Chapter 193: Griffins, the Corpse Queen Cersei, and the Rebirth of Robert

As the only city in the Vale, Gulltown possesses not only Grafton Castle of House Grafton, but also the Gull Tower of House Shett.

House Shett are descendants of the First Men; originally, Gulltown was the domain of House Shett, and at that time, House Shett was one of the most powerful kings in the Vale.

During the period when the Andals invaded the Vale, House Shett was defeated by House Grafton, and both the kingdom and the crown fell into the hands of House Grafton.

Thousands of years later, today, House Shett has fallen from kings of the First Men to Knighted Landed Knights; their fief is in the seaside suburbs of Gulltown, and they are vassals to House Royce of Runestone.

The Gull Tower, the castle of House Shett, sits on a hill by the sea; it is ancient and dilapidated, its cracked walls covered in ivy, and the ivy is covered in seagulls.

Eddard visited the lord of Gull Tower, Ser Damon Shett, who was white-haired and fierce-looking, much like a bulldog. The Maester by Eddard's side, Norman, is the second son of Damon Shett.

Nowadays, Norman serves House Stark at Harrenhal and is also the personal Maester to Duke Robin Arryn; during his time in the North, Norman helped Winterfell establish a pharmacy and trained many nurses.

In the great hall of Gull Tower, Ser Damon Shett entertained Eddard with plum wine, onion-and-beef, and roasted trout.

Ser Damon smiled and said, "Wolf Prince, Stark is a descendant of the First Men, and our House Shett is also a descendant of the First Men. Before the Andals arrived, House Shett was still the First Men kings of Gulltown; later, our house had its heritage stolen by the shameless House Grafton, which is how we lost the right to rule Gulltown."

Eddard reached out and touched Ser Damon's aged, strong hand. "Ser Damon, I had always thought that House Shett was a vassal of House Grafton. Since the domain of House Shett is in Gulltown, why are you vassals to House Royce of Runestone?"

Ser Damon sipped his plum wine. "After House Grafton ruled Gulltown, they constantly tried to annex the domain of House Shett, so House Shett had no choice but to seek help from House Royce of Runestone. House Royce has vast territories, and House Grafton had to respect House Royce."

"Under the mediation of the King of the Vale who sat in the Eyrie in ancient times, eventually, House Shett of Gull Tower became vassals to House Royce, and House Grafton completely lost the opportunity to annex House Shett."

Eddard placed his hand on Ser Damon's thick shoulder. "Ser Damon, your son, Maester Norman, has always been loyal to me. He has helped the North train many nurses, written medical books, and founded the Winterfell pharmacy. House Shett is a friend to House Stark."

"In the future, I will help House Shett prosper and grow rich; Gulltown will always have a place for House Shett."

Ser Damon said excitedly, "House Shett is willing to follow House Stark forever! House Stark is now the High King of the descendants of the First Men!"

Gulltown is such an important port that Eddard does not want House Grafton to have sole dominance; in the future, Eddard will vigorously support House Shett.

At Gull Tower, Eddard sent out ravens to Lord Triston Sunderland of Sisterton in the Three Sisters and to Count Wyman Manderly of White Harbor. Eddard wants White Harbor and the Three Sisters to build ships together to create a fleet for the Vale, with funding provided by Winterfell.

Because the Three Sisters are located within the Bite and next to White Harbor, historically, they were a region repeatedly contested by the North and the Vale.

Since ancient times, the Sistermen on the Three Sisters islands possessed their own kingdom and were independent; their kings were both kings and pirates. At their peak, Sistermen pirates once captured the Wolf's Den at the mouth of the White Knife and traveled up the White Knife, deep into the heart of the North to burn, kill, and plunder.

Two thousand years ago, the North launched a massive counterattack on the Three Sisters; during the "Rape of the Three Sisters," the Sistermen were brutally ravaged. The Three Sisters were unable to resist the North's sword and fire and had to seek help from the King of the Vale in the Eyrie. In the following thousand years, the Three Sisters fell into a region repeatedly contested by the Moon-and-Falcon and the Direwolf, and the wealth accumulated by the ancient Sistermen pirates and kings was entirely destroyed in the flames of war.

The Sistermen worship ancient deities such as the "God of the Sky" and the "Lady of the Waves." Even though the Church sent a large number of Septas to the Three Sisters to preach, the influence of the Faith of the Seven among the Sistermen remains far less than that of the God of the Sky and the Lady of the Waves. The Sistermen believe that storms at sea are produced by the union of the God of the Sky and the Lady of the Waves.

The Sistermen of the Three Sisters are nominally vassals to the Eyrie and House Arryn, but in reality, the Sistermen's loyalty to the Eyrie is very low, and they have rebelled many times.

Such fickle vassals of the Vale had long been a key target for Eddard to win over. As Eddard developed the Northern economy and the North rose, trade volume in White Harbor surged, and the Sistermen also benefited from it; the lords of the Three Sisters began to flirt with the Starks.

As descendants of pirate kings, the Sistermen are natural sailors. During the period when Eddard conquered Skagos, the longships of the Sistermen pirates were once hired by Eddard to go to Skagos to fight.

After the Beijing Donghaian Fleet was established, many Sistermen ran to White Harbor to become sailors, marines, and oarsmen for the Beijing Donghaian Fleet.

Now that Eddard has become the Warden of the Vale, he has directly ordered the lords of the Three Sisters to build ships together with White Harbor to develop the Vale's fleet.

The Three Sisters are poor, but the islanders are skilled at making small longships; the longships of the Sistermen are almost as famous as the longships of the Ironborn of the Iron Islands.

