Chapter 118

Brienne glanced at Sansa Stark, who was dressed in an exquisite attire hard to find in the world, looking tense and worried.

A beautiful girl appearing in such a situation could not help but be nervous and worried.

She glanced at Asha, then walked toward Davos.

Her face must have been extremely ugly; Davos looked at her with an incredulous expression.

"Onion Knight, do you know what's going on?" she asked impatiently.

The Onion Knight glanced at Sansa, then slowly shook his head.

"I thought she had already returned to Winterfell." Davos glared, "Perhaps only the king present knows, and it's likely mixed with deceit and trickery."

Lady Asha at that moment picked up the wrapped robe and hurried back to her seat.

"Your Majesty, I said why my uncle didn't come to my wedding—turns out you never had any hostage exchange!" Asha sat down and questioned the king, "My closest kin, only my maternal uncle attended from my mother's side; lacking my paternal uncle makes it incomplete. Won't you explain?"

Her tone made it seem as if she were the queen of the Iron Islands, and Euron her consort.

"You have an uncle attending the wedding; wasn't Euron himself a witness for us?" the king laughed, "Isn't such a blessing enough?"

"You know, I mean Victarion." Asha stood up and paced back and forth. Her two shoulders were bare, plain yet strong, like two antennae that had grown extra on her body's sea monster. Others might think she had just suffered humiliation, but she showed none of it; her whole being exuded a vigorous heroic spirit.

Brienne had to admit, the sea‑monster woman before her was extremely charismatic as a leader, and the ironborn could not take their eyes off her.

Asha, having taken off her armor and dressed as a woman, was already beautiful; moreover, her sleek style was even more so.

"My good queen, are you concerned about this girl? Why bother caring about such an insignificant woman? You know this is the gift I'm giving my earls and captains; they can toy with her tonight however they like—such opportunities don't come often!" He said shamelessly, and Brienne felt she must die here tonight, otherwise she would lose all honor: "The old Earl Jason Mellis of Sea Border City said he wanted to exchange my heir for the she‑wolf's heir; my younger brother Victarion is not my heir—my heir is the son I begot with my good queen—I am a fair man, so naturally I wish to exchange equal hostages, hence the she‑wolf's heir, Miss Sansa, stays here."

"What I care about is whether my uncle Victarion has safely returned to the Iron Islands!" Asha kicked aside the corpse of a dead bastard, "And why he didn't come to my wedding!"

"I don't like listening to noise, but you are my queen, so I won't cut out your tongue—if I were you, I'd pay attention to that—I'll tell you, but don't ask further—Myranda was sent back by me disguised as her false sister, but the foolish hawk and wolf gave me back the real brother. He refuses to attend your wedding, naturally because he doesn't want to; you can take it as jealousy, if you're pleased."

The wedding feast resumed its murmuring, and he amplified his voice so that everyone inside the tent could hear clearly:

"Lords and captains, this Miss Sansa is my gift to you tonight; her clothing has jewels forming letters. If you like gold, the garment itself is gold; if you like jewels, there are plenty here; if you like beauties, well, push aside the gold and jewels and there she is. But before I announce the gift, let us together admire the lady's dance—I hear she enjoys court balls!"

Brienne stormed out.

"You are insulting a noble lady of high birth. Any honorable lord or noble would not do so, much less you, a self‑proclaimed king!"

"You talk too much, woman; I know why you came to the island. So if you keep talking, I guarantee she won't stand here as a noble lady of high birth," he said with a beaming smile, "Her sister sent me a great gift; I think I should give her the same!"

"What does that mean?" The she‑wolf's great gift is to prevent Victarion from competing with Euron; what is Euron's gift?

"Stupid woman, don't overthink it. With Sansa I have the North; with the North my kingdom is complete. I won't just give away such an important gift. I urged my brother Victarion to return to the Iron Islands, but he stubbornly refused, so this gift does not belong to him."

Brienne glanced at Sansa; her eyes were bright, she pressed her lips and slowly shook her head at Brienne. Brienne had lost her weapons; in this great tent, besides facing death, she could do nothing.

"Ser Brienne, you are my guard, not that Stark girl's." Asha called to her, "Come over quickly!"

She clenched her fists, not knowing how to walk over.

Her dagger still lay beside the table, in the firelight it gleamed with a dark blood‑red hue. At that moment a few guards dragged away corpses from her side, including that bastard.

"This is your doing, woman!" a soldier snarled at her.

"Play music!" an official ordered.

The musicians seated at the edge of the tent began to play a gentle, harmonious tune. Just then, several maiden‑like serving girls entered from outside, surrounded Sansa, and began pulling her into dance movements.

