After Suleiman's words fell, there was no objection in the hall. His voice was not high, but it seemed to carry some irresistible weight, suppressing Tytos. Blackwood's moral struggle, and also suppressing Damon. Grell's final madness.
The plan was finalized, the knights were eager to give it a try, and a decisive and bloody smell filled the air.
Everyone immediately dispersed and went back to their places to carry out their work.
House Grell's servants and soldiers began to get busy. They repeatedly washed the stone floor that still retained the smell of blood with sand and water, trying to completely erase the smell of blood left by the previous battle.
Barrels of spirits were brought out of the cellar, ready for the banquet that was destined to be a joyless one.
Suleiman, Raymun. Darry, Tytos. Blackwood, the latter seemed to have been drained of all their strength and their steps were sluggish. The three of them followed Damon. Grell into the inner room without saying a word.
Damon. Grell was like a wounded and desperate beast that was enraged to fight to the death. With red eyes, he summoned his family knights. He personally inspected everyone's weapons, lowered his voice and issued orders one after another, deploying every key node of the castle in advance for the future dinner.
Suleiman stood beside him, listening quietly to his deployment, and then spoke to improve his plan, his voice as steady as a pool of deep water:
"All the chiefs and guards are invited into the hall, and their ordinary soldiers are arranged in camps outside the castle, where your hospitality, food and wine will be enough."
"When the musicians in the hall play the music of Iron Islands, the louder the better, make sure they are isolated from the outside of the hall."
Damon. Grell paused and looked at Suleiman's methodical words.
"There is no need to force Ironborn who enters the hall to remove their weapons and armor in the name of tradition."
"Ironborn is suspicious by nature, and excessive demands in the name of tradition will only arouse alarm."
"Let them bring swords to the banquet. It will make them feel like they are still powerful and still in control."
Suleiman's eyes turned to the depths of the hall, where Damon. Grell's wife was holding her daughter, watching all this with a pale face.
"When the banquet begins, ask your wife to stay with you."
Damon. Grell immediately refused. He remembered the humiliation his wife and daughter had suffered before, his fists clenched and his voice became excited. "No!!"
"I can't let them face those beasts again! I,,, Suleiman's tone did not waver at all: "That's why she must be present."
"The presence of the lord's wife is the highest level of courtesy, and it is also the best way to paralyze them. They will relax their vigilance."
Damon. Grell stood up, and just when he was about to refute again, his wife, Mrs. Elena, came over. She held down her husband's trembling arm and looked at Suleiman. Although there was fear in her eyes, it was more of a determination to break the boat.
She spoke, quietly but clearly. "I'm participating."
"I will stay with my husband and entertain the people."
She paused and turned her eyes to her daughter.
"But I beg you, please keep my daughter away from here and find a safe place to hide."
Suleiman nodded. "You are very brave, madam."
Damon. Grell, with red eyes, grabbed his wife's hand, his knuckles turned white from the exertion. He couldn't say a word, so he could only squeeze it with all his strength.
Suleiman ignored the couple's emotional expressions and just continued to speak calmly and continued to arrange the cold details.
"Soak all the tents in some grease, arrange them densely in the celebration camp outside the city, and find some heavy objects on the tent supports."
"When they collapse, we must be able to hold Ironborn down and let them struggle in the flames."
His description was so specific, it was as if he had seen the scene with his own eyes.
"When the soldiers light a fire, the denser the tents are, the faster the fire will spread and the greater the chaos will be."
Damon. Grell opened his eyes wide and looked at Suleiman in disbelief. His eyes seemed to ask, are you too experienced in this kind of thing?
Suleiman turned his attention to Tytos. Blackwood and said softly, "Sir Blackwood."
"If participating in this action makes your soul uneasy, you don't have to participate."
Tytos. Blackwood raised his head and opened his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just took a deep look at Suleiman and did not spit out a word.
Time passed, and Suleiman was on the city wall, arranging the details of the raiding force outside the city for the knights.
At this time, Rosso walked over quickly, his armor made a slight friction sound, and he spoke:
"Sir, that Greyjoy boy is on a hunger strike to die."
"Sir Old Lopin has nothing to do with him. He won't say a word, just won't eat or drink."
"Take me to see." Suleiman looked away from the darkness outside the city.
The place where Maron. Greyjoy was imprisoned was just a rough wooden cage. Maron. Greyjoy was curled up inside, like a trapped beast. Hearing the footsteps, he suddenly raised his head and stared at Suleiman who walked in with a pair of blood-red eyes.
His voice was hoarse and weak, but full of resentment. "I won't cooperate with you!"
"I'd rather die!"
Seeing that he was so rude to Lord Suleiman, a guarding knight House Deddings kicked him on the cage with a loud bang.
Just as he was about to yell and curse, Suleiman waved his hand to stop the knight and signaled him to retreat. The knight immediately bowed respectfully, exited the room, and closed the door.