The east coast of the Vale has many reefs, and large ships risk running aground when docking; longships can better guard the Five Fingers and the coastline of the Vale.

Under Eddard's orders, House Grafton and House Shett of Gulltown are also preparing to start building ships. These ships are all funded by Stark and are the Stark fleet.

In the future, the Stark fleet will include the Riverlands Fleet, the Vale Fleet, and the North Fleet. Eddard believes that one day, the Stark fleet will become the most powerful fleet in Westeros, one that even the Royal Fleet of King's Landing, the Redwyne Fleet of the Arbor in the Reach, and the Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands cannot match.

Clouds gathered and fierce winds howled. Pyke, the castle of House Greyjoy, stood proudly on a headland by the sea. The waves of the ocean crashed against the headland, and the rope bridges swayed violently in the gale.

In the great hall of Pyke, torches flickered. King Balon sat on a chair carved from ironwood, with a sea monster engraved on the back of the chair.

Due to the chill in his legs, Balon Greyjoy had a seal-skin blanket covering his legs. He wore a gray-and-black wool robe and gray breeches. He was thin and haggard, his sharp-angled face looking as if it had been carved by the Drowned God with a hammer, and his eyes were sharp.

King Balon's daughter, Asha, stood to the right of Balon Greyjoy. She had long legs and a slender figure, with short black hair. She wore leather armor and black breeches, with a sharp battle-axe hanging at her waist.

The envoy from Lannisport, Stafford Lannister, was an old man with graying hair. He was tall and bald, and standing before King Balon, he appeared somewhat reserved.

"King Balon, Duke Tywin sent me to increase our mutual friendship."

King Balon stared at Stafford and said unpleasantly, "Increase friendship? What friendship can there be between the Ironborn and the Lannisters? The Iron Islands and the Westerlands are blood enemies. We have killed many Westerlanders, and the Westerlanders have killed many Ironborn. If you want me to kneel and submit to the brat king Joffrey on the Iron Throne in King's Landing, you had better save your breath!"

Ser Stafford smiled nervously. "Absolutely not! The Ironborn have been an independent kingdom since ancient times, and the Ironborn have their own faith in the Drowned God. Duke Tywin and the Iron Throne both highly respect the Ironborn and King Balon."

"As long as King Balon is willing, the Lannisters are even willing to support King Balon in wearing the Driftwood Crown. The Kingdom of the Iron Islands and the Kingdom of the Iron Throne can form an alliance; why shouldn't the Sea Monster and the Lion fight against their enemies together?"

King Balon said coldly, "If I am to wear the Driftwood Crown, I will handle it myself; I don't need anyone else's help. The Lion of Lannister has always looked down on the Ironborn, just as gold looks down on iron. Ser Stafford, do you think that because I stay in the Iron Islands, I don't know the situation in Westeros?"

"The Wolf King Eddard, Renly, and Stannis are all attacking the Lannisters. Many nobles and commoners believe that Joffrey is a bastard of the Kingslayer. You Lannisters are being besieged by enemies, which is why you thought of seeking help from the Iron Islands."

"To ally with the Lannisters is to be an enemy of the Starks of the North, the Tullys of the Riverlands, the Tyrells of the Reach, and the Baratheons of the Stormlands. Why should I offend so many enemies for the sake of the Lannisters?"

Stafford clapped his hands, and Lannister guards in red cloaks and lion helmets immediately brought up three large chests. After Ser Stafford opened them, they were filled with gold bars, emitting an alluring glow under the light of the torches.

Asha's eyes lit up, and she revealed a mischievous smile. She grinned at King Balon to the side and said, "Father, it seems Duke Tywin is truly full of sincerity!"

King Balon stood up, walked down from his seat, and came before the chests filled with gold. He narrowed his eyes. "Life in the Iron Islands is hard, yet you Lannisters sit upon a mountain of gold."

Ser Stafford said, "King Balon, this is just a small token. As long as you help us defeat our enemies, the gold the Lannisters send to the Iron Islands will be even more."

"Don't look at how powerful the enemies are now; the Lannisters will have the last laugh because we have gold. I ask you, in this world, how many people can resist the temptation of gold? Joffrey is the rightful king, and Duke Tywin is a world-renowned general. The Lannisters sit on a mountain of gold; Duke Tywin will certainly wipe out the rebels of Westeros and rule the world."

King Balon picked up a gold bar and rubbed it in his hand. "Where does Duke Tywin want the Iron Fleet to attack?"

Ser Stafford took out a map. "Attack the North. As long as King Balon sends the Iron Fleet, you can travel up along the Salt Spear and the Heatwave River to threaten Moat Cailin. Once Moat Cailin, the throat of the North, falls, the entire North will fall into King Balon's hands."

"Historically, the territory of Harren the Black was no more than the Iron Islands plus the Riverlands. If King Balon uses a swift strike to take Moat Cailin, the Northern Army in the south will find it difficult to return to reinforce. King Balon's territory, from the Iron Islands to the North and to Beyond the Wall, will be even larger than the territory of Harren the Black."

"How does the title 'King of the North and the Iron Islands, Balon I' sound?"

King Balon looked at the map coldly. "This map of yours is outdated. Now, the Wolf King Eddard has built many Wolf Castles on the west coast of the North. Sea Dragon Point has Blacksmith City, the Stony Shore has Stony City, the Rills have Warhorse City, the Barrowlands have Dawn Watch, and even Sea Dragon Point, which used to be a gathering place for Ironborn pirates, now has Sea Dragon City."

