Westeros Chess

"Westeros Chess?"

Sansa looked puzzled. She had never heard of such a name, though she had played Tile Chess with her handmaidens before.

Garon nodded. "Yes, Westeros Chess!"

He was, of course, well aware that no one present knew what Westeros Chess was, as it was a name he had just invented.

Garon stepped forward, arriving opposite Sansa, and smiled. "Lady Sansa, please allow me to demonstrate it for you."

After Sansa nodded in agreement, he took the pieces out of the wooden box one by one, then flipped the box over and unfolded it flat.

Under the gaze of everyone present, Garon arranged the pieces he had taken out onto the board in order.

Soon, a set of Chess appeared.

Yes, that was correct.

The gift Garon intended to give Sansa was exactly the Chess from his past life.

Robb, who had been standing at the door watching the excitement, couldn't help but walk over to Garon's side, pointing at the board with a confused expression.

"Is this the gift you claimed was something never seen or heard of before?"

"It clearly looks just like Tile Chess."

Garon explained, "Well, that is true."

"Westeros Chess is a new way of playing that I specifically developed, inspired by Tile Chess."

"Two people play against each other, one taking the black pieces, the other the white."

"The first person to checkmate the opponent's King wins."

Although he admired Garon for being able to create a new way to play a game, Robb still shook his head.

He had no interest in the game before him at all.

"I thought you would give some jewelry or ornaments, or perhaps something girls usually like."

"I never expected you to give a game..."

He glanced at Sansa, turned his head, and whispered, "If I had known you were giving this, I should have stopped you."

"Now, let alone Sansa, even Beth and Jeyne have no interest in it."

"If word of this gets out..."

Robb sighed. He could already imagine the next harvest feast at Winterfell, with the northern lords laughing at the Glovers together.

Sansa and the girls behind her, Beth and Jeyne, were equally uninterested.

However, mindful of her image as a lady, she did not say anything.

Even Septa Mordane's face flashed with a trace of dissatisfaction.

In her eyes, Sansa's status was so noble; for Garon to present a chessboard as a gift was simply a sign of disrespect toward House Stark.

Septa Mordane intended to tell Lady Catelyn about this later, so she could give Garon a stern warning.

Garon sensed everyone's thoughts and sighed inwardly, I would love to give jewelry or treasures, but I am poor!

Yes, Deepwood Motte was poor.

Extremely, exceptionally, and particularly poor!

Just as Theon Greyjoy had previously described, Deepwood Motte was nothing but a wooden chamber pot on a barren hill.

Although the words were crude and insulting, in some respects, they were indeed the truth.

If one looked at a map, the vast lands north of Torrhen's Square, west of Cerwyn, and including Sea Dragon Point, all belonged to House Glover.

Logically speaking, occupying so much land should make the Glovers one of the wealthiest noble families in the North.

But the reality was the exact opposite.

The situation of the Glovers was comparable to that of House Mormont on Bear Island.

Although the land area was vast, most of it was forest, and the land available for cultivation was scarce.

For thousands of years, the Glovers, who worshipped the Old Gods, had lived in the Wolfswood for generations and had never thought of clearing it.

There were rumors that House Glover had reached some kind of agreement with the Children of the Forest during the Age of the First Men.

Even now, many people in the North still believed that House Glover carried the blood of the Children of the Forest.

To this, House Glover neither confirmed nor denied it.

The only subjects under the command of Deepwood Motte were the four clans that also lived in the Wolfswood.

The clans lived by hunting, providing Deepwood Motte with many wild animal furs for trade.

The gold dragons earned from the fur trade were used partly to purchase daily necessities and partly to be exchanged for weapons and equipment in preparation for war.

By the time Garon took charge of the family treasury, there was nothing left inside but weapons, equipment, and a meager amount of wealth.

So, when he received the letter from Ned, Garon had been deeply troubled for a time.

If asked to assemble an army, Garon could thump his chest and recruit over two thousand elite soldiers without a second thought.

But when it came to preparing a gift, the Glover lord found himself truly strapped for options.

An engagement gift was easy enough; by squeezing the family treasury, he could always manage something presentable.

However, a gift for Sansa left Garon in a bind.

Looking at the equipment filling his storehouse, he certainly couldn't just hand her a knight's greatsword.

To give a good gift, one must cater to the recipient's interests.

If it were Arya, Garon could easily win her favor by gifting her a fine blade.

But Sansa was different from Arya, who possessed the Blood of the Direwolf.

Before leaving for King's Landing, she had been raised under the influence of Catelyn, receiving a traditional noble education in music, poetry, and dance.

At this time, Sansa was quiet and ladylike, fond of traditional feminine pastimes.

Embroidery, for instance.

For such a lady, gifts unique to the North would only be counterproductive.

Yet, Garon could not afford rare or precious jewelry.

Just as Garon was fretting, a flash of inspiration struck him: he would use wood to meticulously carve a set of Chess for Sansa.

Looking back at the Game of Thrones, Sansa Stark was the only one in the wolf family truly suited for playing the game of power.

Given her underlying character, what could be more fitting than a set of Chess?

Thanks to the geography of Deepwood Motte.

Beyond timber, this place was home to many excellent carpenters.

Under the urging of Lord Garon, they worked through the night, meticulously polishing this set of Chess according to his descriptions.

Regrettably, almost no one present showed any interest in it.

The debut of Westeros Chess was, unsurprisingly, met with a cold reception.

But Garon had long anticipated this.

He scanned the crowd, calmly picked up where Robb had left off, and continued.

"Actually, before I came to Winterfell, I had considered gifting Lady Sansa some beautiful ornaments."

"But after much deliberation, I gave up on the idea."

Arya, blunt and quick-tongued, immediately interjected, "Why?"

Garon gave an appreciative look at Arya for playing along and replied with a smile.

"Because no matter how hard I searched, I simply could not find an ornament that could enhance Lady Sansa's beauty."

"If I may be so bold, Lady Sansa's beauty is like a gift from the Old Gods; any ornament would only be gilding the lily."

"So, after much thought, I decided it would be better to present a special gift that could embody my sincerity."

"And that is what gave me the idea to create Westeros Chess."

He turned his gaze toward Sansa, who was blushing at the compliment, and offered a sincere apology.

"Lady Sansa, please forgive my presumption."

"Half a year ago, I asked Robb about your preferences."

"I learned that you enjoyed more... ladylike activities."

"So, I wondered if I could tailor a board game specifically for you?"

Garon stood in the center of the room, looking around at everyone, and explained his thoughts on the conception of Westeros Chess bit by bit.

"Ordinary Tile Chess lacks competitiveness and is not suitable for a lady of such intelligence as Lady Sansa."

"Westeros Chess is different."

He pointed to the wooden box and board: "Although its rules are simple, the strategies involved are incredibly complex."

"To checkmate the opponent's king and claim victory, one requires not only wisdom, patience, and talent."

"But also the ability to see through every step of the opponent's plan."

Sansa's eyes lit up; she was full of interest in a game that could test one's intellect.

At this moment, Garon looked at Robb and offered an analogy.

"It is much like when we lead an army out to war."

"We must consider not only our own soldiers' supplies but also the situation of the enemy."

"We must both guess the enemy's strategic plans and prevent the enemy from guessing our own..."

Garon spoke with eloquence, the confident glow on his brow firmly capturing Sansa's gaze.

She had never imagined that one day, someone would go so far as to invent such a complex game just to please her.

He must really love me!

Sansa blinked, thinking to herself with confidence.