Only Suleiman and Maron. Greyjoy in the cage are left in the room.
Suleiman walked slowly to the cage, squatted down, and looked at Maron. Greyjoy through the wooden bars. He pointed at Maron. Greyjoy's mouth:
"It's easy to want to die."
"If you bite off your own tongue, you will soon die from excessive blood loss. It is simple and effective."
Maron. Greyjoy's Adam's apple rolled. He subconsciously bit the tip of his tongue with his teeth, but let go the moment he felt severe pain. He tried several times, with cold sweat oozing from his forehead, but in the end he still couldn't make up his mind.
Suleiman's words were as plain as stating a fact. "You can't do it."
"Because deep down, you don't want to die at all."
Maron. Greyjoy roared, as if trying to cover up his cowardice with his voice:
"I will never cooperate with you!"
Suleiman did not speak, but sat on the ground, eye level with Maron in the cage.
He spoke, his voice low and magnetic. "You are not doing things for us, Maron."
"You are choosing your future life for yourself."
Maron. Greyjoy sneered sadly, "My life?"
"Don't you know my father very well? Don't you know that my life has been completely destroyed from the moment I was captured? What else to choose?"
Suleiman's voice was so light, so low, like a devil's whisper, "It is precisely because you were destroyed that you have to make a choice."
"In the world of Ironborn, you are already dead. The throne of King Iron Islands can never belong to Greyjoy who was captured and tricked into killing his tribe members."
The throne of the Iron Islands king can never belong to a captured Greyjoy again. These words hit the most vulnerable point of Maron. Greyjoy surrendered and deceived the tribesmen. He had no living space in Iron Islands. He even said that he could never return to Iron Islands.
The fire in his eyes dimmed instantly, leaving only the ashes of despair. "In this case, what else to choose!!!"
Suleiman leaned forward slightly, and his voice was lowered, with a kind of bewitching magic power: "Choose the king of Iron Islands, which is no longer possible, or...", he paused and uttered a few words clearly.
"Warden of the Iron Islands."
Maron. Greyjoy was stunned, the despair on his face solidified into astonishment. "What... What does it mean?"
Suleiman spoke slowly, "Your father, Balon. Greyjoy, can already count the days of his defeat."
Maron. Greyjoy interrupted him excitedly, "Nonsense!!!"
"My father burned the Lannister fleet! He conquered the Riverlands!"
Suleiman showed an almost pitiful smile on his face, "Really? Then why are you here, in my cage? Young man?"
Maron. Greyjoy was left speechless by the question, while Suleiman continued to speak:
"As his son, you should know his strategy."
"He attacked Riverlands because he thought that the weak Riverlands Lords here would surrender, and then placed his hope that other forces in Seven Kingdoms, such as Dorne and the Reach, would rise up to respond because of their old grudges, right?"
Maron. Greyjoy's body began to tremble slightly. Every word Suleiman said was exactly the same as what his father said at the Pyke military meeting.
Suleiman's voice is still unhurried.
"But what is reality?"
"Riverlands did not surrender, but resisted extremely resolutely. Even the royalist East Riverlands Lords, who had a feud with Baratheon, had no response. Dorne and the Reach did not raise troops. Seven Kingdoms was united like a piece of iron."
"In order to force Riverlands to surrender, he had to besiege Riverrun and divide his troops to besiege Riverlands's various Lords castles."
"Now he wants to capture Luanhe City and block the southward path of the Northern Army that may arrive at any time. As a result, he is now locked in a bitter battle below the city and everything is not going well."
"Iron Islands's troops are low, supplies are difficult, diplomacy is in shambles, and it's stuck in mud."
"When the king's army completes its assembly and counterattacks, do you think there is another way for him other than defeat?"
Maron. Greyjoy's face turned pale, but he still gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence: "What on earth do you want to say!"
Suleiman's eyes are still as calm as water. "The liquidation after the war."
"Your father, Balon, must die. The damage he caused to Riverlands was too serious. Too many families were destroyed because of him. The blood debt must be paid with his life."
Although others may be fraud, Suleiman believes that these words are all true, because according to normal historical development, Ironborn did not cause serious injuries to Seven Kingdoms Therefore, Balon. Greyjoy was forgiven after surrendering, but it is absolutely impossible now. Many Riverlands families were destroyed because of Ironborn.
"Your uncle, Victarion, he must die too. He is the commander-in-chief Iron Fleet, the executor of all this."
"Your brother must also die. He killed too many people in Riverlands."
Maron. Greyjoy, panting heavily, he knew what the other party was going to say.
Suleiman also knew that the time had come, and he asked in an almost whispering voice, "So, tell me, when they are all dead, who will inherit House Greyjoy, and who will become the new Iron Islands ruler appointed by Iron Throne?"
Maron. Greyjoy's eyes widened, and a crazy and unbelievable thought arose from the bottom of his heart, "I.
?"