"If it were in the past, before the west coast of the North had Wolf Castles, the plan for the Iron Fleet to boldly raid Moat Cailin would have been a good idea. But now! Each of these Wolf Castles has at least two thousand garrison soldiers. Unless the soldiers and commanders of these Wolf Castles are all blind, it is impossible for the Iron Islands' fleet to succeed in a surprise attack."

Ser Stafford cleared his throat. "With the strength of the Iron Fleet, sweeping through these Wolf Castles will be easy; you will certainly be able to capture Moat Cailin."

Asha revealed an evil smile. "The North used to be sparsely populated, and Ironborn pirates could cause trouble along the Northern coast. Whether it was the Stony Shore, Sea Dragon Point, Bear Island, or Sea Dragon Point, Ironborn pirates could come and go as they pleased. But now that the west coast of the North has a fleet, it is stationed at Blacksmith City on Sea Dragon Point."

"Even if the Iron Fleet reaches Moat Cailin, that fortress has been reinforced and expanded by the Wolf King Eddard; it is said that there are about three thousand soldiers there. Furthermore, my only living brother, Theon, is a ward beside the Wolf King Eddard, which is to say, a hostage. If the Iron Islands dare to attack the North, my brother Theon's life will be in jeopardy."

Ser Stafford said excitedly, "King Balon, the Northern West Coast Fleet, flying the golden kraken banner of House Greyjoy, attacked Lannisport. Stark is clearly trying to stir up war between the Iron Islands and the Westerlands."

King Balon raised an eyebrow. "There is such a thing? The Northern West Coast Fleet actually dared to cross such a long distance and raid Lannisport flying the golden kraken banner?"

Asha said, "Ser Stafford, you are just using your mouth; what evidence do you have?"

At this moment, the commander of the Iron Fleet, Victarion, walked in. He was tall, wearing a suit of silver-white plate armor, with steel gauntlets on his hands. He glanced at Stafford.

"King Balon, we captured two longships from the North flying the golden kraken banner. They were scattered by a storm, arrived in the waters near Pyke, and were taken prisoner by the Iron Fleet. After brutal interrogation, these captives claimed to be subordinates of the Iron Bitch Helene Pyke, and that the Iron Bitch had led them to launch a surprise attack on Lannisport."

Steffar smiled, "King Balon, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

King Balon clenched his fists, "That damned Wolf King Eddard, to actually dare send his Iron Bitch to attack enemies while flying the golden kraken banner of House Greyjoy—this is clearly sowing discord! I hate being used by others most of all. Stark's direwolf wants to use me as a chess piece; I must have my revenge!"

"Asha, pass down the order. Command all ironborn leaders of the Iron Islands to assemble the longship fleet. I am going to dispatch the Iron Fleet to sweep across the North!"

Eddard rode on the back of a giant eagle, with the magic dragon flying wolf following alongside. The magic dragon flying wolf had to eat three times its own weight in meat every day; it was growing very fast, and the goats of the Vale had now become its favorite.

In the valleys, there were estates everywhere. The Vale was an important production area for wheat, oats, and corn, and the pumpkins here were even more exceptional, larger in size than the pumpkins of the Reach.

In the future, Eddard planned to promote the Stark Estate in the Vale and the Riverlands; farming in the Riverlands and the Vale would certainly yield more than in the North.

Eddard had already issued an order that the nobles of the Vale must plant a weirwood heart tree in the godswood of their respective castles, and he forbade anyone from cutting down weirwoods in the wild.

The faith of the Seven was prevalent in the Vale. The godswoods of noble castles, just like those in the Riverlands, the Reach, and other places, had become gardens for the nobles to rest in, and many noble godswoods had no weirwood.

Even the Eyrie did not have one. Fortunately, Eddard had planted weirwood seeds in the gardens of the Eyrie; in the future, they would surely grow into towering trees.

The more weirwoods the Vale possessed, the stronger the power of the Old Gods would be, which was all the more advantageous for Eddard, because Eddard discovered that places with weirwoods could enhance his magic power by absorbing the natural force from hundreds of miles around, and could even be used for observation.

As Eddard rode on the back of the giant eagle, suddenly, the voice of the green seer three-eyed crow came through the weirwood bracelet, and an illusion of the three-eyed crow's human face appeared on the bracelet.

"Eddard, I have observed through the trees that the Night King's servant, the necromancer, has entered the southern regions. During the war, many nobles, for the sake of power and wealth, will likely succumb to the temptation of the necromancer and fall into darkness, becoming servants of the dark. I fear the necromancer will develop an undead army in the southern regions."

Eddard looked at the human face illusion of the three-eyed crow, astonished, "The South has no Wall. If an undead army appears, how will humanity respond?"

If an army of walking dead appeared in the South, Eddard was very curious about how Stannis, Tywin, Renly Baratheon, Cersei, and the others would react. The wights would not care if you were a Lannister, a Baratheon, or a Stark; they would kill regardless.

However, necromancers were fallen humans, and they would obviously use the civil war between the nobles to achieve the goal of weakening humanity.

The three-eyed crow said, "The undead are a greater threat than the Others or wights. Now that Westeros has three kings, counting on people to unite against the undead is clearly unrealistic. Now, we must rely on the magic dragon."

Eddard let out a long sigh of relief, "Fortunately, I have the magic dragon flying wolf."

The three-eyed crow said, "One magic dragon is not enough; you must search for more dragon eggs. Go and sniff out the natural force, look for the scent of blood and fire, and you will be able to find dragon eggs and hatch giant dragons."

