Chapter 220: Frost Dragons Curse the Earth, Roses Propose to the Winter Wolves

King's Landing, the Dragonpit.

The Dragonpit, newly renovated by Cersei, had the patterns of blood-red lions and dragons engraved upon its withered bone gates, all covered in a thin layer of frost.

During the reign of the Targaryen Dragonlords over King's Landing, the Dragonpit was a place of blood and fire; now, it had become a place of bone and ice, filled everywhere with the remains of giant dragons.

Cersei ordered the Black Robe Army, composed of followers of the Great Other, to transport the dragon bones of "the Black Dread" Balerion, along with the skeletons of over a dozen other magic dragons of varying sizes, to the Dragonpit.

Today, the Gold Cloaks of King's Landing have been completely replaced by the Black Cloaks, and Janos Slynt, who once died in a mob riot, has now become the commander of the Black Cloaks.

After Janos Slynt died, his eyes were pecked out by crows; after his resurrection, relying on the wealth he had plundered during his life, he installed two crystal balls as eyes. Janos Slynt's face was pitted and scarred from the crows' pecking, with pale bone exposed in some places, looking exceptionally terrifying.

Joffrey and Cersei stood on the Dragon Altar outside the Dragonpit, while the ice dragon Dreamfyre spread its wings above the Dragonpit.

Cersei gazed into the distance at Visenya's Hill, where the Dark Temple on the hill was shrouded by a cluster of dark clouds.

The most famous building on Visenya's Hill used to be the Baelor's Sept, once the center of the Faith of the Seven in Westeros and the seat of the High Septon; now, the Baelor's Sept has been completely transformed into the Dark Temple, and the seven crystal towers on the plaza have become spirit towers.

The Red Keep on Aegon's High Hill was hung with heads and covered in carrion crows.

The people of Flea Bottom, the smiths of Iron Street, and the prostitutes and patrons of Silk Street had become walking corpses due to consuming the polluted food of the undead, and were devoted to the Great Other.

Now, these followers of the Great Other gathered before the Dragon Altar outside the Dragonpit to witness together the birth of the ice dragons.

This was the new King's Landing that Cersei had forged: a city of the undead. Now that she possessed ice dragons, Cersei believed that she would begin a great conquest to sweep across Westeros, just like Aegon the Conqueror had done in his time.

King's Landing already possessed its first ice dragon, Dreamfyre. The necromancer Ogbeta, with the giant bats and Dreamfyre, had defeated Randyll Tarly at Tumbleton and successfully collected the dragon souls of three magic dragons: "the Dragon of Bronze" Vermithor, the Blue Queen Tessarion, and Seasmoke.

The skeletons of these three magic dragons had already been placed on the Dragon Altar. "The Dragon of Bronze" Vermithor was the largest; Vermithor had once been the mount of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, and he had lived through the long reign of Jaehaerys I all the way until the Dance of the Dragons.

The Blue Queen Tessarion and Seasmoke were much smaller in size, only one-third the size of Vermithor.

The necromancer Ogbeta stood on the Dragon Altar, the skull scepter in his hand emitting bursts of blood-red light.

"Your Majesty the Queen Regent, today, I shall bring you three ice dragons; this is the gift of the Great Other!"

Cersei was as excited as a young girl, "Hurry, let me witness the miracle of the Great Other!"

In the air, the ice dragon Dreamfyre let out a roar, and the necromancer Ogbeta opened the urn engraved with magic dragons; a cloud of bronze-colored mist sprayed out, and the dragon soul of "the Dragon of Bronze" Vermithor appeared above the Dragonpit.

Following that was a cloud of blue mist; the dragon soul of "the Blue Queen" Tessarion appeared.

The last to appear was a silver-white mist, which coalesced into the dragon soul of Seasmoke; he was magnificent and beautiful.

The necromancer Ogbeta held the skull scepter high, and a storm of snow and wind raged in the air. The dragon souls combined with the dragon skeletons of Vermithor, Tessarion, and Seasmoke. Soon, the skeletons were covered in a thick layer of ice and snow, and the magic dragons opened their blue eyes.

Vermithor, Seasmoke, and Tessarion flapped their wings of death together, flew into the sky, and danced with Dreamfyre.

Cersei revealed a beast-like smile, "I now possess four magic dragons; finally, I can send troops to annihilate Stannis at Storm's End and the Wolf King Eddard at Harrenhal."

Joffrey pursed his thick lips, "Among these four ice dragons, only Vermithor and Dreamfyre are decent; the blue wench Tessarion and this so-called Seasmoke, aren't they too small?"

