockaded. King's Landing's food supply relied heavily on the Crownlands, and with the Crownlands falling into Stannis's hands, King's Landing had truly become a city living off its dwindling stores.

More than five hundred thousand people gathered in King's Landing; fresh vegetables could not be bought in the market at all, and the price of bread on Bread Street had risen tenfold, yet many people still could not buy bread. The market began selling rat meat and dead cats, and the brown soup in Flea Bottom contained human ears, fingers, and toes, yet people still ate it regardless.

Tyrion had long anticipated that the increase in refugees would exacerbate King's Landing's food problem; therefore, Tyrion collected copper coins from the people who entered the city for refuge, and those without copper coins had their food confiscated.

In addition, Tyrion also detained more than fifty ships that were docked in King's Landing, requisitioning all of them to go fishing in the Blackwater River, and sent hunters to the Kingswood south of the Blackwater River to hunt, bringing back wild ducks, pheasants, and wild boars. The hunters and fishing boats could bring back some game and fresh fish every day, but compared to the many mouths in the entire city that needed to eat, this was merely a drop in the bucket.

Tyrion began to envy Stannis, because Stannis had the Onion Knight Davos Seaworth under his command. If Tyrion also had an excellent smuggler like the Onion Knight, he could bypass Stannis's naval blockade and smuggle food into King's Landing.

The onions that the Onion Knight smuggled back then saved Storm's End; now that King's Landing was under siege, Tyrion needed a hundred Onion Knights to have any chance of feeding King's Landing.

In fact, maritime smuggling into King's Landing had never stopped. During the war, prices soared, and smugglers were naturally willing to take the risk. Or, Tyrion could recruit some smugglers to work for him.

But Tyrion believed that there must be merchants in King's Landing who had hoarded a lot of food; most of the food on the market now was hoarded by merchants for speculation, and they were only bringing it out to sell at high prices. Tyrion had already ordered the City Watch and mercenaries to investigate those merchants who were hoarding for speculation, and once caught, their food would be confiscated.

In Flea Bottom, a ragged white-bearded Septa, holding the emaciated corpse of a baby girl, followed by a group of hungry children and poor people, blocked the path of the royal procession.

The white-bearded Septa said, "Your Majesty, Queen, please give these children some food! The children are all starving to death."

"Yes, we want bread!"

"Give us bread."

Tyrion scattered a handful of copper coins, and the crowd immediately began to scramble for them, but more people still stood where they were, motionless.

Cersei said with disgust, "His Grace is going to inspect the city defenses, move aside at once. I promise I will solve your food problems. Clear the road immediately."

The crowd surrounding them grew larger and larger, even blocking the road behind them. On the rooftops, at the alley entrances, and on the second-floor balconies, there were starving people everywhere. Tyrion began to regret walking into Flea Bottom.

Joffrey Baratheon seemed to sense that something was wrong, and he said angrily, "You bunch of paupers, clear the way for the King at once!"

No one moved.

Just then, Commander of the City Watch Janos Slynt arrived with a group of Gold Cloaks, escorting a carriage.

Janos Slynt was in full plate armor. As soon as he saw the poor of Flea Bottom surrounding Cersei, Joffrey Baratheon, and the Imp, he hurriedly brandished his whip and led the Gold Cloaks to clear a path.

A fawning smile appeared on Janos Slynt's face, "Your Grace, these smallfolk truly do not know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth; they actually dare to block the path of the Queen Regent. I must teach them a harsh lesson."

Cersei glanced at the carriage, which was covered with a black cloth. "What is this carriage for?"

Janos Slynt said proudly, "Your Grace, in recent days, hasn't the Hand of the King ordered the City Watch to investigate merchants who are hoarding and speculating? We caught a smuggler, and he had a pile of fresh carrots, apples, and lemons stored in his home."

Afterward, Janos Slynt waved his hand lazily, and a Gold Cloak immediately lifted the black cloth; a cart full of lemons, carrots, and apples appeared, looking exceptionally tempting.