"Theoretically, there are dragon eggs all over the Seven Kingdoms. In the area of Griffin Peak in the Vale, the power of blood and fire is strong. That place was once the palace of the Griffin King and has now become ruins. I believe the possibility of finding dragon eggs at Griffin Peak is very high."

"Eddard, go find the dragon eggs, hatch the magic dragons, and prepare for war against the undead!"

The illusion of the three-eyed crow vanished. Eddard closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

By absorbing the natural force, the whole world became vivid. Eddard smelled the scent of rocks, smelled the sweetness of corn in the fields, smelled the scent of shadowcats and goats, and smelled the squirrels on the forest branches.

And the scent of blood and fire, right at Griffin Peak.

In the Vale, the Giant's Lance and Griffin Peak were the two most famous mountain peaks. The Giant's Lance was next to the Eyrie, and the Alyssa's Tears waterfall flowed down from the Giant's Lance, like a silver galaxy from the heavens falling into the mortal world.

Griffin Peak was located ten leagues north of the Eyrie, facing the Giant's Lance from afar.

If one were to travel to Griffin Peak by horse, because the mountain roads were rugged, it would require a long detour and take a longer time. Fortunately, Eddard was riding a giant eagle; his giant eagle and the magic dragon flying wolf could reach Griffin Peak much faster.

When he arrived at the summit of Griffin Peak, the sky was already dark, and the moonlight shone on the palace of the Griffin King, which had already fallen into ruins.

Legend had it that the Griffin King rode a griffin and lived in the palace on Griffin Peak, ruling over the inhabitants of the Vale. Relying on his powerful griffin legion, he became the High King of the First Men of the Vale.

Until the Andals arrived. Legend had it that the last Griffin King, riding a griffin, attacked the Andal army of Artys Arryn. The two legions fought a great battle beneath the Giant's Lance. The Griffin King, riding his griffin, fought a duel with Artys Arryn, who was riding a giant eagle, on the Giant's Lance. In the end, the Winged Knight Artys Arryn slew the last Griffin King, and the Andals took the crucial step in conquering the Vale.

In the ruins of the Griffin King's palace, wild grass grew in abundance, and many trees had sprouted. The largest one was a weirwood, and Eddard suspected that this ancient tree was the very weirwood heart tree that the successive generations of Griffin Kings had worshipped and prayed to.

In a cave covered in spiderwebs not far from the weirwood, Eddard and the magic dragon flying wolf found the source of the scent of blood and fire together. It was a silver-white dragon egg, surrounded by seven slightly smaller griffin eggs.

A griffin was a fierce beast. The head of a griffin resembled a white sea eagle, but it was much larger than a white sea eagle, and its beak was like a mace. The body of a griffin was like a lion, and its wings were comparable to a giant eagle. In the air, a griffin could completely rival a giant eagle.

Griffins had long been extinct in Westeros. Now, Eddard possessed griffin eggs; he believed that by relying on the natural force, he would certainly be able to hatch the griffins and let them return to the world of men.

As for this silver-white dragon egg, if it could hatch a magic dragon, Eddard would possess a second magic dragon.

In the future, with magic dragons, giant eagles, and griffins protecting the Vale, the North, and the Riverlands, even if an undead army attacked, Eddard believed that humanity would have the strength to fight the undead army.

Eddard took out a cloth bag and packed all the dragon eggs and griffin eggs into it, then walked out of the cave.

The moonlight shone on the statue of the Griffin King in the ruins of the Griffin palace. In the future, Eddard might send craftsmen to rebuild this palace, making Griffin City, like the Eyrie, a heavenly fortress that was difficult for ground troops to conquer.

Afterwards, Eddard flew onto the giant eagle, with the magic dragon flying wolf following closely behind.

Eddard's next stop was Harrenhal; he was going to hatch the magic dragon in that huge castle on the shore of the Gods Eye.

In the Red Keep's Throne Room, Cersei wore a green silk dress that outlined her perfect curves. She sat on the Iron Throne, appearing very restless.

Varys, who exuded the scent of lavender perfume, pulled slips of paper out of his sleeves.

"According to the news brought back by the little birds, Lysa has already surrendered to Eddard and Bronze Yohn with the young Duke Robin Arryn. The nobles of the Vale have elected Eddard as the Protector of the Vale and Regent of the Vale. Young Duke Robin has become Eddard's ward, and Lysa has already taken Duke Robin to move to Harrenhal to live with Catelyn Stark."

Tyrion could not help but observe Littlefinger's expression. Littlefinger was forcing a smile, but anger flickered in his grey-green eyes; the expression was like that of a man whose wife had been slept with by someone else.

Cersei said indignantly, "The nobles of the Vale are all a bunch of trash, and Lysa is even more of a waste. She is the widow of Jon Arryn; is there no noble in the Vale who supports her?"

Varys revealed a sweet, syrupy smile, "House Grafton of Gulltown, House Mallister of Old Anchor, House Corbray of Heart's Home, and House Lynderly of Snakewood support Lysa. Earl Gerold Grafton of Gulltown once assembled troops, but the Wolf King Eddard dispatched the Beijing Donghaian Fleet to the port of Gulltown, and Earl Gerold immediately declared his submission."

"House Grafton of Gulltown is one of the most powerful noble houses in the Vale. House Grafton submitted to the Wolf King Eddard and sent their ward, and other nobles have also sent their wards one after another, announcing their acceptance of the Wolf King Eddard's rule. Now, Eddard's ally Bronze Yohn is reorganizing the armies throughout the Vale to establish the Chick Eagle Army."

Grand Maester Pycelle stared with those weary eyes, "The Chick Eagle Army? Is this just the army of the Vale nobles thrown together?"

