Chapter 208: Death Knight Marches, Conquers Deep Den

Cersei, dressed in sea-green silk, sat upright on the Iron Throne; the hideous Iron Throne was draped in skulls, and every skull seemed to be smiling.

Prince Rhaegar, with his silver hair and purple eyes, wore a breastplate emblazoned with a three-headed dragon made of rubies; he was cold and beautiful.

Robert the Death Storm stood to one side; he had removed his antler helm, and his thick black hair and black beard were covered in a light frost as he gripped his warhammer.

Cersei was very happy; Robert could no longer drink, eat meat, or go everywhere looking for women to fool around with.

Sometimes, Cersei would even deliberately kiss Prince Rhaegar in front of Robert, but Robert the Death Storm remained expressionless.

It was just a pity that Rhaegar was also one of the undead; his kiss was ice-cold, and Cersei could not find a shred of warmth in Prince Rhaegar. Sometimes, she could even smell the scent of winter roses in his kiss.

Winter roses—that was the scent of the damned she-wolf Lyanna. Cersei planned that once she conquered Dorne in the future, she would go to the Tower of Joy in Dorne herself, resurrect Lyanna, and then imprison and humiliate her, making Lyanna serve as her maid for the rest of her life.

But later, Cersei remembered that Lyanna's remains had been taken to Winterfell by Eddard and were currently in the Crypts of Winterfell, which was a place of the Old Gods. The Wolf King Eddard was truly Cersei's nemesis; he always opposed her at every turn, not even letting her have her way with a corpse.

In the Throne Room, seven people were nailed to a Dark Artifact by ice spikes under the gaze of the hideous statues of the Seven.

Every day, the necromancer Ogbeta would find new ways to execute seven people; the screams and terror of the dying were absorbed by the Dark Artifact and converted into Dark Magic to be collected.

According to the necromancer Ogbeta, Dark Magic could make the Death Storm and Prince Rhaegar grow stronger and stronger.

A white raven flew into the Throne Room, and Grand Maester Pycelle said tremulously, "Your Majesty, the Citadel has sent out white ravens, indicating that summer has ended and Westeros has officially entered autumn."

In Westeros, the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter could each last for several years; the varying lengths of the seasons often had a great impact on people's production and lives, so the study of seasonal changes had always been an important research topic for the Citadel.

The necromancer Ogbeta, holding his skull scepter, revealed a fawning smile.

"Your Majesty, autumn is here; can winter be far behind?"

"The Night King, servant of the Great Other, is gathering strength beyond the Wall; the army of the undead will conquer the Wall when winter arrives."

Queen Regent Cersei leaned forward. "Why is this Night King so sluggish? Many of the Northern Army have followed the Wolf King Eddard to fight in the Westerlands, and the defenses of the North are relatively empty; he should attack the Wall and invade the North immediately."

"You tell the Night King that I, Queen Regent Cersei, command him to march immediately!"

In Cersei's mind, the Night King, like the necromancer Ogbeta, was a servant sent to her by the Great Other.

The necromancer Ogbeta squeezed out a smile.

"Your Majesty, the Wall stands between the North and the lands beyond the Wall; the Wall was built specifically to defend against the Others. The Wolf King Eddard has rebuilt the nineteen fortresses along the Wall, and the current Night's Watch is entirely supplied with grain and equipment by House Stark; most of the fortresses on the Wall are garrisoned by the Winter Wolves, and the Wall is firmly under the control of the Starks."

"The Wall is the creation of Brandon the Builder; the Wall itself possesses magical power, and on top of that, the Wolf King Eddard has established manors south of the Wall, where armories produce obsidian weapons and torches every day, and there are even alchemists producing wildfire."

"To attack the Wall, one can only wait for winter, because only in winter is the power of the Great Other at its strongest."

Cersei said gloomily, "It has only just turned autumn, and Stannis's army has already reached the gates of King's Landing; fog shrouds the city, and Stannis has not attacked yet, but can this fog shroud the city for an entire autumn?"

