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Chapter 3 - Three Towers Castle

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After Gavin was born, he and his mother, Alice, lived in a castle. His mother worked as a laundress in the castle, and Gavin learned about the situation and his background through the conversation of the people around him, as the servants never bothered to avoid talking in front of a young child.

His father, Morton Cotstayne, the eldest son of the Lord Houghton, died of illness on the ship returning to their territory, leaving only Alice, who was pregnant with Gavin.

In this world, noble marriages were not recognized unless conducted under the guidance of a priest or recorded by a Maester.

Hence, their marriage was not acknowledged, and their son, Gavin, was considered a bastard. Moreover, according to other people's discussions, Gavin's mother Alice was a foreigner from another continent.

Gavin lived in the castle for three years, but his cheap grandfather, the Lord, never appeared. Instead, he repeatedly tried to expel the mother and son from the castle.

It was only thanks to his uncle, Edmund, who fiercely resisted, that they were not thrown out. Edmund was said to have been punished by the Earl several times for his efforts to protect them. Ser Edmund, a knight, would occasionally visit Gavin and even bring some "toys" that he didn't need.

Just as Gavin thought he would grow up there, an unexpected event occurred—the War of the Usurpers broke out and the Cotstayne family responded to the call of Lord Tyrell.

Gavin's uncle, Edmund Cotstayne, as the heir to the Three Towers, replaced his elderly father, Lord Houghton, and traveled to Highgarden in response to the call. There, he joined the lord paramount and led troops in an attack on the Stormlands.

Shortly after Edmund left, Gavin and his mother were expelled from the castle. Perhaps Edmund had foreseen this and had arranged a place for them in a small town beneath the castle.

He also arranged for Alice to work as a laundress in a military camp, and occasionally, someone from the castle would deliver money to help with their living expenses.

The pain of losing her lover, the toll from giving birth to Gavin, and the years of hard labor wore Alice down, causing her health to steadily decline. Her appearance lost its former luster, her skin became rough, and her eyes were deeply sunken, showing signs of exhaustion and weariness. She often fell ill and had to lie in bed.

As a result, the family's finances were often strained. With her frail body, Alice occasionally worked as a laundress, but the meager earnings barely supported their difficult life. Without the occasional aid from the castle, their lives would have been in dire straits.

The pressure of life forced Gavin to resort to his own means—refining fine salt to earn some money. But he knew that making refined salt with knowledge far beyond that of this world was a risky venture.

Before deciding, he pondered the potential consequences. If someone with ulterior motives were to discover it, trouble would surely follow, for this knowledge was like a child carrying gold through a crowded market, unprotected.

Gavin was already considering whether he should offer the technique of refining salt in exchange for something.

After navigating a hill full of thorns and weeds, Gavin finally saw the small town beneath the castle. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wiped it with his sleeve. He couldn't help but complain to himself, lamenting that even such a short distance was difficult for his still undeveloped body.

The Three Towers Castle stood like a brilliant jewel, located on the southern cliffs of Whispering Sound, directly facing the Redwyne Strait and the junction of Whispering Bay. It was only a short three-day journey from the Oldtown of the Hightower family.

The scenery was nothing short of breathtaking, with the castle perched firmly on the cliffside, like a resolute giant watching over the land. Its three towers rose high, akin to three sharp swords that pierced the sky.

These towers served as both lookout towers to watch for sea-born enemies and as lighthouses guiding ships at night. The Three Towers Castle is also named after these three towers.

This was a fortress in its truest form, and due to its relatively small area, people living in the castle gradually began to expand outward. Over the years, a small town had formed at the base of the castle.

The Three Towers Castle was the family stronghold of the Cotstayne family. Along with the two small towns and several villages, it formed the Three Towers territory. The Cotstayne family's history was ancient, tracing back to the time of the Andals.

The family had once been powerful, but over a hundred years ago, during the Dance of the Dragons, the then Lord Owen Cotstayne fought valiantly for the Black Party. However, he tragically died in the Battle of Honeywine River at the hands of Jon Roxton. Along with him, most of the family members perished.

The death of the lord left the family grievously weakened, and the Three Towers Castle fell into the hands of Hightower family. It was only after the Dance of the Dragons had concluded that the castle was returned to the Cotstayne family, though by then, only a young and unfit heir remained to claim the title of lord.

In the century that followed, the Cotstayne family endured relentless oppression and suppression at the hands of the Hightowers, their position growing ever more precarious with each passing year.

Now, there are only three knights left in the family, and a mere hundred professional soldiers on standby. Even if they called upon the militia from their territory, they could scarcely muster a thousand-man force.

Even defending their villages and towns from the frequent raids of the Ironborn was a difficult task. Were it not for the Redwyne family fleet regularly patrolling the strait, the coastal fishing villages would have long been plundered.

Within a modest, nameless tavern in the small town, Gavin placed the sack of salt before the tavern keeper, Lana. Upon seeing the six-year-old boy returning once again to sell salt, Lana couldn't resist gently pinching his soft cheek.

She then weighed the salt carefully, taking five copper stars from behind the counter and handing them to Gavin, all the while affectionately ruffling his hair. "We had extra milk from the goat this morning," she said with a warm smile. "I'll fetch you some." As she made her way toward the kitchen, Gavin expressed his gratitude, his voice soft with sincerity.

Lana had become Gavin's only consistent customer in recent months. Through their previous interactions, Gavin realized that Laman was particularly straightforward and kind-hearted, especially toward children. Most importantly, she always gave Gavin extra food.

At six years old, Gavin looked like a delicate porcelain doll. His silver hair, combined with his fair complexion, gave him an almost ethereal appearance, like jade, with a soft rosy glow. His large, watery eyes sparkled like purple stars in the night sky, bright and lively.

Leaning against the counter, Gavin listened to the conversations around him. This had become an important channel for him to gather information about the outside world.

The mainstream topic was the ongoing War of the Usurper. As people from the Reach, they all hoped that their land would triumph in the war. They especially longed for Sir Edmund to return victorious and bring glory to the family. Every time there was a major victory, the territory would host a grand celebration, and the people eagerly awaited the chance to participate.

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[An Image of a Castle]

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[Chapter End's]

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