Varys explained, "The Chick Eagle Army, like the Winter Wolves, is a standing army. Eddard pays their wages, and their object of loyalty is Eddard, not House Arryn of the Eyrie."

Tyrion said gloomily, "The Vale can conservatively conscript forty thousand men. With the Canyon Knights added to the river lords, plus the North, our forces were already at a disadvantage. And now, to make matters worse, Eddard has done something even more extreme by establishing a standing army in the Vale."

Varys looked at Littlefinger beside him with some sympathy, "Our respected Lord Petyr Baelish has been declared a traitor by Eddard and has also been stripped of his fiefdom."

Littlefinger squeezed out a smile, "The direwolf is truly insatiable! My ancestral fiefdom, just that tiny little village, has also been stripped away by the Wolf King."

Grand Maester Pycelle said, "The news is one worse than the other. Your Grace, you should immediately order Duke Tywin to bring the Lannister army to King's Landing. At this very moment, Renly Baratheon's army is advancing toward King's Landing along the Rose Road!"

Varys's tone was like a funeral announcement, "Grand Maester Pycelle, I am afraid you are mistaken. At this moment, the army on the Rose Road is not Renly Baratheon's army; it has already become Stannis Baratheon's army."

Cersei revealed a smile, "Stannis and Renly have started fighting? Heh! I knew long ago that Renly and Stannis would eventually turn on each other; their personalities are so different. Let Stannis and Renly attack and kill each other! The more fiercely they fight, the more it benefits us."

Varys shook his head, "Your Grace, you misunderstand. It is the army dispatched by Renly that defected to Stannis on the battlefield. Stannis and Renly did not have a bloody conflict."

"The main force of this Reach army dispatched by Renly is the army of House Florent. Earl Alester Florent defected on the battlefield and led his troops to surrender to Stannis."

The smile on Cersei's face vanished, "How could this happen?"

Tyrion said, "If Alester Florent surrendered to Stannis, then the nobles of the Stormlands will surely attack this legion that betrayed Renly. Isn't the Stormlands controlled by the Acting Castellan of Storm's End, Ser Cortnay Penrose? I remember that this Ser Cortnay Penrose has always been fiercely loyal to Renly."

Varys stretched out those soft hands and gently touched Tyrion's arm, "The commander of the Stormlands army, Ser Cortnay Penrose, was controlled during the mutiny. The nobles of the Stormlands have abandoned Renly one after another and turned to Stannis. Now, the Stormlands and most of the Crownlands belong entirely to Stannis."

Cersei asked gloomily, "Why would the Stormlands lords abandon Renly Baratheon?"

Varys said, "Because Renly Baratheon has lingered at Highgarden for too long, and in Renly Baratheon's Small Council, the lords of the Reach occupy the important positions, while the Stormlands lords mostly hold honorary titles like advisors. Most crucially, Duke Tywin and Jaime easily defeated Renly Baratheon in the Westerlands. Once the Stormlands lords saw they could not share in the fruits of victory by following Renly Baratheon, they chose to switch to another king."

"Stannis's military strength has instantly grown to over forty thousand men. Of course, since he possesses the Stormlands, if Stannis wants more troops, he can completely continue to conscript from the Stormlands. However, I do not think Stannis has such intentions; the great army in his hands is already large enough."

Everyone feels that Stannis is far more dangerous than Renly Baratheon. Renly Baratheon is skilled at courtly social interaction and is deeply loved by the people at the Tourney, but Renly Baratheon does not know how to fight a war.

Stannis is different; not only is he experienced in a hundred battles, but he rarely suffers defeat. Even more terrifying is that Stannis seems to never know how to forgive his enemies.

If King's Landing falls into Renly Baratheon's hands, those on Joffrey Baratheon's Small Council might still have a chance to live. If it falls into Stannis's hands, they will likely all be beheaded and their heads stuck on lances for public display. Being beheaded would be considered lucky; what is more terrifying is being handed over to Stannis's Red Woman, Melisandre, to be burned alive.

Cersei's face trembled with nervousness, "My lords, what should we do to repel Stannis's great army?"

Grand Maester Pycelle said, "Only by summoning Duke Tywin's Westerlands Army to reinforce King's Landing will we have a chance to defeat Stannis. Relying solely on the City Watch and mercenaries within King's Landing, it is impossible to defeat Stannis."

Tyrion cleared his throat, "I think, since Renly Baratheon and Stannis have already broken with each other, we can just happen to incite them to go to full-scale war. After all, Renly Baratheon's Stormlands were stolen by Stannis; surely Renly Baratheon is eager for revenge."

"As for the Wolf King Eddard, he has just annexed The Vale. Such a large piece of fat meat requires time to digest; I presume he will not be in a hurry to march on King's Landing for the time being."

Cersei said indignantly, "I expect that before the Westerlands Army even reaches King's Landing, the city will have already fallen. King's Landing is currently suffering from a severe food shortage, and people are starving to death every day."

Tyrion said, "That is why we must take action immediately; otherwise, we can only wait for death. Furthermore, we must have our envoys remaining on the other side of the Narrow Sea recruit mercenary companies and pirates from the Stepstones to attack the Stormlands, Dragonstone, Driftmark, and other places. This way, we can at least pin down the coastal lords."

Littlefinger took a deep breath, "At this point, we must give it our all. I suggest appointing me as a special envoy to travel to Braavos. I have been Master of Coin for these years and am very familiar with the Braavos Iron Bank and the Sealord. As long as I have the royal warrant, I will certainly be able to borrow a large sum of money from the Iron Bank."

