The main castle of Harrenhal, the Hall of Hundred Hearths.
Because the name of the Burning Kings Tower was too unlucky, Arthur ordered that this huge castle within a castle be renamed the main castle.
The River King walked into the main entrance of the Hall of Hundred Hearths and saw two middle-aged knights and their five followers from a distance.
Podrick, who was following Arthur, whispered: "It is Knight Agilon Oakheart and Knight Saes Rowan from the Reach. They claim to want to meet the new River King."
Arthur thought about it and thought that these two families were quite famous.
The Oakheart family originated from John "Oak", the son of Garth "Greenhand".
It is said that one day, Greenhand was on his way, but encountered a storm and had to hide in a cave in a hurry to avoid the rain.
The rain kept falling, and Greenhand was a young man with high energy. He was bored in the cave, so he rewarded himself.
Thus, Oak John, who has both the blood of Gars and giants, was born. Like many of his brothers and sisters, he founded his own family in the Reach:
Oakheart of Ancient Oak.
The family's language is deep-rooted. The territory is located at the junction of the Reach and the Westerlands. The Coastal Road passes through their home castle, Ancient Oak.
The founder of the Rowan family, "Fairhaired" Rowan, is also a descendant of Greenhand. It is rumored that "Fairhaired" was abandoned by his lover, so he cut his hair, wrapped an apple and buried it in the ground. A golden tree grew there, so Rowan's descendants settled there and built Golden Tree City as their home castle.
The family's territory includes the entire northern part of the Reach. It is a relatively advanced existence among the second-tier nobles in the Reach, and it still has four to five thousand troops.
"Two knights, do you want to see me?" Arthur walked up the steps and sat on the main seat.
The Reach Army to which these two people belong is fighting for Tommen and Tywin, but they ran to Harrenhal, which is a bit strange.
The gray-haired Saeus Rowan stretched his neck and stared at Arthur for several times before answering, "Your Majesty the River King, we are here to see your dragon. If..."
"Do you think this is a zoo?" Arthur interrupted him, "Dragons are not for people to see casually."
Alduin was still in his infancy and had no ability to protect himself. Even in the castle, Gendry, who was responsible for feeding, had 20 third-level sword and shield soldiers wearing plate armor specially selected by Arthur around him, always surrounding the dragon.
The two knights were from the enemy camp, and Arthur didn't dare to let them see the dragon with just one word.
A follower handed a small wooden box to Knight Saeus, who opened the box and respectfully presented it with both hands.
"This is a Valyrian dagger, just as a gift for the two of us to meet you."
This Rowan was very polite, holding the opened wooden box above his head with both hands and handed it to Podrick.
The latter walked up the steps quickly, checked it himself first, and then handed the dagger to Arthur.
Like most of the Vulcan steel devices, this dagger is surprisingly light, with a blade of about 30 centimeters long, and the handle is made of dragon bone, decorated with dense small diamonds. The largest one is about the size of a quail egg. Even in the dim castle, the gems on the handle still shine brightly.
Worth a lot of money!
There are more than 200 Vulcan steel swords in the entire Westeros continent, and the statistics of the Citadel are 223, and they all have names. Except for the missing Light Howl, Black Flame, and Dark Sisters, most of the rest are hidden in the castles of those ancient families.
But there are more Vulcan steel devices. Some bachelors also have small rings made of Vulcan steel on their necklaces, such as Master Luwin of Winterfell, and some Vulcan steel spoons, knives for eating and other small pieces.
These smaller Vulcan steel devices have no names, so there is no way to infer their origins and owners.
But the origin of the dragon bone varsteel dagger is very clear, it must be Euron Greyjoy.
Euron, the "Horn Collector", is the younger brother of King Balon. When he was young, he ran away to travel around the world. He once risked his life to enter the ruins of Valyria and got a complete set of Valyrian armor, a dragon egg, more than a dozen dragon bone varsteel daggers, and a dragon horn.
Among the things he got from the ruins, the most valuable in the secular world are the dragon egg and a complete set of Valyrian steel armor.
