Sir Jeywood stammered, "This... how could this be?! I've heard that Lady Lysa has as many suitors as crows around her, how could she possibly bear to..."
Lady Anya first gestured with her eyes to interrupt him, then continued, " Earl Leonor, as far as I know, the Lady of Winterfell is a guest at the Eyrie?"
Earl Leonor's eyes flickered slightly. He nodded and said, "When I went to see the Little Robert, I saw Lady Catelyn from afar; she looked very haggard."
Thank you for your honesty.
After a pause, Lady Anya looked directly into Earl Leonor's eyes and continued, "Could you tell me if Lady Catelyn was one of the witnesses to Lysa Tully's choice to pass away?"
Earl Leonor's fingers twitched slightly. He was silent for a moment, then sighed, " Lady Anya, Earl Horton, Sir Jeywood, although I don't know the specifics, I'm willing to believe that Lady Lysa's passing was her own choice."
"I'm willing to believe..." Lady Anya couldn't help but sigh softly.
Earl Leonor nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said, "To be honest, for the entire Vale, this is already a pretty good result."
His face turned bitter. "Or rather... there couldn't be a better outcome."
After Earl Leonor finished speaking, the tent fell silent.
After a pause, Earl Horton said, "I must admit, it's a lucky thing for Little Robert, alas."
Sir Jeywood suddenly asked, "You just said that Lord Baelish is the Little Lord's adoptive father?"
"According to the will of the Duke of Robert's mother..."
Earl Leonor's words were rudely interrupted by Sir Jeywood, who scoffed, "What right does Petyr Baelish have to be the foster father of the Little Lord? By a few sheep on that rocky patch of the Fingers?"
Earl Leonor shrugged and said, "Sir Jeywood, I felt much the same way you did when I first heard the news."
Jeywood's voice was filled with distrust. "Are you trying to tell me that you changed your mind for some reason? Hmm... I've heard that Lord Baelish is quite the money-maker. Has someone emptied the Eyrie's coffers? Is Lysa Tully so eager to find a wealthy foster father for Little Robert? Earl Leonor, is that the same idea you're having?"
Earl Leonor stared at Sir Jeywood for a moment, then said coldly, " Gilwood Hunter, are you questioning the honor of the House Corbray?"
At this moment, Lady Anya spoke gently, " Earl Leonor, please forgive Sir Jeywood's intrusion, but the vassals of House Arryn are all concerned about the safety of Little Robert."
After speaking, she turned her gaze to Sir Jeywood, who snorted coldly and turned his face away.
She continued, "I'm sure you have your reasons for supporting Lord Baelish, Declaration of Lords Declarant wants to hear the real reasons."
Earl Leonor leaned back in his chair and said, "My lords, Baelish has brought true allies to the Vale; he has forged an alliance between the Vale and Tywin Lannister."
A smile played on his lips, "As agreed, Myrcella Baratheon will become Little Robert Younger's fiancée, and the little princess will soon arrive at the Eyrie for the wedding to take place upon her coming of age."
After hearing what Earl Leonor had to say, Lady Anya and the others couldn't help but breathe more heavily.
The firelight flickered in the brazier. After a long while, Lady Anya clasped her hands tightly and murmured devoutly, " The Gods protect us..."
After glancing at the crowd, Ser Jeywood of the Longbow Hall fixed his gaze on Earl Leonor, saying incredulously, " The Lannister are willing to send Princess Myrcella to the Eyrie? They are...?"
He opened his mouth, but didn't utter the following words; instead, he thought to himself: Are the Lannister a bunch of fools?
Earl Horton's eyes flickered, and he spoke, " Earl Leonor Corbray, I must admit this is surprisingly good news, but I wonder what the Vale will offer in return for the Lannister ' generosity?"
Sir Jeywood nodded vigorously, while Lady Anya gracefully picked up the flask, poured the wine, and said, "I'm curious too."
She glanced at Earl Horton and continued, "How should the Knights of the Vale serve the Lannister?"
Earl Leonor spread his hands and replied, " The Lannister ' conditions are simple. Baelish told me that besides demanding our continued support for King Joffrey's Iron Throne, they also want to send troops to quell the rebellion."