Tyrion suspected that this was the cunning Littlefinger's way of slipping away. In Robert Baratheon's Small Council, Stannis had always been very repulsed by Littlefinger; his tricks were completely useless in front of Stannis. Once Littlefinger fell into Stannis's hands, the only suspense would be how Littlefinger would die.

Cersei said disdainfully, "The Lannisters have plenty of gold in the mines of the Westerlands; why bother borrowing money from the Braavos Iron Bank? Have you forgotten that King Robert Baratheon owes the Braavos Iron Bank millions of Gold Dragons?"

Littlefinger said, "The Lannister gold in the Westerlands cannot save King's Landing. Please allow me to be blunt: since Stannis could capture King's Landing and seize the Iron Throne at any time, if King Joffrey Baratheon loses the Iron Throne, then the debts of the Iron Throne will have to be borne by Stannis."

Cersei immediately became interested, "That makes sense; proceed as you have said."

Tyrion flashed an ugly smile at Littlefinger, "Lord Littlefinger, once you reach the other side of the Narrow Sea, the money you borrow in the name of the Iron Throne will be enough for you to live a carefree life in the Free Cities. You wouldn't throw us away in King's Landing to wait for death, would you?"

Littlefinger said calmly, "How could that be? Lord Tyrion, do you think I want to slip away? I would be very happy to hand this task over to you. After all, Blackwater Bay is being blockaded by the Royal Fleet; perhaps I wouldn't even make it out of Blackwater Bay before being caught by the Royal Fleet and losing my head."

Cersei said, "Littlefinger, this task is still for you to complete. Sending a dwarf from King's Landing to negotiate with the Iron Bank and the Sealord is destined to fail. Besides, I am still counting on my brother Tyrion to help defend the city!"

Being called "my brother" by Cersei, Tyrion felt a surge of emotion. It seems that only when facing death did Cersei remember that she and Tyrion were siblings.

Cersei stamped the royal warrant, appointing Littlefinger as the special envoy for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Littlefinger took the thin piece of parchment and said, "I will try my best to return with a mercenary army. I hope my friends will hold King's Landing."

Cersei waved her hand to announce the end of the meeting. The Small Council members left one after another, and in the Throne Room, only Cersei and Tyrion remained.

Tyrion tilted his head, "Cersei, Littlefinger knows that if King's Landing falls, his life will certainly be forfeit, which is why he is trying to find a way to escape. He is deceiving you. Once Littlefinger goes to the other side of the Narrow Sea, he will only use that warrant to swindle people. If you want to reconcile with Eddard, the best way is to tie Littlefinger up and hand him over to the Wolf King Eddard. Don't forget, it was Littlefinger who caused the death of Jon Arryn."

Cersei said contemptuously, "If I hand Littlefinger over to Eddard, Eddard will kill Littlefinger, and the lords of The Vale will see Eddard as a great hero who avenged Jon Arryn. I will not do such a thing that harms others without benefiting myself."

"If I don't send Littlefinger to the other side of the Narrow Sea, who else can I send? Father ignores my orders, Stannis is at the gates, and Eddard has annexed Harrenhal and could march on King's Landing at any time. I really don't understand what Father and Jaime are doing."

The Westerlands, Golden Tooth, Lannister camp.

In the Westerlands, Golden Tooth is an existence comparable to Moat Cailin in the North and the Bloody Gate in The Vale; it is a fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Ever since the Westerlands Army was routed beneath Riverrun by Robb and Brynden Tully, Tywin had already ordered the Westerlands Army to withdraw from the Riverlands overnight. The castles in the Riverlands originally occupied by the Westerlands army, such as Wayfarer's Rest and Pinkmaiden, were all recaptured by House Piper, House Vance, and the Northern Army.

Now, the Westerlands Army is gathered in the camp behind Golden Tooth. Tywin and Jaime inspected the camp and returned to the great tent.

Jaime rubbed his sword belt, "Father, Eddard is not at Riverrun; the one leading the army is merely that brat Robb of House Stark. Our army should immediately attack Riverrun, crush the coalition of the North and the Riverlands, and we can turn the tide of the war."

Tywin said coldly, "Robb may be a brat, but Brynden Tully is a tough and ruthless man. This coalition of the North and the Riverlands numbers over fifty thousand; our army is at a numerical disadvantage. Do you think Brynden Tully would lose a battle under these circumstances?"

"Besides, even if my Westerlands Army fights bravely, what do we have to contend with giants, wargs, bears, terrorbirds, unicorns, and giant eagles?"

Jaime said, "We have the Golden Lady; she can charm sparrows, charm wild wolves, and can also charm the beasts of the wargs."

Tywin gave a light hum, "I admit the Golden Lady indeed has the ability, but charming sparrows is certainly not the same concept as charming giant eagles. We only have one Golden Lady, while the Starks and Tullys have a group of wargs. If the Golden Lady cannot outmatch the wargs, our army is destined for a miserable defeat. I will not bet my treasure on the Golden Lady."

Jaime said dejectedly, "Are we to wait for the North and the Riverlands to take the initiative to attack? Don't forget, Eddard has completely won the support of The Vale; the Canyon Knights could join the war in the Riverlands at any time."

Tywin sighed, "Previously, I hesitated to advance toward Harrenhal, partly because I was worried that the lords of the Riverlands would cut off our retreat, and even more worried about the Canyon Knights supporting Harrenhal. If I had known earlier that there would be infighting in The Vale, I should have attacked Harrenhal at full speed."

