Night fell deep, shrouding the castle, while the study remained brightly lit by candles.
Supposedly out surveying his lands, Lord Paxter Redwyne was in fact seated in his study, listening intently as Todd Flower recounted the developments of the Eagle's Beak outpost. When Todd reached the part about Samwell holding off two thousand wildlings with only a hundred new recruits, Horas, standing nearby, couldn't contain himself and burst out:
"Impossible! No way! One hundred raw recruits holding back two thousand wildlings? Todd, that's absurd!"
Before Todd could respond, Lord Paxter gave his eldest son a sharp look.
"Silence!"
Horas clammed up immediately. Lord Paxter may have been small and slight, all but swallowed by his large chair, but no one in the room dared ignore the formidable Lord of the Arbor.
Even Mace Tyrell, Warden of the South, had gone out of his way to secure this man's allegiance by marrying him to Mace's own sister, Mina Tyrell.
"Todd, continue."
"Yes, my lord," Todd replied, resuming his account.
From the surrender of Tiger Fang, the ambush against the allied tribes, to the discovery of silver and the distilling of brandy—Horas and Hobber Redwyne looked more and more skeptical, as if hearing some ghostly tale. No story they'd ever heard sounded this far-fetched.
The twins could hardly believe it—the same Samwell who'd once been bullied to tears by them had somehow transformed into a determined knight, successfully carving out a domain in the harsh Red Mountains.
The brothers struggled to process it, with Horas massaging his still-aching shoulder from the prior evening, silently raging that it had to be lies, all lies!
Finally, Todd concluded his report. Horas turned to his father, desperate to speak his mind, but seeing Lord Paxter's lowered gaze and somber expression, he bit his tongue.
The study fell into a long silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of the candles.
After what felt like an age, Lord Paxter raised his head, his expression unreadable.
"Is securing supplies his only reason for visiting the Arbor?"
"Actually, my lord," Todd answered, "Ser Samwell has already secured a supply contract with Lord Brandon of Sunhouse, so he may not be in dire need of provisions from the Arbor. But with the brandy, he does seem to want to forge a partnership with the Redwynes."
"Brandy..." Lord Paxter mused, arching an eyebrow. "Did you bring any? Let me taste this brandy that's supposedly so outstanding."
"Yes, I did, my lord." Todd produced a small cask, pouring a measure for Lord Paxter.
A potent aroma filled the room, and Lord Paxter straightened at once, captivated by the scent alone.
After scrutinizing the amber liquid, he raised the glass, savoring its fragrance.
"Excellent."
Before even tasting it, he'd made up his mind. The guests in the room, eyes wide, shared a mix of surprise and envy at this unexpected display.
Lord Paxter took a sip, closing his eyes, seeming to linger on the taste. At last, he looked over to his eldest son.
"Horas, you will bring Samwell to me first thing in the morning."
"Yes, Father," Horas agreed instantly, casting an eager look at Todd's cask, clearly hoping for a taste.
But before he could ask, Lord Paxter ordered, "All the brandy remaining in that cask goes directly to the vineyard. The winemakers need to examine it and see if they can figure out how it's distilled."
"Yes, my lord." Todd, watching the others' envious expressions, closed the cask without protest.
"Take it there immediately," Lord Paxter added.
Todd left the study. He'd served the Arbor for years, but this moment reminded him starkly—no matter how much he gave, he'd always be a "Bastard," a man apart.
The candlelit corridor outside flickered with shadows both familiar and unfamiliar. With a sigh, Todd steadied himself and set off toward the vineyards.
---
Early the next morning…
After breakfast, Samwell finished dressing and, without so much as a word to the Redwynes, led his men to the docks, where they found a departing ship bound for Oldtown.
After paying his fare, Samwell watched as the large anchor was raised, and they set off from port.
Standing on deck, Todd Flowers was stunned. Where was Horas Redwyne? Did Lord Paxter perhaps change his mind about meeting Samwell?
Could it be Horas had forgotten to pass on his father's summons? Surely, no Redwyne heir would make such a mistake.
Watching the familiar shores fade from view, Todd sighed, only to be interrupted by Chiman, who stood beside him.
"Isn't that the Redwyne twins over there on the docks?" Chiman squinted back at the harbor.
Samwell followed his gaze. "Hmm… yes, it does look like them. I suppose they came to see us off?"
At this, Todd jerked his head up. Sure enough, Horas and Hobber stood on the dock, waving their arms wildly and shouting something that the distance swallowed.
"Goodbye! No need to see us off!" Samwell called back, waving with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Todd opened his mouth, as if to say something, then thought better of it, silently wondering if Horas had, in fact, forgotten his errand. The idea seemed impossible.
---
"Wait! Come back! Our father wants to meet you! Our father wants to meet you!"
On the dock, the twins continued waving and shouting as longshoremen watched them with puzzled amusement. Even after their voices grew hoarse, the ship showed no sign of turning back.
"Damn it, you stupid oaf!" Hobber growled, grabbing his brother by the collar. "You overslept!"
"Well… now what do we do?" Horas stammered, eyes fixed on the shrinking
ship.
He was addicted to alcohol last night because of the brandy, so he went back to his room and drank to his hearts content. With no surprise, he drank too much and couldn't get up in time...
Images of their father's wrath flashed vividly before him, sending a tremor through his already-aching shoulders.
(End of Chapter)