Earl Horton's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, " Stark and Tully?"
Seeing Earl Leonor nod, Ser Jeywood exclaimed in realization, " The Lannister want to break the alliance between the Arryn - Stark - Tully families?!"
Before anyone else could speak, he added doubtfully, "To be honest, now that Lysa Tully has poisoned Jon, this alliance can be said to have ended..."
Lady Anya shook her head slightly and said, "If the House Stark daughter marries Little Robert, the alliance of the eagle, the wolf, and the fish will remain steadfast, which is why the Lannister are willing to send their only princess to the Eyrie."
She paused, then added, "Moreover, the North and the Riverlands now have Robb Stark, who has declared himself King in the North and King of the Trident. He is an enemy the Lannister must confront."
Ser Jeywood scratched his head and said, "There's also Stannis, a powerful army, to the south of King's Landing's Landing."
Earl Leonor said casually, " Baelish told me that the Lannister have formed an alliance with the Tyrell of Highgarden, and Stannis... do you really want to see him sit on the Iron Throne? Not only us, but I think most of the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms would not want that man to be their king."
Lady Anya's eyes were deep. She sighed and said, "It seems the young lady of House Tyrell will be wearing the Queen's crown soon."
Earl Leonor chuckled and said, "I must say you are a truly wise lady. Baelish's guess is similar to yours; the proud Golden Rose must have foreseen the Lannister ' sincerity beforehand."
He paused, then continued, "To allow the noble Princess Myrcella to grow up in the Eyrie and marry Lord Little Robert Younger... I think this is the Lannister' way of showing their sincerity to the Vale nobility."
Earl Horton suddenly muttered to himself, "If there hadn't been unrest in the Vale, perhaps we would have seen more sincerity Vale."
Sir Jeywood laughed heartily and said, "This is already very good news for me..."
His tone shifted, and he said in a deep voice, " Earl Leonor, since we are allies, can we ask the Lannister to withdraw the Crackclaw Point men from our Vale?"
A barely perceptible hint of disdain flashed across Earl Leonor's face. He smiled slightly and said, "Sir Jeywood, as the heir to the Longbow Hall, don't you intend to personally reclaim the lost honor?"
Sir Jeywood paused, his gaze shifting slightly, and said, "The Knights of the Vale need to rest for a while..."
Earl Leonor raised his chin slightly and said, "Tomorrow, the sword in my hand will sever Lord Crabb's neck, and I will hang his head in the square of Gulltown."
Earl Horton frowned slightly and said, " Earl Leonor, Sir Jeywood is right. The Knights of the Vale have just suffered an unprecedented defeat, and we do indeed need rest and recovery."
His expression turned pained. "Of the more than 20,000 Vale cavalry who went into battle today, only a little over 6,000 have returned to camp, many of them wounded. They... will not be able to participate in battle for the foreseeable future."
Earl Leonor's lips curled slightly as he said, "I brought ten thousand soldiers, and they are full of fighting spirit."
Earl Horton's brow furrowed even deeper. "Ten thousand soldiers? You... could it be?"
Earl Leonor glanced at the three men whose expressions had turned serious and said, "I actually arrived quite some time ago. I saw that you had been resting here, so I didn't let anyone disturb you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sir Jeywood abruptly stood up, gripping the hilt of his sword with one hand, and said, " The Longbow Hall soldiers of House Hunter won't obey you. What have you done?!"
Seeing this, Earl Leonor also climbed one hand onto the hilt of his sword, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
"Sigh..." Lady Anya shook her head as she slowly rose, handing the full glass of wine to Earl Leonor.
Then, she handed another glass of wine to Sir Jeywood, saying, "We need to be patient. If Earl Leonor intended to harm us, he wouldn't be here."
"Thank you for your trust, Lady Anya."
Earl Leonor took a sip of ale and said, "I was merely following Baelish's orders. I brought Maester and fine wine for the weary the Warrior, and the soldiers I brought even helped carry the wounded into the tents."
Lady Anya frowned slightly, then said gently, "You are very considerate, Earl Leonor."
