Chapter 291

"Bring the head back as well." She told the messenger, "Tell the count that I have no time to plant a tree for this man; since he's become brother‑in‑law to Lucius Bolton, he should take care of the aftermath."

Translation: "Bring the head back as well." She said to the envoy, "Tell the count that I have no leisure to plant a tree for this man; since he has become brother-in-law to Luc Bolton, he ought to take care of the aftermath."

Check: Earl means earl. Leisure means leisure. Plant a tree for this person means plant a tree for this person. He ought to handle his aftermath means he ought to handle his aftermath. Good.

The Bolton family's funeral customs seem to involve planting a tree for the deceased in the graveyard; they say this lets the dead swiftly return to the realm of the old gods—which is actually more sensible than sealing corpses in burial vaults—but just looking at Lucius Bolton's gaunt appearance, it's clear he is probably no longer a believer in the old gods. Therefore, he likely does not need a tree like his ancestors did.

Translation: The Bolton family's rite for settling the dead seems to be planting a tree for the deceased in the cemetery; according to them, this lets the dead swiftly return to the old gods' realm—which is far more sensible than sealing corpses in burial vaults—but looking at Luc Bolton's gaunt frame, one can tell he is probably no longer a believer in the old gods. If so, he likely won't need a tree like his ancestors did.

If Jones Flint is merciful, we should just burn it.

Translation: If Jones Flint is merciful, it would be best to burn it with a single fire.

"I will make sure the message gets through," said the lead messenger, Wade Flint, as he casually took the box Sasha was holding, "I think we're both doing this for the peace of the North."

Translation: "I will surely deliver the message." said the lead envoy, Wade Flint, as he casually took the box Sasha was holding, "I think we are all here for the peace of the North."

"Peace, heh—he's just a northern bannerman; what right does he have to discuss peace with me?" Meira ran her hand over her sword hilt, gazed out of the tent, then back at him, saying, "I still feel the same: you must tell your lord plainly that if he wants to keep the Flint's Finger lands and title, he must strip to the waist, walk barefoot carrying thorns to here, kneel, and beg me; only then will I forgive his betrayal of Stark and his 'fault' in defending against the Weike Talang invasion."

Translation: "Peace, heh, he's just a vassal of the North—what right does he have to talk peace with me?" Mei touched her sword hilt, looked outside the tent, then back at him, "My opinion remains the same: I trouble you all to clearly tell your liege that if he wishes to keep the fief and title of the Flint's Finger, he must strip to the waist, walk barefoot bearing thorns to here, kneel, and beg me; only then can I forgive his betrayal of the Starks and forgive his 'fault' in guarding against the Viktor Talon invasion."

Note: This is a personal name; we render it in pinyin as Weike Talang.

Thus line: "My opinion remains the same: I trouble you all to clearly tell your liege that if he wishes to keep the fief and title of the Flint's Finger, he must strip to the waist, walk barefoot bearing thorns to here, kneel, and beg me; only then can I forgive his betrayal of the Starks and forgive his 'fault' in guarding against the Weike Talang invasion."

But we need to keep quotes and punctuation.

The five stared at her in bewilderment.

Translation: The five looked at her blankly.

Meira rose from her simple seat, hand on her longsword, and gave a light smile to the five envoys below, saying, "Everyone knows the North keeps its promises and honors its word. I hope you—and even your lords—will trust me; though I am a bastard, I at least understand the value of credit."

Translation: At that moment Mei rose from her simple seat, hand resting on her long sword, and gave a light smile to the five envoys below: "As everyone knows, our North values promises and honor. I hope you all, and even your liege, will trust me—I may be a bastard, but I at least know the worth of credit."

"We certainly want to believe in your... credit," replied Sir Gasdavent, and the others gave a slight nod.

Translation: "We certainly wish to believe in your... credit," replied Sir Gasdavent, and the others nodded slightly.

"I'm not lying to you with empty words. Even if the Bolton family committed such a grave crime, I didn't annihilate them completely—do you know why?"

Translation: "I am not deceiving you with empty words. Even if the Bolton family committed such a grave crime, I did not utterly annihilate them—do you know why?"

The five all turned their gaze toward her.

Translation: The five turned their gazes toward her together.

"Because I keep my word," Meira could say openly; she has never broken a promise or acted fickle. "As you know, of the Bolton's seventeen viscountcies, only three remain unchanged while the other fourteen must change hands. Leaving aside the other two—does the fief of Ye Creek still bear the Bolton name? Do you know why?"

Translation: "Because I am a person who keeps my word," Mei could say openly; she had indeed never broken any promise nor acted fickle. "As you know, of Bolton's seventeen viscounties, only three remain unchanged while the other fourteen must change lords. Leaving aside the other two—does the fief of Ye Creek still bear the Bolton name? Do you know why?"

"Your Highness, I would like to hear the details," said Sir Brandon Kaylot, heir to the Viscount of Wheat Barren Hamlet; seeing the few silent people, he seemed reluctant to speak.

Translation: "Your Highness, I would like to hear the details," said Sir Brandencalet, heir to the Viscounty of Wheat Hill in Barrows Town; seeing the few silent people, he seemed to speak reluctantly.