The necromancer Ogbeta revealed his ugliest smile. "Your Majesty, ever since we began sacrificing followers of the Seven to the Great Other, the power of the Great Other has grown increasingly formidable; the moment for the undead army to counterattack has arrived."

"Three days ago, I rode a bat to the Kingswood and resurrected the bandits of the Kingswood Brotherhood for Your Majesty. At this very moment, Simon Toyne, the Smiling Knight, Big Belly Ben, Dick Straw, Wenda the White Fawn, and Oswyn Longneck—this band of notorious outlaws—have all been resurrected to pillage the Stormlands for Your Majesty."

Cersei widened her eyes, a strange blue light flickering in her emerald pupils, and she said excitedly, "The Kingswood Brotherhood? My brother Jaime often mentioned the bandits of the Kingswood Brotherhood; he fought against these bandits back in the day. Now the people of the Kingswood Brotherhood are mine?"

The necromancer Ogbeta said, "Indeed, they are Your Majesty's most loyal servants. The Kingswood Brotherhood and the bandits under their command are few in number, so I opened some graveyards near the Kingswood and resurrected some skeleton warriors; they can pin down Stannis's forces in the Kingswood area."

"Your Majesty need only dispatch the Death Storm, and our army can crush Stannis; if everything goes smoothly, it will only take a few months for the Death Storm to sweep through the Stormlands and win the support of the Stormlands for Your Majesty."

Cersei was as happy as a little girl. "Once I have the Stormlands, I can show Westeros the power of the Lion and Joffrey."

Grand Maester Pycelle, standing to the side, looked at the necromancer Ogbeta and said weakly, "Necromancer, the terrain of the Stormlands is complex; by comparison, Dragonstone would be easier to attack. Why not send troops to attack Dragonstone directly?"

The necromancer Ogbeta said, "Old man, Dragonstone is volcanic and is the ancestral seat of House Targaryen; House Targaryen rose to power relying on magic dragons, and magic dragons belong to fire, so R'hllor's power is strong on Dragonstone. I will not attack Dragonstone lightly."

Cersei, on the Iron Throne, said, "Our army is to march on the Stormlands, but when will we march on the Crownlands to the north? Looking at the castles of the Crownlands like Rosby, Harrenhal, and Stokeworth flying the flaming heart stag banner of Stannis makes me unhappy. Joffrey is the King on the Iron Throne; what kind of situation is it if we cannot even take the Crownlands?"

The necromancer Ogbeta said, "Your Majesty, these small castles in the Crownlands have no strategic value. Prince Rhaegar is already prepared; he will march on Harrenhal, sweeping away these Crownlands castles along the way."

Grand Maester Pycelle's sleepy eyes widened. "Harrenhal is now the territory of the Wolf King Eddard, and the Wolf King Eddard has deployed heavy troops there. Do you have enough troops?"

The necromancer Ogbeta revealed an evil smile. "Prince Rhaegar, like the Death Storm, has mastered the skill of manipulating corpses under the blessing of my Dark Magic. May I ask what is most abundant on the battlefield? Naturally, it is corpses; the army of the undead will only grow larger the more it fights."

"Regarding the situation at Harrenhal, I also have some understanding. I have seen in the darkness that the lord remaining at Harrenhal is Lord Rickard Karstark of Karhold; furthermore, the Wolf King Eddard's youngest daughter Arya, his eldest daughter Sansa, and Catelyn Stark are all inside Harrenhal."

"The Wolf King Eddard is still fighting in the Westerlands; don't forget, there are also two Magic Dragon Koi and Eagle Eye in Harrenhal, as well as seven griffins. As long as we take Harrenhal, we can capture the Wolf King Eddard's daughters and the she-wolf Catelyn as hostages. And the magic dragons and griffins, too."

"I believe Your Majesty will surely like such a generous gift."