The necromancer Ogbeta revealed a fawning smile.

"Your Majesty, no matter how small the ice dragons Seasmoke and Tessarion are, they are still much larger than the flying wolves, koi, and Eagle Eye of the Wolf King Eddard."

Joffrey gave a light snort, "But the magic dragons in the hands of the Wolf King Eddard are still growing, while these ice dragons of yours cannot grow."

Cersei chimed in: "Joffrey is absolutely right. Ogbeta, hurry and resurrect the Black Dread Balerion! Back then, Balerion used dragonfire to conquer Harrenhal, the massive castle on the shores of the Gods Eye, for Aegon the Conqueror, and extinguished the bloodline of Harren the Black."

"Today, if Balerion is reborn and uses ice dragonfire to conquer Harrenhal and slaughter the Wolf King Eddard and his magic dragons, that would be the best way to declare to the world that the Great Other rules the world."

The necromancer Ogbeta said: "Your Majesty, to resurrect the Black Dread Balerion requires more magic; such things cannot be rushed."

"I will dispatch Dreamfyre and Vermithor to attack the Wolf King Eddard's Harrenhal. I will dispatch the Blue Queen and Seasmoke to attack Stannis's Storm's End. Storm's End has no magic dragons, giant eagles, or griffins; sending two smaller magic dragons is more than enough."

Joffrey was impatient, "Go quickly! I want the heads of Stannis and the Wolf King Eddard to use as chamber pots!"

The necromancer Ogbeta said: "The birth of ice dragons will bring curses, suffering, and grief to humanity, and victory to the Great Other."

"Under the shadow of death, everything will turn into a cursed land, where no grass grows and all things wither!"

Vermithor sprayed a breath of ice dragonfire toward a small grove of trees south of the Dragon Altar; the trees withered instantly, and even the earth turned a sickly dark black. The places bathed by the ice dragonfire seemed to be dying.

Cersei smirked, "I understand now; as long as the land is bathed in the dragonfire of the ice dragons, the earth will be cursed, and all things will be unable to grow. In this way, the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Stormlands... the enemy's lands will be unable to produce food, and the enemy will inevitably face a shortage of grain!"

The necromancer Ogbeta said: "And our undead do not need grain or food."

"The fireworks of the human world are destined to be destroyed under the curse of the ice dragons!"

At Harrenhal, Eddard was on the training grounds, teaching Arya and Sansa how to use fire guns.

Arya picked up a heavy fire gun and aimed at a skull ten meters away on the training grounds. She hit it with one shot, and the skull shattered at the sound; Arya danced with excitement.

Sansa picked up a fire gun and tried for a long time. She gathered her courage and pulled the trigger; her arm was left numb from the recoil, and as a result, the bullet went wide, flew over the training ground fence, and struck the outer wall of the armory.

"I'm so scared! The fire gun makes my fingers ache from the vibration," Sansa thought pitifully.

Eddard put his arm around Sansa's shoulder, "Sansa, I don't expect you to become a warrior like Lady Brienne, but now that the undead are rampant and the songs of war are rising, you should learn to protect yourself."

On the battlements of Harrenhal, the craftsmen had already erected artillery platforms; forty large-caliber cannons were distributed on all sides of Harrenhal, which would make the defense of Harrenhal even more perfect and flawless.

There was also a type of fire-spitting crossbow that sprayed wildfire, capable of shooting flames several yards into the sky.

Cannons, ballistae, fire-spitting crossbows, and catapults—these were all gifts Eddard had prepared for the ice dragons.

The fire guns Eddard invented were originally cumbersome; building cannons was much easier than building pistols.

Under Eddard's guidance, the alchemists had all become gunpowder experts, and the workshops of Harrenhal were producing cannonballs and cannons every day.

Brienne walked to Eddard's side.

"Wolf Prince, the delegation from Highgarden has arrived; the representative of the delegation is the Highgarden steward Garth Tyrell."

Eddard was not surprised that Highgarden had sent envoys; Eddard had heard about the attack on Tumbleton in the Reach. Now, the Reach was facing the threat of the undead, Stannis had a grudge against Lord Mace, and Dorne was the ancestral enemy of the Reach; House Stark had become the natural ally of House Tyrell.

In the hall of the Kingspyre Tower, Eddard received the envoy from Highgarden, "the Gross" Garth.

"The Gross" Garth was the uncle of the Lord of Highgarden, Mace Tyrell, and he had served as the Highgarden steward for many years. He was bald, had a round beer belly and rosy cheeks, and wore a long robe of green silk.