Above the fruits and vegetables was a blood-drenched human head.

Pair after pair of hungry eyes stared at the fruit; no one cared about the blood or the head.

A white-bearded Septon said, "Distribute this food to the children!"

Joffrey Baratheon pulled that crossbow from somewhere and shot an arrow through the old Septon's throat; blood dripped down.

"I would rather feed it to the rabbits than share it with you."

Oh no! This was the end; Tyrion felt the anger rising all around them.

"Bastard Joffrey!"

"Share the food with us, bastard!"

Rotten vegetable leaves, stones, and excrement were hurled at Joffrey Baratheon, Cersei, and Tyrion. The poor of Flea Bottom began to rush madly toward the carriage, scrambling for the lemons, carrots, and apples.

Janos Slynt foolishly swung his sword and cut down a child, and after that, everything became uncontrollable. The angry crowd, armed with clubs, sickles, and hammers, fought with the Gold Cloaks and Red Cloaks. Tyrion saw Janos Slynt being dragged off his horse, and then the people used stones and cudgels to smash Janos Slynt's head into a pulp.

Tyrion, Cersei, and Joffrey Baratheon, under the protection of the Kingsguard, The Hound, and Bronn, charged out of Flea Bottom.

By the time Tyrion, Joffrey Baratheon, and Cersei escaped back to the Red Keep, Flea Bottom was already a sea of flames.

Cersei stood on the city wall, trembling. Baelor's Sept, the Dragonpit, Flea Bottom, and Silent Sisters Street were all engulfed in flames. "These rioters want to kill us."

Tyrion said gloomily, "What did you expect? Your Joffrey Baratheon used a crossbow to shoot and kill innocent commoners and refused to distribute food. Stingy and cruel—can such a person sit on the Iron Throne? The question now is whether we die at the hands of Stannis or at the hands of the mob."

Cersei clenched her fists. "Father refuses to send troops to rescue King's Landing, and I will never sit still and wait for death. I have decided to send Littlefinger out to seek support for the Iron Throne from The Vale, Dorne, or the Iron Islands."

When Eddard flew over the Giant's Lance on a giant eagle, the more than twenty thousand soldiers of the allied Vale lords marching against Lysa Arryn all let out bursts of cheers.

Three thousand Winter Wolves cavalry followed Eddard along the mountain road to the Bloody Gate. The Knight of the Bloody Gate at this time was Donnel Waynwood. Because Lysa Arryn had already been frightened out of her wits at the Eyrie, she had sent a letter down from the Eyrie notifying the Bloody Gate and the Moon Gate that if reinforcements from the North or the Riverlands arrived, the Bloody Gate and the Moon Gate could let them pass directly.

Eddard led the great army to the foot of the Eyrie without obstruction. More than twenty giant eagles soared in the blue sky, and the magic dragon flew past the waterfall "Alyssa's Tears." The soldiers of The Vale cheered in unison.

Bronze Yohn Royce was the leader of this army that had come to call Lysa Arryn to account. Bronze Yohn had not only gathered the army from his own lands but had also summoned his vassals, including House Tollett, the House Coldwater of Coldwater, and the House Shett of Gull Tower.

To avenge Jon Arryn and save Duke Robin Arryn from the hands of the harlot Lysa Arryn, House Hunter of Longbow Hall, House Waynwood of Ironoaks, House Templeton of Nine Star, House Redfort of Redfort, and House Belmore of Strongsong all sent troops. Their combined strength exceeded twenty thousand men, and they called themselves the "Protectors of the Chick Eagle," meaning they were protecting Duke Robin Arryn.

Eddard arrived at the camp of the Chick Eagle Army and summoned its leaders: the Knight of the Bloody Gate Donnel Waynwood and the Captain of the Guard of the Moon Gate Nestor Royce.