Cersei did not like Harrenhal by the Gods Eye; Cersei would not forget that it was precisely at Harrenhal that Prince Rhaegar met the damned she-wolf Lyanna.

The Year of the False Spring was the most glorious moment of Prince Rhaegar's life, but it also tolled the death knell for the Targaryen Dynasty; now that Prince Rhaegar has been resurrected and is marching on Harrenhal as a Death Knight, it is truly a great irony.

Cersei clenched her fists. "Let my Death Knights quickly sweep through the Stormlands and Harrenhal! I want the magic dragons and griffins of Harrenhal, I want Storm's End and Stannis's head, and I want Sansa, Arya, and Catelyn even more."

"I want to keep the she-wolf Catelyn and the two little she-wolves caged in the towers of the Red Keep to see what the Wolf King Eddard will use to fight me then!"

The Westerlands.

Eddard led his army to the camp of the Stark Army near Deep Den, the seat of House Marbrand; the Golden Lady rode a lion beside Eddard.

In the last battle, Eddard had captured the Golden Lady; Bronze Yohn and Ser Barristan had both advised Eddard to execute the witch, but Eddard refused flatly. "The Golden Lady has surrendered; only by accepting surrenders and defectors can we strengthen our forces."

On Skagos, Eddard had incorporated the Rockborn and the Iron Bitch; beyond the Wall, Eddard had incorporated giants, wildlings, and skinchangers; south of the Neck, Eddard had incorporated the lords of the Riverlands and the Vale.

Now it was the turn of the Westerlands, and Eddard would not kill the innocent indiscriminately. A witch like the Golden Lady would be very useful to keep by his side.

When Eddard had just arrived in the Westerlands, he had received several pieces of good news from Bronze Yohn.

The first was that Tyrion was being held at Riverrun. Eddard had always believed that Tyrion's level of danger was second only to Tywin; now that Tyrion was captured, the Lannisters had lost a strategist.

If he could win the loyalty of the Imp, then Eddard would have one more Hand of the King and military advisor.

Presumably, once Tyrion learned the truth that Tysha was a farm girl and not a prostitute, he would surely break with Jaime and Tywin.

Arriving at Riverrun along with Tyrion were Bronn and the Hound Sandor; the Stark Army had gained two fierce warriors.

The second piece of good news was that Renly had come to Riverrun to join the Stark Army; Renly had brought the Knight of Flowers Loras and Brienne.

Now Brienne, the Hound Sandor, and the Knight of Flowers were following the Lightning Lord, the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, and the Red Viper Oberyn, fighting on the Golden Road in the Westerlands and ravaging the lands of the Sarwyck family of Silver Hall and the Leyton family of Deep Den.

The third piece of good news came from the East; Eddard had received a letter from Stannis, in which Stannis claimed that Cersei and the necromancer had destroyed the royal sept, the statues of the Seven at the Great Sept of Baelor, burned the godswood of the Red Keep, and sacrificed followers of the Seven to the Great Other in King's Landing.

Eddard suspected that Stannis might have sent letters to every castle in the Westerlands, and that even castles in the Reach, Dorne, the Riverlands, and the Vale had received the letters.

Once the news spread everywhere, it meant that the Lannisters would inevitably lose the support of the Church and the pious; many knights of the Westerlands would also doubt whether they should fight for the heretic King Joffrey and the Corpse Queen Cersei.

The fact that the Lannisters in King's Landing had become followers of the Great Other was also one of the reasons why the Golden Lady had abandoned the Lannisters and surrendered to Eddard. The Golden Lady was not a follower of the Seven, but she would absolutely not support the Great Other. Between the living and the dead, the choice became easy.

However, in the last few days, the ravens had not always brought good news; Eddard had encountered white ravens while on the march.

White ravens carry no letters; their appearance announces only one thing: the change of seasons, meaning the long summer has ended and Westeros has officially entered autumn.

Autumn has arrived, and Winter is Coming.