Sansa at first could barely keep composure, but soon tears streamed from her eyes; she held back her sobs, moving awkwardly as the girls pulled her, neither graceful nor lovely.

Then several bare‑topped exotic mermaids filed in, and in the center of the dance floor they hung a series of egg‑sized luminous pearls of various colors. As soon as the pearls were hung, Sansa's clothing instantly changed hue, displaying birds and beasts, flora, sun and moon, mountains and rivers; as she danced, the patterns on her garb continually shifted through the seasons—spring, summer, autumn, winter. In a short time, upon this attire unfolded countless scenes of the world changing with the ages.

Whether nobles, lords, or captains present, each was captivated by this wondrous sight.

Indescribably wonderful.

The musicians changed the tune, and the scene on the clothing instantly shifted.

The jeweled inscription seemed to come alive; as Sansa turned, the letters "Sansa Stark" appeared to float from her clothing, hovering above the tent, shifting color with the music's rhythm, drifting in direction, forming shapes—birds, fish, lion‑wolves, serpents and insects.

Brienne too was stunned by this sight.

The king smiled satisfied.

Is this magic or what? Or is the garment a magical artifact?

The king wore scale armor forged of Valyrian steel; at least he was unharmed by the venom of the regretful client's poisonous snake; perhaps also immune to Asha's poison. Is that also due to magic?

Magical artifact. She has a magical crown still bound to her right shoulder's armor, covered with blue cloth; she feels it has no effect.

The tall man who fought her, wielding a war hammer, his tattoos at this moment also pulsed with the rhythm—could that be magic too?

One piece ended.

"This is merely a small gain in my adventuring career." Euron rose slowly, "Including the woman before you. I tell all lords, captains, and every ironborn: follow me, follow your king, and we shall trample every sea and land, witness countless such wonders, reap all the world's treasures, and capture and toy with every noble pure maiden."

"Long live King Euron!" first a scattered cheer, then a thunderous roar like mountains and seas overturning.

"Long live King Euron!"

"Long live!"

"No!" the girl cried out, her voice already changed, "You will never succeed!"

Tears streamed down her face, her expression resolute.

"Our pure noble maiden will turn into a little wolf howling!" Euron laughed heartily, "I have always succeeded."

Sansa's courage, which she had just mustered, instantly vanished; tears again flowed from her eyes, tracing her cheeks.

"You absolutely will not." She wiped her tears, "With my sister here, you will not succeed; she never lets any pirate go."

"I will someday storm Winterfell, dig up your ancestors' bones from the crypts, toss them into the cesspool, tear out your family's white tree by the roots to feed the fire. As for your sister…"

"My sister will hang your head on the city walls."

I don't know where the girl gets her courage, but all right, Brienne can die alongside her today.

Euron broke into a grim grin.

"Since you can't say anything pleasant, what good is that pretty face of yours?" He gestured to the black‑brawny man beside him and said something in a language Brienne couldn't understand.

The black‑brawny man set down his war hammer, drew a dagger and a strange pincer from his waist, and slowly approached Sansa.

Sansa shrank back in terror.

Now Brienne leapt up, grabbed the dagger from the fur, and charged forward.

Translation: "Now, Brienne leapt up, snatched the dagger from the fur, and charged forward."

Now Brienne leapt up, snatched the dagger from the fur, and charged forward.

She wore armor, which might have given her a better chance…… but it was meaningless; her enemies filled the tent and the island, and she was destined to die here.

Translation: "She wore armor, perhaps giving her a better chance…… meaningless, her enemies were everywhere in the tent, all over the island, she was destined to die here!"

She wore armor, perhaps giving her a better chance…… but it was meaningless, her enemies were everywhere in the tent, all over the island, she was destined to die here!

The black-skinned burly man lightly dodged the dagger, then swung a tool at her with his right hand. She didn't try to dodge, thrusting the dagger forward, but the burly man moved faster, knocking her to the ground instantly. She rolled, driving the dagger into his calf.

Translation: "The black-skinned burly man lightly dodged the dagger, then with his right hand holding a tool, he swung hard at her. She didn't try to dodge, thrusting the dagger forward, but the burly man moved faster, instantly knocking her to the ground. She rolled, driving the dagger into the burly man's calf."

The black-skinned burly man lightly dodged the dagger, then swung a tool at her with his right hand. She didn't try to dodge, thrusting the dagger forward, but the burly man moved faster, knocking her to the ground instantly. She rolled, driving the dagger into his calf.

The burly man shouted and kicked her hard to the side.

Translation: "The burly man shouted and kicked her hard to the side."

She grunted, but her armor absorbed most of the impact, and she quickly got up and charged forward.

Translation: "She grunted, but thanks to her armor she took little impact, then immediately got up and charged at him."