Garth said: "Wolf Prince, the undead are rampant; that the Wolf Prince has been able to thwart the attacks of the undead army multiple times at Harrenhal, House Stark is truly worthy of being the savior of humanity."

Afterwards, Garth looked around with a serious expression, "Where is my grand-nephew, the Knight of Flowers, Ser Loras?"

Eddard said: "Ser Loras is serving in the Winter Wolves; he is following Robb, marching from the Westerlands toward Harrenhal, and has already reached the Riverlands at this moment."

Garth revealed a smile, "Loras has always been a good boy; he is the most outstanding knight in our Reach. Wolf Prince, your daughter Sansa is not yet betrothed; isn't Ser Loras a perfect candidate?"

Eddard said: "Ser Loras is determined to become a great hero; when he became one of Renly Baratheon's Rainbow Guard, he had already renounced the right to marry and have children. Although Renly Baratheon has already renounced the crown, Ser Loras is still devotedly following Renly Baratheon; Sansa cannot obtain Loras's love."

Although Loras is the man of many a maiden's dreams, Eddard is very clear that Loras is a man who loves sweet wine; Eddard would not dare marry Sansa to Loras.

Jiaersi said with a fawning smile, "Duke Mace hopes to form an alliance with the Wolf Prince to resist the threat of the Undead together; marriage is the best way to form an alliance."

"I fully understand that the Wolf Prince is unwilling to marry Lady Sansa to Loras; after all, Loras is only the younger son of Highgarden and has no right of inheritance. What if it were the Heir of Highgarden, Willas?"

"Willas is a young man who is full of love and refined. Yes, because the Red Viper Oberyn cheated on the tournament grounds back then and injured Willas, Willas became a cripple, but his mind is very sharp and his interests are broad. If Lady Sansa marries Willas, the friendship between the Rose and the Direwolf will surely last."

Eddard said, "I do not know much about Willas. I must seek Sansa's opinion before making a decision."

Jiaersi was relentless, "Lady Margaery is the pearl of Highgarden. If Lady Margaery could marry the Young Wolf Robb, that would also be a pair watched over by the Seven and the Old Gods!"

Eddard was somewhat awkward, "Have you forgotten? Margaery has already married King Renly Baratheon."

Jiaersi took out a letter, "This is a letter written by the High Septon of Oldtown. Renly Baratheon usurped the throne and is deeply sinful; the High Septon has already annulled the marriage between Margaery and Renly. Now Margaery has returned to being single."

Renly Baratheon usurped the throne? Renly Baratheon is deeply sinful; wouldn't the House Tyrell of Highgarden, who followed Renly and crowned him, be unforgivable? Eddard suppressed a laugh.

Now that Eddard is crowned King, it is only a matter of time. House Tyrell marrying Margaery to Robb means Margaery still has a chance to become Queen; Eddard truly admires the Tyrells' desire for the Queen's crown.

Jiaersi said, "During the time Lady Margaery was married to Renly, her maidenhood was not broken; she remains a virgin to this day, so it is most appropriate for her to marry the Young Wolf Robb."

Margaery has been married to Renly for so long, can she still be a virgin? Eddard is very skeptical. Renly is a man who loves sweet wine, but with such a lovely beer as Margaery served up, would Renly not be tempted?

Renly passed through a hundred flowers, only picking chrysanthemums and ignoring the little rose? Eddard does not believe it.

Eddard said, "Who could refuse Lady Margaery? I will consider it seriously; when my son Robb arrives at Harrenhal, I will make a decision."

If the Starks only ruled the North, Willas marrying Sansa and Margaery marrying Robb would be a match between equals, but now, the Starks rule the vast lands of the North, the Westerlands, The Vale, and the Riverlands, and also possess Magic Dragons; House Tyrell proposing marriage to House Stark can only be considered climbing the social ladder.

Jiaersi said, "Wolf Prince, Duke Mace requests that the Wolf Prince be crowned King as soon as possible. Highgarden is willing to support the Wolf Prince in wearing the crown, and House Tyrell will use the wealth of The Reach to help the Wolf Prince crusade against the rebels."

Eddard said, "With the Undead raging, it would be most unwise to wear the crown at this time."

"I want to save Westeros and overthrow the Undead in King's Landing. If after the war ends, the people and nobles of Westeros believe I am a good King, then I will be crowned."

Jiaersi was filled with admiration, "The Wolf Prince's state of mind is truly too high; you are completely different from the likes of Stannis, Joffrey Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, and King Balon."

