Chapter 262

The main gate of Sunny Mountain City creaked awkwardly, locking the last faint yellowish sunlight seeping out of the dark clouds outside the high city walls.

When the last rider entered the castle, they could already hear the sigh of the Bolton warhorses, and all the Boltons could see was the locked gate of Sunny Mountain City.

She was certain the red‑robed monk and Roose Bolton were stationed below, staring at her with doubtful or furious eyes as she personally tore down the Bolton flayed‑man flag.

She tore down the flayed‑man flag and threw it to the nearby Seon Snow. Compared to Qiongen, he looks more like Lord Eddard and uncle Brandon Stark—she would believe he is either their bastard son or their bastard younger brother.

Qiongen

He is almost certainly Brandon Stark's bastard; perhaps when she sees Renly Baratheon again, they can confirm it for each other.

"I used to dislike having too many siblings, and they all bore lofty surnames, which felt terribly tedious, but now I feel there are too few." She felt a wry smile, "I'm glad to see you here, Seon."

Brandon Stark

"You mean I have too many younger brothers and sisters? I am indeed older." He laughed heartily; though young, he was clearly a mature, handsome youth. "Actually, I knew who my father was when I was very young; at first I was proud, later I resented..."

Mormon

"Now? I don't know." He smoothed the Bolton flag in his hands, "To me, the Starks are too far away, and Lady Catelyn's nature won't tolerate any more bastards, even if they were from a potential husband of hers. We all know how it works, right?"

Northern Lands

"Not many. When I first learned to ride, I had already ridden my grandfather's warhorse out of Mormont's lands, wanting to ride to Winterfell and tell them I should be Winterfell's lord, that the whole North was mine," he recalled happily, "Unfortunately, my grandfather caught up with me, and so Winterfell slipped from my grasp."

Mote

"He's called the 'Charger,' after all! He told me, 'Lord Eddard, out of respect for his brother, will find you a place in Winterfell—stablemaster, steward, guard, maybe even teach you to read and fight—but you're nobody's son, and Lady Catelyn will surely do away with you!' Those were his exact words. He said, if I went home with him, at least he and his mother could keep me as a brave knight rather than a servant. The next time I rashly wanted to ride to Winterfell to assert my authority, I suddenly understood what 'bastard' and 'Snow' meant—I won't say how—but alas, before that, my grandfather, uncle, and mother had protected me too well."

Queen of Love and Beauty

"Qiongen, your twin brother? Lady Catelyn has been reminding him constantly, right?" He laughed confidently, unlike any Stark or Northerner she knew. "I'm different—ever since I reached five feet tall, girls have been flocking to me, almost making me think I was the king of the North! Snow, snow, only later did I realize it was because each of them thought she had a chance."

Seon Snow was tall and handsome; compared to her attendant knights, he was undoubtedly a fully grown man. Mei unconsciously sought to discover in him the bearing of her deceased uncle Brandon Stark.

Mei couldn't help laughing, while Harlo and Gus beside her kept glancing sideways.

"If you went to Winterfell to press your claim, Lady Catelyn would very likely have you killed. In her eyes, you are not only a threat to her children, but also to Lord Eddard..."

"Am I also a threat to you?" he laughed, cutting off Mei's words.

"You're indeed somewhat lacking when you haven't opened the gate," Mei smiled. "Her power in the North comes not only from Eddard Stark but also from the wealth she brought back, her revenge for the Red Wedding, and numerous victories—none of which a bastard of a long‑dead Winterfell heir could threaten."

"You might think that without Mother's pleading and Grandfather's capture I wouldn't have opened the gate for you—but that's completely wrong. I owe no duty or oath to Viscount Moot," he said, stepping closer to Mei and smiling faintly, perhaps his way of showing charm. "Giving his castle to a strange sister as a gift was my original intention; it's just that Grandfather messed things up."

Mei found this relative more interesting.

"You're quite the talker, then I'll have to treat this castle as a gift. Since you've already offered a present, what would you like me to give you in return?"