The noble core of the Chick Eagle Army was the Lord of Runestone, Bronze Yohn Royce, who wore a suit of bronze armor engraved with the runes of the First Men; the elderly Lady Anya Waynwood of Ironoaks was dignified and elegant, and she was the mother of Donnel Waynwood; Lord Benedar Belmore of Strongsong was a fat man with a fleshy chin covered in short stubble.

Sir Symond Templeton, the Lord of Nine Star, had a black, pointed beard, blue eyes, and a sharp nose. House Templeton was only a house of knights, but their strength far exceeded that of many fallen noble houses with higher titles; this time, House Templeton easily brought two thousand men.

Eddard invited Baron Nestor Royce, the Captain of the Guard of the Moon Gate, and Sir Donnel Waynwood, the Knight of the Bloody Gate, into the main tent of the Chick Eagle Army. They had sworn to defend the Eyrie and were in direct opposition to the Chick Eagle Army.

Nestor Royce said with great concern, "Wolf Prince, during the time Jon Arryn went to King's Landing to serve as Hand of the King, I served as the High Steward of The Vale for over ten years. Jon Arryn brought prosperity to The Vale; I never expected that as soon as Jon Arryn died, The Vale would face the risk of civil war."

Eddard reassured him, "You are all loyal subjects of Jon Arryn and are all doing this for the sake of little Duke Robin Arryn, and Duke Robin Arryn is, in fact, my nephew. In reality, Jon Arryn once intended to have Robin fostered by me. If you must blame someone, blame Littlefinger; it was he who manipulated the poor Lysa Arryn and caused the death of Jon Arryn."

Bronze Yohn said, "I hear that Lord Gerold Grafton of Gulltown is gathering an army. I suspect this man is in collusion with Littlefinger."

Eddard said, "I have already dispatched the Beijing Donghaian Fleet to Gulltown. I believe Lord Gerold Grafton will be wise enough to disband his army."

Bronze Yohn said, "Wolf Prince, Lysa Arryn refuses to hand over Robin Arryn. The Eyrie has plenty of stored grain, and it is impossible to take by force. What are we to do?"

Eddard looked up at the Eyrie, which stood six hundred feet above like a heavenly palace. "My giant eagles and magic dragon can easily take the Eyrie."

The silver moon shone upon the Eyrie. Eddard, Giant Eagle Prince Michu, and Giant Eagle Princess Osha appeared in the sky above the Eyrie, riding giant eagles, with over a dozen more giant eagles behind them.

The guards of the Eyrie, in their falcon helmets and sky-blue cloaks, were terrified. Lysa Arryn immediately brought Duke Robin Arryn into the courtyard.

As soon as Robin saw the giant eagles, he said excitedly, "So many winged knights! Mother! I want to fly with them!"

Seeing Eddard on the back of a giant eagle, Lysa Arryn was both shocked and afraid. She said, "Eddard, have you come to save me and my sweet Robin? Hurry and kill all those rebels below the Eyrie."

Eddard said, "Lysa Arryn, those people are not rebels; they are here to protect Duke Robin Arryn. Littlefinger has fooled you; he killed Jon Arryn, and Littlefinger is attempting to rule The Vale through you."

Lysa Arryn's face darkened. "Nonsense! You say Littlefinger killed Jon Arryn—what proof do you have?"

Eddard said, "Lysa Arryn, I will give you proof, but you must first come with me to Harrenhal. I will provide sweet Robin with the best treatment to help him overcome his seizures, and I will make him a Giant Eagle Knight, just like the winged knights in the legends."

Sweet Robin clapped with his thin, withered hands. "Yay! I want to be a winged knight!"

Lysa Arryn pulled sweet Robin behind her. "I will not leave the Eyrie! No one can take sweet Robin from me! Eddard, leave here at once, or I will have my soldiers loose their arrows."

Eddard stayed in mid-air with the giant eagles and did not leave; the giant eagles nearby continued to circle.