That evening, Eddard, Catelyn, and the Highgarden delegation enjoyed a sumptuous banquet together, and Jiaersi and Eddard announced, "House Tyrell and House Stark are allied, to love and cherish each other until the end of time and the universe."

The next day, after the Highgarden delegation left, Archmaester Marwyn and Tyrion came before Eddard.

Archmaester Marwyn stroked the chain on his thick neck and said, "Wolf Prince, the Undead sorcerer has resurrected the Ice Dragon. The Gods Eye is the place where the Prince of Flea Bottom, Prince Daemon, fought to the death with the Kinslayer, Prince Aemond."

"At that time, the two Dragonriders rode Magic Dragons and fought in the sky above the Gods Eye; Vhagar and Caraxes, along with the Dragonriders upon them, both fell. Now the bones of the giant dragons lie at the bottom of the lake."

"If the Undead sorcerer Ogbeta arrives at Harrenhal with the Ice Dragon, he is fully capable of directly resurrecting the Ice Dragon at the bottom of the lake to serve the Undead; therefore, I believe the dragon skeletons should be salvaged as soon as possible."

Wolf King Eddard said, "This is indeed a huge hidden danger. I do intend to salvage the dragon remains, but the problem is, where should I put them after fishing them out? Keep them at Harrenhal?"

Tyrion thought for a moment and immediately realized the severity of the problem, "If the Undead sorcerer can resurrect the dragon remains at the bottom of the Gods Eye into an Ice Dragon, then perhaps he can also resurrect the dragon skeletons stored at Harrenhal and turn them into Ice Dragons!"

"Damn it! In that case, if Vhagar and Caraxes were resurrected inside Harrenhal, it would be an absolute disaster."

Archmaester Marwyn said, "It is also wrong to let the dragon skeletons of Vhagar and Caraxes remain at the bottom of the Gods Eye."

Wolf King Eddard said, "I know whose help to seek."

At noon that day, Eddard rode his Magic Dragon Fei Lang to the Isle of Faces in the Gods Eye and met the Wood Dancer Shiera Seastar in the cave of the Weirwood Forest; she is the bastard daughter of Aegon the Unworthy and the sister of Bloodraven Duke Brynden Rivers and Bittersteel Aegor Rivers.

Back then, Shiera Seastar was famous for her beauty; Bittersteel and Bloodraven loved and killed each other for a lifetime to compete for the love of Shiera Seastar.

Now, Shiera Seastar is over a hundred years old; her skin is loose like old tree roots, and she has long since lost the beauty of her youth. She has become a thin, aged old woman, a Wood Dancer.

The Wood Dancer sat upright on the Weirwood Throne.

"Wolf King Eddard, you have done well; Harrenhal has defeated the Undead's attacks many times."

"However, I have observed through the trees that the Undead sorcerer has resurrected the Ice Dragon, and the future war will be even more cruel."

Eddard said, "I am worried that the Undead sorcerer will resurrect Vhagar and Caraxes at the bottom of the Gods Eye. Wood Dancer, do you have any way to stop the Undead sorcerer from resurrecting these Ice Dragons?"

The Wood Dancer said, "The Gods Eye is a holy place watched over by the Old Gods; the Undead sorcerer cannot directly resurrect the Magic Dragons at the bottom of the lake, but the Undead sorcerer has already resurrected four Ice Dragons, which is enough to flatten Harrenhal and threaten the Weirwood Forest on the Isle of Faces."

"Actually, you need not worry about Vhagar and Caraxes; you should worry about Balerion the Black Dread in King's Landing. Clearly, the Undead sorcerer is accumulating Magic power. Before resurrecting Balerion, the Undead sorcerer cannot run to the Gods Eye to resurrect Vhagar."

Eddard said gloomily, "My Magic Dragons Fei Lang, Jin Li, and Eagle Eye might not grow to the size of Balerion even in a hundred years."

The Wood Dancer nodded, "Balerion is the Magic Dragon that has done the most killing; once resurrected, this Ice Dragon will once again become an envoy of death, a machine of slaughter."

"The Ice Dragon flaps its wings of death, and wherever it goes turns into a cursed land; the earth dies as if infected with Grey Scale. The cursed earth grows nothing, yet it is fertile soil for the Undead."

"Wolf King Eddard, you must march and get there before the Ice Dragon curses the earth."

Eddard said, "Find a way to destroy the Ice Dragons?"

The Wood Dancer revealed a toothless smile, "Control them!"

The stars leaping in the clouds, Shen Tianming, 3 Dao-Born Trees 3, thank you for the monthly votes and support!

(End of this chapter)