Throughout the dinner, Arthur was the focus of attention of the nobles of Harrenhal.
The nobles whispered to each other, discussing dragons, Arthur, and various rumors about Targaryen members.
The gray-gold color is obviously a little different from the Targaryen bloodline, but it is not impossible.
Targaryen is one of the forty dragon king families among the Valyrians, and naturally has the general characteristics of the Valyrians: violet and bright blue eyes, platinum or silver-gold hair color.
This appearance feature is common in places such as Volantis in the east, where there are a large number of ordinary Valyrian descendants. There are also many ordinary Valyrian families in Westeros, such as the Valyrian family of Tidehead.
Hair color cannot fully reflect bloodline, such as the former King Robert, his grandmother was a pure-blooded Targaryen, but Robert's father and Robert's three brothers did not have silver hair.
But Robert's second brother, Stannis, inherited Valyria's purple-blue eyes, while Er Lu's pupils were blue.
Arthur's black pupils were obviously inherited from the Bracken bloodline.
The owner of Stonehedge and their branch family members are the few black-haired and black-eyed nobles in the Western Continent.
As for the facial features, Arthur is comparable to the Dragon family.
With thick eyebrows, deep eyes, high nose and thin lips, even from a distance, one can feel his extraordinary handsomeness.
Sansa, who was sitting next to Arthur, could feel this even more.
She was using a fork to pierce a roasted brown fish, biting it lightly with her little mouth, leaving a row of neat tooth marks on the fish.
Of course, she would take a bite after eating, or glance at Arthur next to her.
Since being presented with flowers at the tournament a few months ago, Sansa had an indescribable feeling for this handsome little river noble.
She would never admit that she was fascinated by just a face.
After Arthur and Arya brought her out of the Red Keep, this feeling became even stronger.
She could even remember all the details of this man carrying her through the Red Keep sewers.
The strong arms, warm and broad chest, and perfect profile like the most outstanding artist made her forget her situation at that time.
With such a lovely girl to save her, what was the point of suffering in the Red Keep?
What's more, he secretly dealt with his father's murderer.
Yes, in Sansa's heart, Joffrey's "accidental death" was Arthur's gift to her and the Stark family.
Although Joffrey was tyrannical, he was a king after all, and it was not decent to be killed. The statement of being killed by a wild boar not only allowed the Starks to avenge their father's murder, but also allowed the Baratheon family to retain a bit of face.
Thinking of this, Sansa had a little more favor for the man next to her.
Lady Hean looked at Sansa, whose eyebrows and eyes were all about Arthur, and smiled and shook her head.
The serious Herman Tauha noticed this, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and asked, "Why are you laughing, Madam?"
"No reason, I just remembered something happy." Madam Hean nodded and replied.
The time for eating always passed quickly. In Arthur's impression, he only ate a big trout, four or five small fish, ten pieces of bread and double the amount of beer he got from somewhere, and everyone had already eaten dinner.
Due to the shortage of food in the castle, the nobles' diet also became closer to wheat, pumpkin and other things. But fortunately, the huge God's Eye Lake is just on the south side of the castle, so fish meat has become the only choice for the picky nobles.
Seeing that everyone has finished eating, Arthur, who is only eight-tenths full, is embarrassed to eat more, so he wiped his mouth and returned to his bedroom to prepare for bed.
In the next few days, he has to travel continuously, and he can't do without replenishing his energy.
But he didn't expect Miss Stark to follow him in.
"Uh, I want to talk to you about something."
Arthur asked, "What is it?"
Then he sent the servant Medan out of the room to get some hot water for him to wash his feet.
Sansa's eyes were a little evasive. After she sat on the wicker chair, her restless little hands were rubbing her hair and adjusting her collar. It took a while for her to think of a legitimate reason:
"Let's discuss how to find Arya?"
Arthur saw the reason that the beauty thought of after entering the room first, but it was indeed a problem.
Since the burning camp outside King's Landing, Arya and her direwolf disappeared.
At that time, Arthur thought she had walked along the King's Road, so he didn't send anyone to look for her carefully. When he returned from hatching the dragon, he found that Arya did not appear in Harrenhal.
"We issued a bounty order, asking those who found my sister to take her to Harrenhal or Riverrun, but there was no news at all. She seemed to have disappeared from the riverlands."
As soon as Sansa opened up the idea of chatting, she began to talk.
She really liked to tell Arthur these things in her heart.
Several sisters from the North were either killed by the gold cloaks or imprisoned by the Red Castle, which left her without anyone to talk to for a long time.
Arthur recalled, "Arya should be safe, but she was taken away by some people, so her trace disappeared."
In the countryside of the Riverlands, the power of the Brotherhood Without Banners is rapidly expanding. In addition to the Wolf and Lion Alliance and the Lion Army, the civilian power led by Earl Beric is the strongest.
If nothing unexpected happens, Arya should be found by this group of people.
The backbone members of the Brotherhood Without Banners are the King's Landing Law Enforcement Team. They act on the orders of Duke Eddard and have no ill will towards the Stark family.
"Who took her away? She was the only relative I saw after my father died. I miss my sister very much."