Lysa Arryn roared, "Sir Vardis Egen, loose arrows!"

The cry of the magic dragon tore through the sky, and the magic dragon flew above the courtyard of the Eyrie. The soldiers of the Eyrie were stunned.

The last time a dragon appeared at the Eyrie was three hundred years ago, when Visenya descended into the courtyard riding Vhagar, and in the end, the last King of The Vale and the Regent Queen chose to surrender to the dragon.

Lysa Arryn urged the soldiers to loose arrows. Sir Vardis Egen, the Captain of the Guard of the Eyrie, stood with a group of soldiers, hesitant; some soldiers began to nock arrows to their bows.

Eddard said, "Sir Vardis Egen, you followed Jon Arryn for many years; do you really want to watch Jon Arryn's son be trapped to death in the Eyrie? It was Littlefinger who murdered Jon Arryn."

Sir Vardis Egen waved his hand to signal the soldiers not to attack the giant eagles and the magic dragon. At this, Lysa Arryn completely collapsed; she had lost the support of the Eyrie guard.

At this moment, Robin Arryn began to convulse, and Lysa Arryn burst into tears. Maester Colemon rushed up to save Robin, and Eddard's giant eagle swooped down. He took out the pill he had prepared in advance and gave it to Robin to take. After a while, Robin returned to normal.

Watching her son escape a disaster, Lysa Arryn was overcome with emotion. Robin said weakly, "Mommy, I want to fly."

Eddard placed his hand on Lysa Arryn's shoulder. "Lysa Arryn, stop being foolish. I do not blame you; after all, your marriage to Jon Arryn was a political one, and you have suffered through something as terrible as a miscarriage. Come home! Catelyn, Lord Hoster, and Brynden Tully will take care of you, and I will take care of you too."

"Direwolf, Trout and Falcon, Giant Eagle and Magic Dragon, all together protecting your sweet Robin, what are you still afraid of?"

Lysa Arryn nodded, "Eddard, I am willing to leave with you, I only ask that you protect my sweet Robin well."

That night, Eddard held Robin and rode a Giant Eagle down from the Eyrie, while Lysa Arryn took the lift to reach the camp of the Chick Eagle Army.

Lysa Arryn announced: "Wolf King Eddard is my brother-in-law. I announce that Eddard is the adoptive father of sweet Robin, and from now on, Eddard is the Regent of the Vale, the Protector of the Vale!"

Bronze Yohn led the nobles of the Vale to kneel in unison, "Long live Robin Arryn! Long live Wolf King Eddard!"

Eddard revealed a gratified smile; the Vale had officially been brought under the banner of the Direwolf.

The Magic Dragon Flying Wolf suddenly let out a sharp cry and flew toward the steep mountain peak, the Giant's Lance, and the Giant Eagles followed one after another.

Giant Eagle Prince Michu said: "Father of Life, that mountain peak seems very wrong! Both the Magic Dragon and the Giant Eagles have flown over there."

It was indeed so; Eddard absorbed the Natural Force and sensed that the summit of the Giant's Lance was abnormal.

In the Natural Force of the Vale, the element of stone is the most intense; besides that, there is the scent of streams, mountain springs, forests, squirrels, and Shadowcat. The Giant's Lance was emitting the scent of death and cold, which was very wrong.

The Giant's Lance is one of the highest peaks in the Vale; under normal circumstances, people simply cannot climb this mountain peak, but this could not stump Eddard. Eddard vaulted onto a Giant Eagle and flew toward the Giant's Lance.

At the summit, beside the waterfall of Alyssa's Tears, Eddard saw the thing that had attracted the Magic Dragon and the Giant Eagles.

Those were seven skulls, their hollow eyes emitting blue light.

Thanks to 201712120835553286, wasu, Bear Fatty 41, Wanbang Ryker Ju, Drunkenly Human Enjoying Joy, and Obedience for the monthly tickets sent; thank you for the support!

(End of this chapter)