He slowly knelt on one knee, presenting the neatly folded flayed‑man flag, finally completing her formal oath of fealty since she entered the city.

"You are the true Stark line, a knight knighted by King Robert himself, and the self‑crowned 'Queen of Love and Beauty'…" His eyes showed unabashed longing. "All I want from you is… to serve you."

He had better not utter the word 'marriage'.

"I accept your loyalty. I appoint you, my kin, Seon Snow, as the new Viscount of Sunny Mountain City." She patted his shoulder enthusiastically, signaling him to rise, "But tell me, do you want to be just a direwolf, a golden squirrel, or design your own family crest altogether?"

Brandon

Lan Nuo

Bu Lan Deng Shi Ta Ke already covers.

"Ah, she's a fine mother! Plenty capable, but as for education… after I reached five feet tall, she'd merely chase away the girls around me and then only whip me. I did have two healthy legs, though; when I was a head shorter than her, she could rarely catch me, and her servants dare not use their full strength."

Bo Dun already.

"Indeed? But after that it was just as frequent, for she took to horseback chasing me! Though I can run fast, swim, climb stone piles, little hills, or hide in thickets, brambles, or grass huts, I feared she might fall from her horse like my uncle and get hurt, so I resigned myself to 'willingly' taking her lashes while I ran—so she'd feel better, I could only shout as loud as I could. Though you wouldn't hear my cries in Winterfell, the farm girls heard them loud and clear, and afterward they treated me more gently."

Xi En Xue Nuo covers.

At that moment, Harlo took a letter from a young guard cavalryman beside him and stepped forward to hand it to Mei.

"I've never told her these things; otherwise I'd truly worry she'd put spurs on her whip."

"Then your girls will surely be gentler." Mei quickly opened and read the letter. "On you, I actually see the shadow of a direwolf."

Kai Se Lin

Ai De

"Indeed? The Viscount of Frostwind Hall has always hated me, saying if I ever set foot in his lands again he'll hang me—I'd love to go see. Actually, who knows? Hey, maybe we'll meet before Hornwood Castle. Who'd scorn such talent? I've heard the Grave‑mound Village also has a Stark branch."

Stark

"Your identity is too special. Moreover, if the gift were merely Mormont's Sunny Mountain City, it wouldn't suffice." Even if she were qualified to legitimize him, she'd have to think it over carefully; otherwise she'd only create needless trouble for herself, Arya, and Qiongen.

"In that case, I'll just have to make do with being plain Snow for now, hoping that one day eternal summer will come and melt the snow on my head." He wore a weary or indifferent smile. "The war in the River East must go on; I've heard Grave‑mound Village and the Stream Lands have also risen in revolt, right? So future opportunities are still plentiful?"

"Eternal summer may not come, but I'll keep this in mind and give you ample opportunity—in fact, right now: I defeated the Bolton army beneath Hornwood Castle, and as you see, they may now be thinking of withdrawing to Frostwind Hall to return to Terror Castle, or perhaps trying to besiege me inside the city… What do you think I can do?"

"Your elite cavalry is unmatched in the North—why worry about all that? Sunny Mountain City sits high enough; if you're willing to take the risk, strike now while they're still unsteady."

Bolton

"Five hundred cavalry are enough to settle the North's situation in one blow; moreover, I said I'd launch the charge where they could see it—you won't really think the old 'Charger' is just waiting by the river for you, will you?"

Mote

Howard

Wind Snow

Horror

"Not bad, sharp. But that's mostly their bragging. This stone is too huge—building Harrenhal might only use a third of it. Yet precisely because it's such a massive block, if you think you can besiege it like an ordinary castle," he laughed heartily, "for instance, like besieging Winterfell, wrapping this one up would be a grave mistake."

Stream

River East

North

"Going around the hills is a good plan, but I still have other cavalry outside Shanyang City." Mei Yi then handed the letter she had picked up to Xi En Xue Nuo, "They have also arrived."