"Earl Beri or Thoros the red robed monk, both of them have good personalities. Your sister is not in any danger."
Arthur also sat on another wicker chair in the room, and then naturally took Sansa's right hand.
"You don't have to worry about Arya. She also likes adventure. Wandering outside has fulfilled her long-cherished wish."
Like the two sisters' aunt Lyanna, Arya's favorite stories were the wandering adventures of various famous knights.
"I just miss her a little bit." Sansa said she missed her sister, but she rested her head on Arthur's shoulder honestly.
Night had fallen, and the stone room was shrouded in black. Only a dim candle stood alone against the darkness of the sky.
In such an atmosphere, it is indeed easy for humans to hold each other together and seek comfort and protection from each other.
Arthur was also very smart. His left hand went around Sansa's back and touched her left shoulder.
The ambiguity started appearing out of nowhere and quickly spread throughout the room.
This caused their heartbeats to speed up suddenly, and Sansa felt that her face must be very red.
The atmosphere has been heightened to this point, and it wouldn't make sense if something didn't happen.
So Arthur straightened his head on his shoulder and took a closer look.
This is a beautiful face that has been opened. The indigo pupils are as attractive as the sea, the delicate and high nose is enough to make the fingers slide, and the red lips make people want to find out.
Sansa's normally fair face was as red as a peach, with a hint of white.
Miss Stark was very cooperative and closed her eyes quietly.
It was just the slightly twitching eyelashes that betrayed her volcano-erupting heart.
Is he going to kiss me?
The atmosphere has reached a climax, and Arthur has no hesitation anymore, just like a dragonfly.
…
Outside the ajar door, two sneaky heads were pressed together.
"Kiss me, kiss me."
Mei Dan, who was holding a basin of hot water, looked extremely excited.
"It's better to say it, I can see it myself." Yule knocked Mei Dan on the head, "I just don't know if I stuck out my tongue."
He poked his head forward again, trying to see clearly what the battle was like.
But the door was impatient with his actions and made a creaking sound.
This made Mei Dan startled, and the hot water basin he was holding fell to the ground.
The two people in the room were suddenly awakened.
After a few breaths, quite formal farewell words came out of the two people's mouths.
"Miss Stark, I am definitely concerned about your sister. I think it won't be difficult to find Arya."
"Then thank you, Lord Arthur. I will definitely remember what happened tonight."
Then, Sansa stepped out and left here with a normal expression and graceful posture.
Mei Dan then picked up the hot water basin and walked in with Yu Le.
Arthur was angry that his good deeds were interrupted. He learned his lesson and would definitely lock the door bolt horizontally in the future, no matter what noise was heard outside.
"What are you here for?" he asked Yule.
Yule, who was wearing silver plate armor, blushed, "Didn't you promise me a castle before asking me to find a stone? I thought you were already the Earl of Stone Fence City, the manager of Harrenhal, and the Moulin Rouge. Can you give me the little castle?"
The dim light illuminated Yuler's ravaged face.
Arthur thought for a while. Yule went to Summer Hall to look for dragon eggs for almost three months. Even if he didn't bring the mercenaries there, this uncle could still find them, but it took a little longer.
He was sincere in his work.
"What's that small castle? Do you want a bigger one?"
Arthur just needed someone to take over Stone Hedge City.
Yule was stunned. Although he also wanted a bigger one, he didn't have one in his nephew's name.
Every castle on the continent of Westeros has its own ownership. Seizing one by force is not only against the law, but will also cause riots among the local residents.
"Which is the bigger castle?" he asked cautiously.
Arthur waved his servant Mei Dan out. He waited until the door was closed and the footsteps disappeared, then he said: "Stone Fence City."
He could swear that after his uncle heard this, his old face full of grooves became relaxed on the spot.
It's like taking sheep placenta.
Yule's happiness was beyond words, but Arthur poured cold water on him: "Genos is in the Golden Teeth City in the West, but he has previously appointed me as the acting city lord, so there is some room for maneuver here. You can use my designated The acting city lord has settled in Shili City and brought a team of people there to ensure that Shili City is in the hands of our uncle and nephew."
After Genos rebelled, Stonehedge City was not attacked by the Western Army, so this is one of the few well-preserved earl-level castles.
Under the current situation, Genos, who did not have many troops in his hands, did not dare to return to his territory rashly, otherwise he would be attacked by the northerners.
The northern troops on the eastern front who did not fight against the Autumn Wind in King's Landing were at a time when they were like wolves and tigers. They did not attack Stonehedge just because Arthur was also the nominal owner of the castle.
You know, there is a lot of food and supplies stored there, and the Golden Dragon is far beyond the imagination of the people in the north.
Although Yu Le is a little confused, he also understands the difference between the acting city lord and the city lord.
"I still want the little castle at the Moulin Rouge," he said tentatively.
"If you really hold Shili City in your hands, both of them will be yours."
What Arthur wants is food, supplies, golden dragons, and tens of thousands of citizens in the territory. It's just a castle, and he really doesn't like it.
Yu Le was so excited that he jumped to the roof, "Then it's settled, I will take people to Shili City tomorrow."
Arthur nodded, and then noticed the very beautiful silver plate armor on his uncle.