Because the Undead occupy King's Landing, winter has become terrifying; the Great Other and the Night King's army are destined to leave Westeros strewn with corpses and flowing with blood.

Eddard must end the War of the Five Kings as soon as possible to better face the Great Other and the Undead.

After being defeated by Eddard, the Golden Lady was as tame as a kitten; she knelt before Eddard, swore allegiance to him in the name of the New and Old Gods, and told Eddard everything about the defenses of Deep Den.

"Ser Kevan took the remnants of the Westerlands army and fled back to Deep Den. Deep Den is sturdy enough, but before the Magic Dragon and the Giant Eagle Legion, it is vulnerable."

Now that they have arrived beneath Deep Den, after experiencing the crushing defeat at Pendrey Hills, Ser Kevan knows that the Westerlands army has little chance of winning against the Stark Army, which possesses giant eagles, a magic dragon, and beasts; therefore, Ser Kevan did not choose to sally out to meet the enemy, but chose instead to close the gates and defend.

As long as Deep Den is taken, the Stark Army can march directly south, appear behind the Golden Tooth—the throat fortress of the Westerlands—and, together with the Stark Army north of the Golden Tooth, pincer the Westerlands army commanded by Tywin and Jaime; they can also take the coastal route of the Westerlands to threaten Kayce, Casterly Rock, and Lannisport.

Ser Kevan stood on the ramparts, looking at the dozens of giant eagles and the magic dragon flying in the sky, and frowned; the wrinkles on his forehead were like gullies.

Eddard rode on the back of the direwolf Night and shouted toward Ser Kevan on the ramparts.

"Ser Kevan, open the gates and surrender immediately; before the magic dragon and the giant eagles, senseless resistance will only lead to more casualties."

Ser Kevan clenched his fists, "In the name of King Joffrey Baratheon on the Iron Throne, I guard the lands of the Westerlands; Wolf Prince Eddard, you are an invader, how could I possibly surrender to you?"

Eddard said loudly: "Ser Kevan, did you not receive the letter from Stannis? Cersei has become the Corpse Queen, and Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen have been reborn to protect Cersei. Cersei and Joffrey Baratheon are slaughtering followers of the Seven in King's Landing, sacrificing living people to the Great Other every day. The Great Other is the Dark God of the Undead, wights, and Others; you fight for Joffrey Baratheon, and you fight for the Great Other."

Many hired knights and sworn knights on the ramparts, smeared with holy oil, began to whisper to each other upon hearing this.

"Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen reborn?"

"How could they do such a thing to the Seven?"

"Slaughtering followers of the Seven will surely bring divine retribution."

Seeing the wavering morale, Ser Kevan hurriedly said: "Wolf Prince Eddard, do not spread your heresies here. We all know that Stannis usurped the throne and covets King Joffrey Baratheon's Iron Throne; the army of Stannis has surrounded King's Landing, so of course they would fabricate all kinds of lies to slander Cersei and King Joffrey Baratheon. In any case, King's Landing is besieged, and Cersei and Joffrey Baratheon cannot defend themselves."

The Golden Lady beside Eddard spoke up: "Ser Kevan, what Stannis said in the letter is true; the Lannisters in King's Landing have fallen to the point of becoming followers of the Undead. Cersei and Joffrey Baratheon not only destroyed the statues of the Seven but also openly accused the Seven of being hypocritical gods. Undead necromancers sacrifice followers of the Seven every day to please the Great Other. This news has already been brought to all parts of Westeros by the sparrows of King's Landing and the ravens of Stannis."

The Golden Lady had just surrendered to Eddard, and many knights and nobles of the Westerlands in Deep Den feared her; they knew the Golden Lady had the ability to communicate with animals, so as soon as she spoke, the Westerlands knights on the ramparts began to believe her.

Ser Kevan, standing on the ramparts, scolded angrily: "Golden Lady, the Lannisters treated you well; you were captured by Wolf Prince Eddard and surrendered to the Wolf Prince to save your life. You shameless witch, what face do you have left to spout nonsense in front of the Westerlands army?"