"Ha, Viscount Balthazar Bolton once came as an envoy to Winterfell to discuss peace with me; I refused, but I made him an offer: if he ever brings Lucius Bolton's head to me in surrender, no matter how badly they are defeated, he and his family may keep Ye Creek." Meira stroked her sword hilt, seeing the gem at its pulse flash red again, "The head you hold is exactly the one that viscount personally cut off; although my troops had already taken the Dreadfort by then, since he kept his promise by beheading himself for me, I have honored my word and preserved his lands and title."

Translation: "Ha, Viscount Bolton Baultar once came as an envoy to Winter City to discuss 'peace' with me; I of course refused, but I made him an offer: if one day he brings Luc Bolton's head to me in surrender, no matter how badly they are defeated, he and his small family may continue to inherit Ye Creek." Mei stroked her sword hilt, noticing the gem at its tip again emitting a rhythmic red glow, "The head you hold now is precisely the one that viscount personally cut off; although at that time my soldiers had already successfully stormed Terror Castle,... since he kept his promise and personally cut off the head for me, I kept my promise and retained his fief and title."

"Sir, you're provoking Viscount Balthazar to kill his own kin," muttered Sir Blake Stoke, "he will surely come to a bad end."

Translation: "Sir, you are stirring up Viscount Baultar to kill his father," muttered Viscount Blackstowe, "he will surely come to a bad end."

"I don't know if he deserves a bad end, but he certainly preserved the Bolton bloodline." Meira smirked, "If it weren't for Balthazar, Lucius Bolton might have burned all the city's supplies; even aside from storing food, reducing casualties in the final assault would have been enough to spare his life."

Translation: "Whether he deserves a bad end I don't know, but he did preserve the Bolton bloodline," Mei smirked; if it weren't for Baultar, Luc Bolton might have burned all the city's supplies, and even if not to store food in the city, reducing soldier deaths in the final assault would have been enough to spare his life.

This promise holds up from any angle.

Translation: This promise is no loss from any angle.

The few fell silent again.

Translation: Several people fell silent again.

"Your surnames have long been rooted in the North," she said, not quite sure what "Da Fengte" was, but it didn't affect her speech: "Your families certainly don't want to be destroyed together with the Feilte family of the Feilte's Finger, do you?" Upon realizing that Jon Feilte had actually sent five people over, she found it ridiculous, which really made it convenient for her to openly employ a heart‑stratagem before a crowd: "Although this has nothing to do with the current negotiation, if the talks break down, my promise to Viscount Ba'ertasa of Leafstream City applies just as well to you all. If one day…"

"You needn't say more…" Wade Feilinte interrupted her.

"If one day anyone among you brings Jon's head to me in surrender, I likewise promise, no matter how miserably he falls, I will still preserve your families' lands and titles." She couldn't help but laugh, ignoring any obstruction, and went on, "But I must remind you: although the Feilte have many branches, there is only one head, while your families have many—so keep an eye out and seize the chance!"

Several people exchanged silent glances.

"The Feilte soldiers of Widow's Watch, who switched sides in the heat of battle at Huowude Fort and attacked the Bolton army, rendering me great service—yet they never contacted me beforehand, which means I owe them no promises. Thus, although I spared the Widow's Watch Feilte, I still stripped them of their earldom and reclaimed all their lands except the twenty li along the lighthouse coast, and now they must swear fealty to Earl Rodelik Kaiso." She sheathed her long sword, sat back down, and coldly stared into Wade Feilinte's eyes: "So my promise is precious, for I never break it—after all, Rob has turned that fickle bastard into a Stark, hasn't he? You lot should remember these words well; of course, you need not tell Jon Feilte about taking heads."

Several envoys stood beneath her great tent, looking at each other, quite at a loss.

"Ah, I've said all this not because I have any special expectations of Jon Feilte, your liege lords, or other wayward earls, viscounts, lord‑knights, but because the Feilte family—including your families—has struggled to sink its roots into the frozen soil of the North, and now Widow's Watch no longer belongs to the Feilte, and the Feilte of the Feilte's Finger is about to be torn out root and stem… This is truly a pity. Of course, if we were to annihilate Jon Feilte, it would, as you say, merely add to the death toll… yet my brother has taken in far too many wildlings, and with winter approaching my stores cannot feed them all; I think their best destination is the front lines of battle—what do you think?"

"I think the Feilte earl will surely reconsider your proposal, Your Highness." Sir Jas Da Fengte wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, saying, "I think we will surely find enough food to survive the winter, without having to consume the population in this miserable war."

"Not bad," Mei Yi nodded in agreement, "The civil war in the North only harms the North's own strength. I know that Feilte, Dustin, and Laiswier kept their strength hidden when Robb went south, but this bit of strength of yours amounts to nothing before me and the Stark family."

Mei Yi raised the long sword in her hand.

"No matter how outlandish the rumors you've heard at Terror Fort, it wouldn't hurt to believe them a little—rumors always contain some grain of truth, more or less. My sword hasn't yet taken a head, but if it does, it certainly won't be satisfied with just one."