"When King Robert Baratheon was still alive, our family and Jon Arryn got along quite well. I proposed at that time to take Robin as a foster son, but unfortunately, that cow Lysa Arryn firmly opposed it, and the matter did not come to pass. If Robin had become my foster son, once Jon Arryn died, the Lannisters could have laid hands on The Vale. It is a pity that Eddard got there first."

Jaime said, "I heard that Bronze Yohn played a key role when Eddard took control of The Vale."

Tywin nodded, "Bronze Yohn's House Royce was originally one of the most powerful lords in The Vale, and House Royce has a marriage alliance with House Stark. In the end, the Westerlands are too far from the East; we have too few friends in The Vale, while the Starks have close relationships with House Arryn, House Royce, and the Three Sisters. It is not surprising that Eddard annexed The Vale in such a short time."

Tywin looked at Golden Tooth amidst the steep mountains, "If they take the initiative to attack, I have the confidence to crush them at Golden Tooth. This is the most defensible fortress in the Westerlands; as long as we prepare enough heavy crossbows, the enemy will never be able to break in."

"If Steffon can secure an alliance with the Iron Islands for us, and the Iron Fleet launches an attack on the North, the morale of the North will be shaken, and perhaps they will withdraw and return to the North. At that time, the opportunity for the Lannisters will appear."

Jaime said gloomily, "We still have to be careful of the threat from the Reach; it really is making enemies on all sides."

Tywin said, "Renly Baratheon is no longer a threat to the Westerlands. I just received news sent by raven today: the eastern army Renly Baratheon sent to attack King's Landing has defected on the battlefield and gone over to Stannis, and the Stormlands lords have also abandoned Renly Baratheon one after another to switch to Stannis. Renly Baratheon's kingdom is collapsing; the lords of the Reach are not fools, they will not follow a loser. I will win over the Reach."

"Once the Reach, the Iron Islands, and the Westerlands join forces, the Wolf King Eddard will not be so terrifying."

Jaime was shocked, "The Stormlands have switched to Stannis? In that case, Stannis could attack King's Landing at any time, and Cersei, Tyrion, and the children will be in danger. Father, send the great army to reinforce King's Landing immediately!"

Tywin said indifferently, "For the interests of the Lannisters, everyone must be prepared to make sacrifices. I will not send troops to rescue King's Landing."

The Reach, Highgarden, Renly Baratheon sat on the Rose Stag throne in a fit of rage.

"Alester Florent has actually betrayed me!"

Lord Mathis Rowan said, "Your Grace, I warned you long ago that Lord Alester Florent has many relatives serving under Stannis, and the loyalty of the Florents is highly suspect. Now, the Florents have indeed defected to the enemy."

Lord Alester Florent is the father-in-law of Randyll Tarly; with his father-in-law defecting to the enemy, Randyll felt somewhat embarrassed.

Renly Baratheon's Hand of the King, Mace Tyrell of Highgarden, said, "Your Grace, we have already sent troops to capture the Florents' Brightwater Keep. That castle is already empty; the Florents took every piece of property, not even a copper coin was left behind."

Randyll Tarly said, "The worst part is that the Stormlands lords have abandoned Your Grace one after another and switched to Stannis. How can these Stormlanders be as fickle as the wind?"

Mace Tyrell said indignantly, "I heard it's because the Stormlanders are not satisfied with Your Grace's Small Council, believing that the people of the Reach occupy too many important positions. If there were opinions about the positions, we could have closed the doors and resolved them. To defect directly? A bunch of traitors."

Renly Baratheon said excitedly, "I must march on the Stormlands immediately and win back the kingdom that belongs to me."

Mace Tyrell said excitedly, "Your Grace, I request to serve as the vanguard; I am very familiar with Storm's End!" Back then, the Siege of Storm's End commanded by Mace Tyrell dragged on for a year; Mace Tyrell led tens of thousands of troops but was never able to take Storm's End, which was defended by only a small number of troops. Stannis, who was responsible for defending the city, became famous throughout the world in that battle.

Lord Randyll Tarly said, "Your Grace, you can order the conscription of the Arbor Fleet."

Renly Baratheon said gloomily, "I ordered it before, but Lord Paxter refused to send troops."

Randyll said, "Lord Paxter Redwyne's twin sons are being held by Cersei in King's Landing. Previously, when you were clashing with the Lannisters, Lord Redwyne did not dare to send troops. Now that your opponent has changed to Stannis, Lord Redwyne will certainly be willing to send troops."

Lord Mathis Rowan added, "Please, Your Grace, issue the order to the Arbor Fleet as soon as possible. Once Stannis captures King's Landing, Redwyne's twins will fall into Stannis's hands, and at that time, the Arbor Fleet will not dare to sortie again."

Because House Florent of The Reach was the first to rebel, once Stannis wins the Iron Throne in the future and annexes The Reach, Florent will certainly be the Lord Paramount of the Mander. By then, these nobles of The Reach who supported Renly Baratheon will all become the defeated, facing the risk of having their fiefs reduced and their titles stripped.

From the moment they supported Renly Baratheon in wearing the crown, the nobles of The Reach stood in opposition to Stannis. Therefore, when the Stormlands defected to The Reach, Stannis became the greatest threat to The Reach, and the nobles of The Reach unanimously agreed to march on the Stormlands.

King's Landing, Red Keep, Cersei lay on the soft velvet bed; this night, she slept sweetly.

In her dream, Cersei discovered she was wearing a crown, her husband was Rhaegar Targaryen, and her children, Joffrey Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon, had all turned into silver-haired, purple-eyed beings.

Her brother Jaime stood in a white robe, guarding Cersei's side. The boor Robert Baratheon had become a Fool, giggling as he huddled with Moon Boy.