This set of steel armor, even before the fall of the Valyrian Freehold, could be worth a kingdom. Now that the method of making varsteel has been lost, it has become a truly priceless treasure.
The most valuable magical item is the dragon horn.
It is rumored that blowing this horn can break the magical taboo that only forty members of the Valyrian Dragon King family can ride a dragon, but the price is to lose their lives and become a member of the dead.
As important as the Dragon Horn is the Horn of Winter. It is rumored that this horn can break the magical effect of the Wall that prevents White Walkers and wights from passing through.
It is hard to say what the cost is, and it may completely end the life of a White Walker.
But fortunately, Fatty Samwell found the Horn of Winter north of the Wall and took it to Oldtown in the south, where the Citadel is located.
So unless there is a traitor in the living camp and the Horn of Winter is sent to the north of the Wall, the White Walkers and the Night King will most likely not be able to go south.
Of course, there are rumors that dragon flames can also destroy the Wall, but whether it is Arthur's Alduin or the three dragons of Daenerys, it is impossible for them to run to help the Night King and the White Walkers when they are alive.
Let's get back to the point.
"I am a principled person. Before accepting the gift, I want to ask where this dagger came from?" Arthur asked.
The dragon eggs that Euron obtained from the ruins were sent to the House of Black and White in Braavos to hire the Faceless Men to assassinate King Balon, and a lot of his daggers were leaked.
As far as Arthur knew, the dagger used by Joffrey to assassinate Bran was obtained by Robert from a bet in a tournament. Tracing its origin, it should have been passed down from the Free Trade Cities in the Eastern Continent.
Thaos Rowan did not hide anything and simply replied: "My Count Matus bought it from a certain Braavos merchant in the old town. The previous origin is not clear. But it is indeed Valery. Yadagger, I think only a true dragon like you is worthy of using it, so I dedicate it to you."
Although this dagger looks small, its price is quite high.
At the tournament, in order to please King Robert, someone used a similar dagger to make a bet with Robert, who offered a hundred gold dragon coins, so that the dagger would fall into the king's hands.
Is a dragon-bone corrugated steel dagger worth a hundred gold dragons?
Of course not.
At least seven or eight hundred gold dragon coins are obtained, and they are valuable but not marketable.
Like this one, which is inlaid with gems and looks so good, a thousand golden dragons can't beat it.
The meeting gift is so valuable, but the Luowan family still has sincerity.
"Your Majesty should have met with me in the High Court. At that time, I was sent by the Governor to go to the Duke of Metz to deal with the dispute between us and the Western Territory. However, the Duke asked us to endure it for a while. I wonder if you have any impression of this matter. ?"
Seeing that the River King was still deep in thought, Knight Egilon Oakheart used trivial matters to draw closer to him.
Arthur looked at him and suddenly remembered that he had indeed met this person when he went to Highgarden to buy armor.
The territory of Ancient Oak City borders the Western Territory, so there have been many ownership disputes.
There should be no ill intentions between these two families, King Hejian came to the conclusion.
"You can meet my dragon, but the details about Alduin are not allowed to be revealed. Just keep it a secret in your heart." Arthur warned.
The best way to publicize something is to tell others about it as a secret.
The two knights hastily promised not to reveal the details of the dragon.
Arthur whispered Alduin's name in Valyrian.
During this month at Harrenhal, Arthur has tested clearly that as long as the dragon is within a few hundred meters, there is some very special spiritual connection with him.
Specifically, both parties can roughly feel each other's position, and can use mental waves to convey information.
Since Alduin was replaced by the Eternal Emperor Joffrey, his magic power is much stronger. He can even hear Arthur's whispers within a certain range.
Valyrian only, of course.
The reverse didn't work, Arthur couldn't use his mental power to hear its dragon roar.
Not long after, Alduin flapped his wings and flew in from the gate like a whirlwind.
The two middle-aged knights turned around and stared blankly at the dragon gliding towards them.
Although Alduin was less than one meter long, due to its oversized wings, its wingspan reached three meters. Coupled with its tail, which was as long as its body, it scared the two knights to the point where they squatted down on the spot.