The burly man was anything but normal; as she lunged at him, he spun and seized her knife hand. She leaned forward, using her momentum to slam him to the ground.

Translation: "The burly man was far from normal; as she rushed up to him, he quickly turned and grabbed her knife-wielding wrist. She leaned her weight forward, using her momentum, and shoved him to the ground with all her strength."

She noticed he already had a small wound on his throat and another under his arm.

Translation: "She noticed he already had a small wound on his throat and another under his arm."

She held the dagger to his throat.

Translation: "She pointed the dagger at his throat."

His dark skin tattoo gleamed again. She felt his tremendous strength transmitted through her, the dagger slowly turning and pointing back at her.

Translation: "His dark skin's tattoo flashed again. She felt the opponent's immense power transmitted, the dagger slowly turning, pointing back at her."

"What a savage woman." She seemed to hear Euron commenting.

Translation: ""What a savage woman." She seemed to hear Euron commenting."

The hulk suddenly surged, flinging her sideways. She stabbed the dagger again toward his calf.

Translation: "The hulk suddenly exerted power, violently flinging her to the side. She stabbed again at his calf with the dagger."

Only then did she notice that the dagger had no fresh blood on it.

Translation: "Only then did she notice there was no fresh blood on the dagger."

He grabbed her arm and lifted her up. In the struggle, the blue "sleeve insignia" was torn away, revealing the armband underneath.

Translation: "He grabbed her arm and lifted her up. In the struggle, the blue "sleeve badge" was torn off, revealing the armlet inside."

The man staggered as if struck by lightning, collapsing to his knees helplessly. Brienne didn't know what had happened, and she ruthlessly drew the dagger across his throat. No gush of blood came as expected; only a trickle of black blood seeped from his neck.

Translation: "At that moment the man seemed struck by lightning, suddenly powerless and dropping to his knees. Brienne didn't know what had happened, and she savagely slashed the dagger across his throat. No spurting blood as imagined, only a trickle of black blood seeped from his neck."

A foul stench.

Translation: "A foul stench."

The tattoo on his back faded at that moment, growing dim and eventually turning black like his skin.

Translation: "The tattoo on his back faded at that moment, gradually turning dark and then becoming black like his skin."

He was completely dead.

Translation: "He was completely dead."

Before she could turn her head, the guards swarmed over her and subdued her again. This was the second time in a short span that her face had been pressed into the fur on the ground.

Translation: "Before she could turn her head, the soldiers swarmed over and subdued her again. This was the second time in a short span that her face had been pressed into the fur on the ground."

She felt the soldiers slowly removing the crown from her arm.

Translation: "She felt the crown on her arm being slowly taken off by the soldiers."

A soldier yanked her around to face the king.

Translation: "A soldier grabbed her, turning her to face the king."

"A fine little trinket." Euron held the crown, "How did you get this thing? It's wasted on a madwoman like you."

Translation: ""A fine little trinket." Euron held the crown, saying, "How did you get hold of this thing? It's a waste to see it on a madwoman like you.""

"Pah!"

Translation: ""Pah!""

"Along with you to the Iron Islands there's a shipgirl and a servant. One of them must know, and I'll eventually find out." Euron laughed loudly, "Just keep that secret to yourself! Today truly is a turning point in Iron Islands history."

Translation: ""Besides you, there's also a boatwoman and an attendant who came with you to the Iron Islands. One of them surely knows, and I'll eventually find out." Euron laughed loudly, "Just keep that secret to yourself! Today really is a turning point in Iron Islands history.""

He laughed wildly as he stepped down from the dais, raising the crown high to signal all the lords and captains.

Translation: "He laughed wildly as he stepped down from the platform, raising the crown high to signal to all the lords and captains."

"Grapes, green trees, ravens, longships!" Euron held up the crown and addressed the Ironborn, "Do you know what this means?" He wore a mad grin, "This is the crown of King Heron! Grapes stand for all wealth; green trees for all land; longships for all the sea; and the raven, ha ha, that represents your king. He he, this is your king, me, the best gift I've received today."

Translation: ""Grapes, green trees, ravens, longships!" Euron held up the crown to present to the Iron Islanders, saying, "Do you know what this means?" He wore a mad grin, "This is Heron King's crown! Grapes stand for all wealth; green trees for all land; longships for all the sea; and the raven—haha—stands for your king. Hehe, this is your king, me, the finest gift I've received today.""

"King Heron's crown, long live the king!" the crowd cheered.

Translation: ""Heron King's crown, long live the king!" the crowd cheered."

"Long live!"

Translation: ""Long live!""

He reached out, pulled off the floating wood crown on his head, threw it away, then with both hands slowly held the crown and solemnly placed it on his head.