After speaking, as Lady Anya turned to sit down, she gave Sir Jeywood a warning look.
Sir Jeywood snorted coldly, thus ending his angry glare at Earl Leonor.
After taking her seat, Lady Anya picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and said, " Earl Leonor, we have learned of Lord Baelish's goodwill towards the Declaration of Lords Declarant, and... his great contributions to the Vale of Arryn and Duke Little Robert."
She paused, then said sincerely, "Earl Petyr Lord Baelish is a wise and good man, and we welcome him to be the foster father of Little Robert. May the Gods bless all good people on earth."
The night is deep, and the stars are twinkling.
Gryn Crabb stood on the high ground and gazed at the distant Vale camp for a while before turning his gaze away and saying, "According to our intelligence, there are 20,000 troops from the Vale gathered there."
He reached out and patted Ser Pell standing beside him, then said, " Pell, tonight's battle is yours."
Pell Pili out his muscular chest and said, "My lord, I am at your service."
Gryn nodded slightly and asked, "Are all 2,000 strong oxen ready?"
Ser Pell nodded and said, "The horns of the bulls are bound with sharp blades, and the tails of each bull are tied with oil-soaked reeds. We are fully prepared."
Gryn started walking, saying as he went, " Pell, the timing of lighting the bull tails is important, but the timing of lighting the 'passage' is even more important. I don't want to see them rushing towards our soldiers."
The passage Gryn was referring to was a wall of fire made by igniting prepared flammable materials. As a time traveler, he knew very well that if he didn't prepare a "passage," the fire bulls would run wildly and accidentally crash into his own army formation.
He added, "And, the war drums."
Ser Pell replied respectfully, "Lord Gryn, the 'cattle trainers' have been training for a long time in preparation for tonight. They know them very well, so please rest assured."
Gryn stopped in his tracks, looked at his retainer knight, and said, " Pell, master the Fire Bull Tactics; you can teach it to your children later."
Upon hearing this, Ser Pell immediately knelt on one knee, his voice trembling. "My lord, the House Pili will forever remember your kindness."
Gryn helped Ser Pell to his feet, glanced at the night sky, and said, "Go, my loyal Pell. Remember, Crabb still needs no prisoners tonight."
Inside the tent, Leyton was polishing the bronze armor he had just finished wearing; it was the ancestral armor of Bronze Yohn.
Gryn entered the tent, glanced at the bronze armor that gleamed from the oil, and nodded slightly, saying, " Leyton, well done."
Leyton smiled shyly, pointed to the magical runes engraved on the armor, and said, "My master, it is said that this armor can protect the Warrior wears it from harm. Is that true?"
Gryn raised the corners of his mouth and said, " Leyton, you might want to ask our Sir Amparo or not."
Leyton paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "The magic of the Vale is no match for Crabb's swords."
He put away the oiled leather and said, "My master, I am ready, and we can depart tomorrow morning."
Gryn sat down on a folding wooden chair beside the brazier and said, " Leyton, when you arrive in King's Landing, enter the city through the Iron Gate."
He added, "Sending the bronze armor to King Joffrey is very important to Crabb... Thank you for your help, Leyton."
Leyton bowed and said, "My master, thank you for your trust. I promise to carry out your orders well."
Gryn nodded slightly. This was a trophy proving Emperor Joffrey's great achievements, and it couldn't be delayed... cough, in the game of power, speed is everything.
In the upcoming situation in the Vale, Lord Gryn will have to test his mental fortitude against the power players.
Inside the tent at the Vale camp, Earl Leonor, Lady Anya, Earl Horton, and Sir Jeywood raised their glasses to each other.
Taking a small sip of her wine, Lady Anya said, " Earl Leonor, the 1,000 cavalry and 2,000 infantrymen who remained at the camp during the day... we will place them all under your command."
Earl Leonor raised his glass again and said, "My lords, the glorious victory belongs to the Duke of the Eyrie."
Earl Horton raised his glass, paused, and then cautioned, " Earl Leonor, please be wary of the arrows raining down from Crackclaw Point. The Crackclaw Point men are well-trained; perhaps... we should no longer call them Wildling."