Arthur chuckled, stretched out his hand and asked Alduin to fly over.
"Don't frighten our guests," Arthur said to the young dragon in Common Tongue.
Of course it couldn't understand it, but since the River King's Valyrian vocabulary was limited, that was all it could do.
The two knights looked at the dragon flying on Arthur's shoulders, their eyes widened, and they wrote down all the details with the only speed in their lives.
Slightly different from the giant dragon in the records, this dragon's body is covered with sharp thorns, and the tips of the thorns are glowing with black light, making them very sharp at first sight.
Moreover, this dragon also has a tail as long as its body, with spikes at the end, which seems to be able to be used as a weapon.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, can His Highness Alduin's tail also attack?" Knight Egilon Oakheart asked after swallowing hard.
Arthur touched the faucet, then pointed to the stone steps.
Alduin's huge dragon eyes showed a hint of contempt. He slowly turned around and showed the details of his tail to the two guests.
When the two knights stared at the tip eagerly, Alduin flicked his tail extremely fiercely, making a sound of breaking through the air, and then, a small hole as big as a fist appeared on the steps.
"Hiss!" The knights who took two breaths looked as if they had a dye shop on their faces.
What they saw and heard today was enough to remember them for a lifetime.
…
Outside Storm's End, there is the tent of the Reach Army.
This is a huge tent that can accommodate hundreds of people for a masquerade party. There are indeed nearly a hundred people gathered here at the moment, but they are not dancing.
All the prominent nobles in the Reach gathered together to discuss whether to go north to fight alongside the Lion Family.
In the center of the crowd, the two Earls Matus Rowan and Randyll Tarly were introducing their investigation results to everyone.
"...The dragon bearer may be an illegitimate child...the dragon egg should come from Summerhall...Joffrey I should have been burned, just like Stannis did..."
A few days ago, the two earls had returned to the military camp and reported the facts they found to the Duke of Metz and his two sons and one daughter, Garland, Loras, Margaery and other members of the feudal family. He also suggested that the Duke of Metz wait and see, and wait until Stannis and Duskendale go to war before deciding on his position.
In Duskendale City, the number of soldiers from the lord family including the golden robes was only over 3,000. However, although Stannis in King's Landing lost some soldiers during the siege, he added many more to the huge city of 500,000 people. Manpower, the number of troops currently under its jurisdiction starts at least 20,000.
The Lannisters' troops were still in the West, and they could not reach the outskirts of King's Landing on the east coast in a short time.
This put Duskendale and Tommen I in a precarious situation.
Lord Inflatable Fish was hesitant, so he sent a raven to Highgarden, hoping to get advice from his mother, the Queen of Thorns.
But the Queen of Thorns did not agree to wait and see the situation or join the so-called dragon lovers. Lady Olenna believed that the dragon was just a widely circulated rumor.
During the Dance of the Dragons, there were many dragons stabbed to death by the common people. Even if there was a young dragon, the knights of the Reach could drown it with a spit. This was the original words in the letter from the Queen of Thorns.
She asked her son to lead the army to the north at a high speed, annihilate the false king Stannis, and then immediately hold the wedding of Tommen and Margaery.
However, several knowledgeable and capable nobles under the Duke of Mace advocated waiting and seeing the situation for the time being. Anyway, the siege of Storm's End was also a battle with Stannis, and the Lion Family could not find any fault with this.
Lord Inflatable Fish himself was not sure, so he prepared to listen to the opinions of his vassals.
So nearly a hundred heads of the River Reach and powerful knights were called to participate in this meeting.
These heads of the family whispered to each other and exchanged their opinions.
Some people thought that they should support the Lion family and King Tommen, while others believed that the dragon owner was the real master of the Iron Throne.
The remaining heads of the family did not speak. They understood that after the alliance of the Tyrell, Redwyne and Hightower families, the Rose family could suppress the entire River Reach.
Not to mention that powerful second-tier nobles like Rowan were also peripheral members of that alliance.
Lord Inflatable Fish was even more indecisive because of the noise of the crowd, so he asked his second son: "What do you think of Garlan?"