The Golden Lady said angrily: "Ser Kevan, when you had use for me, I was a magical witch; when you have no use for me, I become a shameless witch. You have likely forgotten that if it weren't for me, this Deep Den would have fallen long ago."

"Now, I will fight for the Wolf Prince and take this castle."

The lion beneath the Golden Lady let out a roar, and the Golden Lady scattered a handful of gold powder from her sleeves; in an instant, yellow sand appeared in the air, and a sandstorm emerged. The Roaring Lion Flag of the Lannisters and the Burning Tree flag of House Marbrand on the ramparts fluttered in the sandstorm.

Many Westerlands soldiers on the ramparts had their eyes attacked by the yellow sand, and their vision was obstructed.

At this moment, Giant Eagle Prince Michu, the giant eagle princess Bessa, and Wolf Prince Eddard rode giant eagles together, bypassed the sandstorm, and killed their way into Deep Den.

The magic dragon breathed scorching dragonfire toward the gates of Deep Den; the oak and bronze gates began to twist and deform, and Bronze Yohn led soldiers, carrying a makeshift battering ram, to smash open the gates.

The Lannister soldiers inside the gates were just about to resist when the Goat, the shadowcat, the saber-toothed tiger, and the lion charged in first; the beasts tore open the enemies' throats and twisted off their arms, blood splashing everywhere. Barristan and Bronze Yohn led the Stark Army into the gates, and the sounds of killing, screaming, and horse neighing filled the air.

The news that Joffrey Baratheon and Cersei in King's Landing were killing followers of the Seven and abandoning the faith of the Seven shook the morale of Deep Den; many hired knights and sworn knights had no heart to resist, and as the Stark Army attacked into Deep Den, some Westerlands knights simply dropped their weapons and surrendered.

Kevan and Lord Damon Marbrand, seeing that the situation was lost, had no choice but to open the south gate and flee toward the Golden Tooth.

Deep Den fell into the hands of Wolf Prince Eddard, and the soldiers raised the direwolf banner.

As the ancestral castle of House Marbrand, Deep Den was also the largest castle occupied by the northern army attacking the Westerlands; the scale of the castle was larger than the Crag of House Westerling or the Hollow Hill of House Banefort.

The Stark Army obtained more than a dozen siege engines, such as ballistae and catapults, mountains of grain and food, and hundreds of barrels of ale, mead, and red wine in the wine cellar. The Stark Army captured more than three thousand Westerlands soldiers and civilians. The wealth accumulated by House Marbrand fell entirely into Eddard's hands, and many members of House Marbrand became prisoners of the Wolf Prince.

In the dungeons of Deep Den, Eddard rescued Ser Baron Swann, Jeyne, Gisela, Tigris, and others, returning the beasts to the skinchangers. Tigris kissed the saber-toothed tiger, Gisela climbed onto the Goat's back, and Jeyne stroked the ears of the shadowcat.

Gisela, the Goat Girl, looked mournfully at the Golden Lady beside Eddard, "Father of Life, if it weren't for the Golden Lady's sorcery, we would never have been captured."

Eddard said: "The Golden Lady has become my subordinate; she helped us take Deep Den, proving her loyalty. From now on, she is a member of the wolf pack."

Baron Swann said: "Wolf Prince, we have taken Deep Den; where shall we attack next? Take the coastal road to attack Kayce and threaten the heart of the Lannisters, Casterly Rock and Lannisport? Or attack the Westerlands fortress, the Golden Tooth."

Eddard looked toward the southeast, "Attack the Golden Tooth directly. Once the Golden Tooth is taken, our army can join forces with Brynden Tully and Robb's army; the Westerlands' defensive line will completely collapse, and the Lannisters will face their doom."

Thanks to Pisongguyang, Changbai Velume, Corn Tomato, Fighting for Books Every Day, and 20210301106523548588 for the monthly tickets; thank you for your support!

(End of chapter)