This was chosen by Yule himself in King's Landing.
Although it is mostly decorated with gimmicks, it is also a serious plate armor and still has some defensive capabilities.
The two have similar body shapes, so they can wear them interchangeably.
Arthur's plate armor made by Tob Mott was very worn, and it was impossible to tell when it would break.
He told his uncle his thoughts, and Yule readily said that he could give up the plate armor.
This shows that the attraction of the castle to him is still more than the plate armor.
Early the next morning, before the large army heading to Riverrun City had set off, Yule led a battalion, plus servants, a total of just over 500 troops to take over Shili City.
…
Six days later, outside Benliu City.
Dozens of conscripted merchant ships arrived at their destination carrying the nobles who were going to Riverrun to attend Edmure's wedding.
Following them were more than 2,400 coalition troops.
On the south bank of the Red Fork River, there are already several Fish and Wolf Alliance military camps lined up along the river bank.
Arthur looked into the distance, and after carefully observing the armies camped according to their families, he felt that Roose Bolton was really not just a fake.
The camp where the X-shaped Skinner's flag was flying was obviously more strict than other camps.
There are more than a dozen simple watchtowers on the periphery, with two or three people on each tower monitoring the surrounding area.
A little further inside is a wooden fence similar to a horse, surrounding the tent area - after the coalition forces returned to the Riverlands, they used various methods to get enough tents. After all, it was autumn, and camping in the open air would really freeze to death. --There is enough open space between the neatly arranged tents to allow the army to move quickly when gathering and withdrawing.
A few horses were tied to the river bank not far away, and people and horses were strictly separated.
"Why do you care so much about the Boltons' camp?" Sansa asked beside him.
The relationship between the two grew rapidly after that night, so they often got tired of talking together.
Of course, Arthur didn't forget to taste Sansa's lips.
"Because the old Bolton is really talented."
Even though Robb didn't trust Roose Bolton very much, he still handed over the Eastern Front Army to this man, which shows how much Robb recognized Lord Leech's ability to lead the army.
From Dickon's reaction, the military system built by Arthur was not suitable for the new army soldiers recruited from farmers.
It is impossible to select qualified low-level officers from thousands of people, so the two-level organization of squad and platoon is basically useless.
So Arthur thought of using Westeros' own military system. After all, it was created by smart people on the entire continent, and it was in line with the fighting style of the cold weapon era.
In this way, we have to ask for experience from these experienced military commanders and nobles.
The two chatted, and soon the boat arrived at Riverrun City.
The nobles entered the triangular castle one after another, and then they were told that they were just in time.
"The people sent by His Majesty Robb have just arrived and are discussing military affairs with all the lords and knights." said the steward of the Tully family who was responsible for the reception.
There was no knightly culture among the ancestors of the North, so the knights referred to the nobles of the Riverlands.
So everyone who had just landed went directly to the castle hall to listen to the Young Wolf Lord's orders.
The man Robb sent was Lord Jon Umber, who was called the Great Jon because he had the same name as his son.
Jason Mallister of Seaside City, Tatus Blackwood of Raventree City, Aenys Frey, representative of Twins City, Keir Ward, owner of Beauty Market, and other riverland nobles, as well as Lord Roose Bolton, Rona Stowe and other nobles from the Eastern Front all came.
Everyone sat down in order of status, and Arthur followed Sansa to the front position.
"His Majesty Robb is near Brand City. Tywin's main Western Army and Kevan's new Western Army are both slightly south. The strength of both sides is as follows..."
Following Great Jon's explanation, everyone basically understood the battle situation in the West.
After Robb led his army into the Westerlands, before they had time to attack Lannister Port and Casterly Rock, Tywin's main force of the Westerlands army pursued them to the Golden Teeth City.
In order not to be outflanked from both sides, Robb moved his army north and is now stationed near the Earl-level castle of Brand in the West.
The two divisions of the Lion Army are pressing northward on the strategic space of activity of the Fish and Wolf Alliance.
The Western Territory is mountainous, and if they were to be surrounded somewhere, it would basically result in the entire army being annihilated.
So Robb urgently recruits this part of the army from the Riverlands to fight in the west.
"With Marquis Bolton as the first commander, he led an army of 4,000 people from the North including the Bolton family, Karstark family and others to attack the Western Territory from near Horn Valley City."
"With Earl Arthur Bracken as the second commander, he will lead the combined northern and river armies of the Starks, Freys, Severns, Taoha, etc. to attack the Western Territory from the path near Golden Teeth City."
"After the two armies entered the Western Territory, Lord Arthur's troops went south to rob Crake Hall, Corn City and other places. Marquis Bolton led his men to Lannister Port, and then prepared for a decisive battle with the Westerners."
The Greatjon hurriedly finished the order that Robb had sent him to deliver.
Since the small group of Western troops in the Hedong area and the West River have withdrawn to Golden Tooth City, the frequency of wars along the Red Fork River has been greatly reduced.
This makes the chances of this strategic idea coming true much greater.
Before Edmure's wedding took place, some warlike northerners were clamoring to pledge allegiance to the King of the North and to fight a decisive battle with the westerlies.