It is so easy to handle a child. Suleiman nodded, as if confirming an obvious answer:
"That's right, it's you, the representative of House Greyjoy's loyal king faction."
"At the beginning of the war, I was unwilling to follow my rebellious father and voluntarily surrendered to the Riverlands army led by me, using my loyalty to the kingdom to atone for my family's sins."
"Tell me, Maron, who else is more qualified than you to become the new Warden of the Iron Islands?"
Maron. Greyjoy's voice trembled. "But... but Ironborns won't agree with me!"
"They will loathe me! Hate me! I am a traitor! A bastard! They will never support me! Respect my rule!"
Suleiman shook his head. "You don't need their approval, Maron."
"What you need is Iron Throne's support and the king's trust. After the war, at the judgment seat, those Iron Islands families have no choice but to support you, who are loyal to the kingdom and Iron Throne, in order to protect themselves and continue their bloodline."
Suleiman stood up and looked down at the boy in the cage, like a god looking down at his lost believers.
"So, tell me now, your choice."
"It is to choose a hopeless future and die alone in despair."
"Or, the future Warden of the Iron Islands?"
The sudden rain caused all West Riverlands's tracks to disappear.
"Cleftjaw"Dagmer was sitting in a temporary tent sheltered from the rain, his face was pale, and his beard was still stained with dark red blood scabs.
A few days ago, when he learned that his fleet had been burned to the ground by that elusive cavalry team, a rush of heat rushed to his throat, and he spurted out a mouthful of blood on the spot and fell to the ground.
At this moment, his voice was hoarse and low. "Have you found the cavalry?"
"Bloody Hair" Hal standing in front of him was shaking his head with confusion on his face:
"Captain, they are like ghosts. They are always one step ahead of us, avoiding our large troops. They pounce on us and bite us when we are most relaxed, and then disappear immediately."
Hal scratched his hair irritably and continued to speak.
"What's even worse is that now this land is full of enemies!"
"Those damn Riverlands people are wearing the armor and weapons that the cavalry threw to them."
"The groups formed and caused chaos everywhere, making it more difficult for us to find the cavalry team."
His voice began to contain an irrepressible anger.
"It's everywhere! Dozens of people! Hundreds of people! Our people are exhausted! We can't tell the difference at all! That's our target! That's just a group of farmers wearing weapons and armor!"
"It's like we've fallen into a quagmire of rats and flies!!!"
After listening to Bloody Hair's report, the anger in Dagmer's chest overshadowed his body's weakness. He made a violent movement that caused internal injuries, causing him to cough violently uncontrollably.
He roared like a wounded beast, "That cavalry! Whose army is it!!!"
"Bloody Hair" Hal recalled the intelligence collected, "Many people saw their flag, which is the flag of House Blackwood."
"The others are all family flags that Riverlands commoners don't recognize."
"So...
. I believe the commander of that team is Tytos. Blackwood."
Dagmer chewed the name, and a regret that was more Burned Men than anger welled up in his heart. He once surrounded Blackwood in Oldstones, but in order to force the other party to bend his knees, he wasted time and gave the other party a chance to breathe, so that the other party was rescued by a strange army and escaped.
It was me who let him run away with my own hands!
He blamed his current predicament, the humiliation of the burned fleet, and this irritating chase on his past mistakes. This thought was like a red-hot iron, burning hard on his heart. If he had not waited for a while, the opponent's head would have been chopped off.
"Hey!!!" He sighed heavily.
Dagmer fell into deeper worries. As a confidant of King Balon, he was very clear about the top-level plan of this war. King Balon's plan was to take advantage of War of the Usurper, House Baratheon's foothold on Seven Kingdoms was not stable, and Seven Kingdoms's old grudges were unresolved. If Seven Kingdoms provokes a war, there will definitely be a big Lords response, especially Dorne and the Reach, but now Dorne and the Reach have done nothing.
Then there is Riverlands. As long as Riverlands is scored, those wallowing Riverlords of the Riverlands will quickly surrender. As long as one family kneels down, it will be like knocking down the first domino, triggering a chain reaction.
Dagmer bitterly murmured the words King Balon: "The weak Riverlords of the Riverlands will surrender to the wind, 9
But reality, reality gave a resounding slap in the face to all Ironborn who imagined that the war would go smoothly. No Riverlands family was willing to bend their knees and either abandon the castle and flee, or let their families escape and trap themselves in the castle and resist resolutely.
Even those Dong Riverlords of the Riverlands families who supported the Targaryen royal family in War of the Usurper, whose property and land were confiscated, and who supposedly had quarrels and feuds with Tully and Baratheon, also showed amazing consistency and tenacity when facing the invasion of Ironborn.
There was even an army under the leadership of the Riverlands family, House Lychester, whom they had never heard of, and went deep into West Riverlands to rescue Young Mallister, Raymun. Darry and Tytos. Blackwood., he began to doubt that Iron Islands's entire strategy was based on a wrong and arrogant assumption from the beginning.