Upsetting the Chessboard

"A fine display of swordsmanship, brave Young Wolf Lord. Might I have the honor of testing your blade?"

Jaime, who had been watching from the sidelines, seethed inwardly at Joffrey's humiliation, yet a smile remained fixed on his face as he issued a sparring invitation to Robb.

"What's this? Kingslayer, are you planning to stab Robb in the back during a spar, just like you did the Mad King? Hahahaha."

Before Robb could answer Jaime, Robert's voice boomed down from the second floor, laughing loudly across the training yard.

"Hmph!"

Hearing that grating voice, Jaime knew he couldn't settle the score for Joffrey just yet. Without even glancing up at Robert, he turned and strode straight out of the yard.

"Ned, it seems that piss-and-shit-stinking King's Landing can only breed feeble stags from me, while the frozen North can birth such a fierce wolf from you."

Standing on the wooden gallery, Robert waved dismissively at Robb and the others bowing in the yard, then turned to Eddard beside him.

Eddard inclined his head slightly, speaking with sincere gravity: "Your Majesty, only a fierce wolf can better guard the North for you."

"Hahaha, you always know what to say!"

"I speak only the truth."

As Robert and Eddard departed from the wooden gallery, the Wolf Guards in the yard finally burst into collective laughter.

Still discussing the earlier farce, Robb smiled and answered a few remarks now and then, but his peripheral vision caught Owen, one of the six Wolf Guard Captains, slipping away from the yard.

After dinner, Owen came to Robb's room and reported Jaime's movements for the day.

Robb smiled, offered a few words of encouragement, then instructed Owen to keep a distant watch on Jaime and not to alert him—unless he headed toward the Broken Tower.

Owen nodded in understanding, bowed, and withdrew.

Over the next three or four days, Robb and the others went through their daily drills, but Joffrey's whereabouts were nowhere to be seen.

On the fifth day of the King's visit to Winterfell, Robert—who had spent his time idly wandering, drinking, or seeking the company of working women—finally grew restless.

At dawn, he announced he'd received word of a Direwolf sighting in the Wolfswood and dragged Eddard along to join him.

If no Direwolf turned up, he declared, it would simply be a hunting trip.

Every noble in the Seven Kingdoms knew that since taking the throne, Robert loved only three things: drinking, hunting, and women.

Unable to dampen the King's enthusiasm, Eddard had no choice but to order the servants to prepare for the journey.

After half a day of bustle, with the sun at its zenith, Robert and Eddard finally set out from Hunter's Gate on the western side of Winterfell, accompanied by their personal guards and a host of servants.

By protocol, Jaime, as a member of the Kingsguard, should have accompanied them.

But Cersei insisted he stay behind, claiming the prince had suffered a humiliating defeat in his spar with the Young Wolf Lord and needed Jaime to teach Joffrey swordsmanship.

Whether Cersei truly wanted Jaime to teach Joffrey—or to teach her some 'swordsmanship'—was anyone's guess.

Standing nearby, Robb watched Cersei's performance with a full smile, silently applauding her in his mind.

Everything was going even more smoothly than he had anticipated.

The night deepened, and most of the castle had sunk into heavy slumber.

"Ah!..."

On the wall above the Inner City gate, a night watchman let out a long yawn, his breath misting in the cold air.

Creak! Creak!

From below the wall came the sound of wagon wheels, growing steadily louder.

Hearing the noise, the watchman snapped fully awake and peered down.

A hooded driver was guiding a wagon loaded with barrel-shaped cargo slowly toward the gate.

Around the wagon, several Wolf Guard warriors in leather armor bearing the Direwolf sigil stood as escorts.

"Open the gate. That belongs to me."

Hearing a clear voice behind him, the gate guard turned, saw who it was, and quickly saluted.

"As you command, Lord Robb!"

Robb, accompanied by Theon and a few Wolf Guards, smiled and nodded as he watched the guard turn the winch. The Inner City drawbridge lowered with a groan.

"Thank you. Well done."

Robb offered a word of thanks to the night watchman, then turned and descended from the wall.

"Lord Robb!"

As the wagon crossed the drawbridge and entered the Inner City, it met Robb coming down from the wall. The driver quickly pulled back his hood and bowed in greeting.

"Sam, you've done excellent work."

Looking at Sam—visibly thinner and more weathered after nearly a month away, but also more mature—Robb offered a sincere compliment.

"Thank you for your praise, my lord. It is my honor to serve you."

A hint of pleasure flickered across Sam's face as he nodded in reply.

"During the transport of the goods, you never left them, right? Any problems along the way?"

Robb's gaze passed over Sam and landed on the barrel-shaped cargo behind him.

Hearing Robb ask about official business, Sam immediately straightened his expression and said, "From the moment Lord Ramsay handed these goods over to me, I haven't left them for an inch. I checked them thoroughly just before entering the city—no problems at all."

"Good! Theon, take them there. Deliver them to the designated location as planned."

Seeing that Sam handled things properly, Robb nodded and gave the order.

"Yes!"

Theon nodded in acknowledgment, a look of hesitation flickering across his face.

"Theon, no need to say more. Once everything's set, send word to me. When I give the signal, you act according to plan. Stay safe."

Seeing his expression, Robb knew what Theon wanted to say.

He waved him off, finished giving his instructions, and turned to walk toward the main entrance of the Main Keep.

Seeing that Robb wouldn't give him a chance to argue, Theon bit his lip and steeled himself, then led Sam and the Wolf Guards around to the back of the Main Keep.

The carriage trundled along for about ten minutes until it reached a spot near the rear wall of the Main Keep, where a circle was painted in white.

Theon directed Sam and the Wolf Guards to move the barrel-shaped cargo from the carriage to the area near the white circle.

The Wolf Guards had long been trained to obey orders without question. Even though the cargo gave off a pungent smell, they followed commands without a single unnecessary question.

Thud!

One barrel was set down heavily by two Wolf Guards, and Theon and Sam's faces instantly changed. In unison, they hissed under their breath, "Careful!"

They exchanged a glance, both understanding what this cargo really was.

It was something Ramsay had obtained through special channels... Wildfire!

Sending you off, a thousand miles away...

Whistling a tune from a Blue Star Chinese song, Robb walked through the corridors of the Main Keep, trying to use this method to ease the oppressive and restless emotions churning inside him.

Fully armed, Daisy emerged from the shadows of the corridor and came up behind Robb, reporting in a low voice, "Lord Robb, Lady Catelyn and the other young lords and ladies have all fallen asleep. There are guards stationed at their doors.

Our people swapped out the guest room guards in the Main Keep today. All the Lannisters are accounted for—no one has left."

"Good. If the Wildfire doesn't blow them all to pieces, then we'll finish the job ourselves."

Having already tested the loyalty of Wolf Guard Captain Six, Robb trusted him completely.

This long-planned scheme had been revealed to them three days in advance.

And the six captains weren't without objections to Robb's plan—Theon, for one, repeatedly urged him to reconsider.

But under Robb's unwavering resolve, they all chose to help him carry it out.

That's right. What Robb wanted to do now was... flip the board.

Thank you to reader 202107251332479 for the monthly ticket, and thanks to all the readers who keep reading, commenting, and voting every day.

This week, this book has a recommendation. I'll add an extra chapter for you all. Mm, plus the one extra chapter I mentioned before, that makes two extra chapters total. I hope you'll all continue to support this book.