Nobles from all over Westeros knelt before Cersei; Eddard, Renly Baratheon, Stannis, and the Red Viper Oberyn all knelt before Cersei, trembling.

Cersei sat on the Iron Throne, smiling as she looked at the nobles from various regions kneeling on the ground, but suddenly, they all turned into skeletons, and Cersei was greatly startled.

Immediately, the Iron Throne and the noble guests all vanished; in the Throne Room, blood flowed like a river, and corpses covered the ground.

The Wolf King Eddard rode a Direwolf to the slaughter, followed by a Magic Dragon and a giant eagle.

"I want to avenge Robert Baratheon!" Eddard drew his greatsword Ice and chopped off Cersei's head.

In the next dream, Stannis captured Cersei and showed him the heads of Joffrey Baratheon, Tommen Baratheon, and Myrcella Baratheon impaled on the city walls.

"Cersei, you are not qualified to die cleanly." Stannis handed Cersei over to the Red Cloak Melisandre; flames engulfed Cersei, and Cersei screamed repeatedly.

Nightmares continued; the Red Viper Oberyn appeared in Cersei's dream. Before Cersei, he used a dagger to slit Joffrey Baratheon's throat, then used a sharp sword to stab Myrcella Baratheon dozens of times, and finally, the Red Viper smashed Tommen Baratheon's head against the wall, brain matter splattering everywhere.

The Red Viper Oberyn's hands were stained with blood and brain matter; he violently tore open Cersei's dress and began to rape Cersei.

"Lannister, let you taste this feeling!"

Before the Iron Throne, Cersei's three children, Tommen Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, and Joffrey Baratheon, were drenched in blood and wrapped in golden shrouds, just as Tywin had once wrapped Rhaegar Targaryen's children in red cloaks and displayed them before the Iron Throne.

Cersei began to wail; Eddard, Stannis, and the Red Viper watched coldly, while Renly Baratheon snickered on the side.

The Toad Witch walked up to Cersei, "Your children shall have gold for their crowns and gold for their shrouds!"

Cersei woke up from the nightmare drenched in sweat; the Aromatic Candle in the room flickered, and it was exceptionally cold.

A hunchbacked wizard in black, holding a Skull Scepter, stood before Cersei; half of his face was hidden under a hood, and the exposed teeth were bloody and terrifying.

Cersei was so scared she hugged her pillow, "Who are you? How dare you trespass in my bedroom! Kingsguard!"

The wizard in black gave Cersei a mocking smile, "Your Kingsguard are all asleep, Cersei; only I can save you. If you do not trust me, the things in your nightmare will all come true."

Cersei said tremblingly: "Who are you?"

The wizard in black said: "I am the necromancer Ogbeta, I am the servant of the Night King. King's Landing is in imminent danger; your enemies Stannis, the Red Viper, and Eddard are all eager to try, ready at any moment to kill you and your children; only I can save you and your children."

Ogbeta waved the Skull Scepter in his hand, a white light flashed, and one by one, the bright and beautiful Kingsguard appeared before Cersei and knelt in unison.

Cersei was shocked, "Is this Magic?"

Ogbeta chanted a spell, the Kingsguard disappeared, and he said: "I can summon the most powerful Warrior to protect you, for example, your beloved Rhaegar Targaryen, for example, your death storm."

Cersei felt the powerful Magic force; if Rhaegar Targaryen could be reborn, it would be even more perfect. "Help me, I can give you gold."

Ogbeta said: "Gold is worthless; what I want is only one thing: a drop of your blood, your soul."

Cersei frowned, "My soul?"

Ogbeta revealed a terrifying smile, "Don't be nervous, your soul means you must become a believer of the Cold God, a servant of the Night King, and the Cold God will grant you power."

"If you refuse, just wait for the nightmare to descend!"

Cersei thought of the golden shroud in her nightmare, thought of the heads of her children impaled on Lances, thought of Stannis who might bring his troops to the city walls outside King's Landing at any moment, and she gritted her teeth.

"I am willing to offer everything."

Ogbeta smiled, "Brave mother, you will become the Undead Queen!"

Subsequently, Ogbeta used a skull needle to prick Cersei's finger; Cersei felt her whole body go cold, as if she had fallen into the belly of an Ice Dragon, and then, Ogbeta's filthy mouth and teeth sucked the blood from Cersei's fingertip; he took out an urn and dripped Cersei's blood into it.

A flash of white light passed, and Rhaegar Targaryen in black armor appeared, with a three-headed dragon crest engraved in rubies on his chest; he had purple eyes and silver-white hair; the moment she saw Rhaegar Targaryen, Cersei's heart shattered.

"Rhaegar Targaryen!" Cersei embraced Rhaegar Targaryen, and she felt that Rhaegar Targaryen's whole body was ice cold.

Another flash of white light turned, and Robert Baratheon appeared before Cersei in silver-white armor, wearing an Antler Helm and holding a war hammer.

Cersei frowned, "Why did you resurrect Robert Baratheon? He is already dead through and through."

Ogbeta said: "He was Robert Baratheon in life, but now, his name is death storm."

"Rhaegar Targaryen and the death storm will help you defeat all enemies. Corpse Queen Cersei, you will possess an army of the Undead to rule King's Landing; whether it is Stannis, the Wolf King Eddard, or the Dornish, they will all die under your sharp sword."

Thanks to Youhai for the tip and monthly ticket, thanks to A Person's Loneliness, Quiet Night Z, 1595352400538849280, and All-in-One Computer Dingding for the monthly tickets, thank you for the support!

(End of chapter)