"Our family has dealt with that Arthur before." Garlan recalled the armor sale, "He is just an ordinary little noble in the riverlands, with no foundation at all. We have 60,000 people. Even if the northern riverlands and Stannis are combined, they can't beat the alliance between us and the westerlands, so I think we should quickly march north to help Tommen I out of his predicament."
Loras was saved by Arthur, so he didn't dislike the king of the riverlands. He suggested to his father:
"If the dragon owner is really If he has a dragon, then he is the first heir to the Iron Throne, inheriting from Aerys II. Since his father fought for the Targaryens sixteen years ago, it should be the same now. "
Margaery thought of the times she had talked with Arthur, and she held the same view as her third brother:
"That time he came to buy armor shows that he has a far-sighted vision and has seen through the upcoming war. He is also a good nobleman who loves his subjects very much. He has earned an excellent reputation among the farmers of the entire continent by chasing the Mountain all the way. With his own military strength, he already looks like a king. "
The Duke of Mace still didn't speak.
So Little Rose added: "At least he looks more like a king than Tommen, an eight-year-old boy. We can't be sure of the character of an eight-year-old boy when he grows up, but now we can understand all about the dragon owner. I heard that he became a very gentle person after leaving the battlefield. "
Although Margaery didn't care about the appearance, figure and personality of her future husband, Arthur, who was already an adult man, did have more points than Tommen.
Caring for the people, being gentle, brave, handsome, and of noble descent.
Such a king is worthy of a queen like me.
Lord Randyll Tarly looked at the feudal lords who turned their heads around and expressed his thoughts: "Lady Margaery is about to become the queen of Tommen I, but Arthur is not sure. I heard that he is very close to Sansa Stark, and the strongest Frey family under him also wants to climb up the ladder. Even if we go there, we may not be able to get the position of queen."
The queen has always been the weak point of the Rose family.
His family is too low-class, just a steward of the gardener family, while most families in the River Reach can be related to the Greenhand Garth, and have intermarried with the River Reach King's family for generations.
Although the vassal under his command was temporarily suppressed by relatives, the reputation was always a little short, so the Rose family has always wanted to have a queen.
As early as when Robert was alive, Loras and Renly conspired to marry Margaery to Robert, but the plan was not implemented in time.
The Duke of Mace finally made up his mind, "I will earn a title of queen for my daughter, and the army will set off immediately to march to King's Landing."
...
Five days later, Riverrun.
Arthur finally knew what the "little gift" Simon Frey was talking about.
They actually sent assassins to assassinate Hendry and Jayne, the heirs of Janos Bracken, and failed.
After Hendry and the other six were brought to Riverrun by Marco Piper, they were kept as hostages in the city.
The acting lord of Riverrun is the legendary knight Blackfish, so the defense is naturally tight. The assassins sent by the Frey family were captured without killing a single target.
Although the assassins came from a small knight family in the Riverlands and were loyal to Sealand, it was rumored that Arthur sent people to assassinate Hendry and others.
It's no wonder that there is such a rumor. If Hendry and others died and Janos Bracken also died in the war, then Stonehedge City would be completely controlled by Arthur.
So the King of Rivers suffered a loss.
After Blackfish learned the details of the assassin, he was extremely angry.
This legendary knight has a very good temper and hates such sneaky behavior and assassination.
So Arthur and others came to clear up the misunderstanding with Blackfish, and wanted to ask the Tullys to defend the area around the Pink City - it was heard that the Westerlands were preparing to attack the Riverlands again, although the number of soldiers sent was not as many as last time.
But Blackfish avoided them, claiming that he only recognized the North and the King of the Three Rivers, Robb, and his heirs, and did not recognize any messy kings, and asked Sansa to entertain Arthur.
The two young men were in love, and after a routine meeting, they immediately sent away all the attendants and servants, entered Sansa's residence and started kissing each other.
But Miss Stark obviously had other ideas. After a few kisses, she pushed Arthur away and her expression began to become solemn.
"I want you to promise me one thing."
Arthur didn't understand what she was going to do, but he still agreed: "You say, I will do what I can do."
"I want to be your queen!