Arbor

Samwell stayed in Sunhouse for three days, watching with his own eyes as transport ships laden with grain and daily necessities sailed toward Eagle's Beak. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief and bid Viscount Brandon farewell.

Thus, amid Viscount Brandon's warm send-off and Miss Alice's resentful gaze, Samwell and his party boarded a ship bound for Arbor and set sail.

The journey was calm and uneventful. After just six days, the ship smoothly crossed the Redwyne Strait and arrived at Arbor.

The island was famous for its wine, especially Arbor Gold, the finest vintage most sought after by the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms. Its price was exorbitant, worthy of being called "liquid gold."

However, what truly made House Redwyne one of the most influential great noble houses in The Reach was clearly not wine, but the Arbor Fleet.

Along with the Royal Fleet and the Iron Fleet, this fleet was known as one of the three great fleets of Westeros, a naval force capable of influencing the situation across the Seven Kingdoms.

Bathed in the afternoon sun, Samwell slowly walked down the gangplank.

The docks were bustling. Laborers carrying goods could be seen everywhere, shouting out loud work chants as they hauled sack after sack of cargo onto merchant vessels.

At the sight of this familiar scene, Samwell's guards all showed looks of nostalgia.

Only half a year ago, they had been just like these men, laboring every day under heavy loads yet barely managing to fill their stomachs. But now, their fates had changed completely.

Thinking of this, the guards' gazes toward the lord ahead of them became especially fervent.

Samwell's arrival caused no stir. Although Todd Flowers had sent a letter ahead announcing their intended visit, Samwell's current reputation clearly was not enough to merit a grand welcome from House Redwyne.

In fact, not a single member of the family had come. They had merely sent a servant to receive them.

That was a bit too much.

Even after Samwell entered the castle and drank tea in the reception hall for half the day, he still failed to see Lord Paxter.

By then, even Todd Flowers' expression had turned extremely grim, yet Samwell remained as calm and at ease as ever.

In truth, he had anticipated House Redwyne's cold reception. After all, according to Lady Olenna's original plans, although Eagle's Beak was nominally Samwell's new domain, its true controller was meant to be House Redwyne.

Now that Samwell had refused to be manipulated, Lord Paxter naturally would not show him a friendly face.

Still, Samwell was in no hurry.

After reaching a supply agreement with Viscount Brandon of Sunhouse, the food crisis in his domain had been temporarily resolved. He no longer had such an urgent need for House Redwyne's support.

As for Brandy, he did not absolutely need House Redwyne to help sell it.

House Redwyne was certainly the best partner. They possessed established sales channels and could deliver Brandy to the tables of noble houses throughout Westeros at the fastest speed. Selling it under the Arbor Winery name would also make it easier for Brandy to build a reputation. But if they failed to appreciate the favor, finding another partner would not be impossible.

Once he adjusted his mindset, Samwell no longer cared. It was just as well to see what tricks Lord Paxter could come up with.

They waited until the sun had set and Samwell's entire party was so hungry their stomachs had begun to growl before someone finally entered the reception hall.

"Ah, why is it so dark? Someone, quickly bring some candles!"

"Sorry, sorry, Sam. I made you wait so long."

The ones who entered were Lord Paxter's twin sons, Horas Redwyne and Hobber Redwyne.

The two looked as though they had been cast from the same mold: square faces, orange hair, and faces covered in freckles.

Still, the brothers were easy to tell apart.

The elder brother, Horas, was taller, and his eyes were more aggressive. He looked at everyone as if he wanted to start a fight. His younger brother, Hobber, spoke unclearly, his words slurred as though his mouth were full of saliva he had not swallowed.

"It's fine. The journey was tiring, so we happened to rest for half the day," Samwell said with a smile.

Horas stared at Samwell for a long while before saying, "Sam, you've changed quite a lot after all these years."

Hobber nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you've gotten much thinner. Haven't you been getting enough to eat lately?"

Horas immediately added, "A hellhole like the Red Mountains really does make it hard to get enough food. Hahaha..."

The brothers burst into laughter as they spoke.

Samwell wore a faint smile and silently watched them as though he were looking at two fools.

Memories belonging to the original owner surged forth, making him realize that he had some history with these two brothers.

Back when Lord Randyll had not yet completely given up on his eldest son, he had brought Samwell to Arbor in the hope of arranging an engagement between him and Lord Paxter's daughter, Desmera Redwyne.

Unfortunately, Samwell had been a disappointment at the time. Not only had he failed to gain Lord Paxter's favor, but he had also been mocked and teased by Horas and Hobber until he burst into tears, thoroughly humiliating himself.

"It is easy to go hungry," Samwell said, utterly unconcerned by the brothers' mockery. "That is why I came to Arbor. I hope to receive House Redwyne's help in providing Eagle's Beak with some grain and supplies."

Although he had already signed a supply contract with Sunhouse, Samwell did not mind having another supplier.

Otherwise, what if House Brandon gained control over Eagle's Beak's food lifeline and Viscount Brandon turned hostile one day? Or brought up the old matter again and insisted that Samwell marry Miss Alice?

"Well..." Horas smiled reservedly. "Let us wait until my father returns before discussing that."

"Lord Paxter is not on the island?"

"He is, but Father has gone to inspect the domain."

"When will he return?"

"That is hard to say. Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps next week... Arbor is so large, after all. I do not know where Father is right now."

When Samwell heard this, his smile remained unchanged, but inwardly, he was already cursing.

"In that case, we will not impose any longer. We have matters to attend to, so we will take our leave tomorrow."

"You're leaving tomorrow?" Horas was taken aback when he heard Samwell say he was leaving.

"Yes." Samwell smiled faintly. "I still need to make a trip to Oldtown."

"Then you'll come to Arbor again on your way back, right?" Hobber could not help asking.

"We'll see when the time comes." Samwell began playing hard to get instead. "Perhaps we will stop here again. I hope Lord Paxter will be available by then."

Horas twitched his lips, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Only after a long moment did he force a smile. "In that case, I will have someone arrange rooms for you. Get some rest early."

"Good. Then I'll trouble you."

Without the slightest hesitation, Samwell rose and headed outside.

Horas exchanged a glance with his brother, unable to hide his surprise.

But the brothers quickly traded a knowing look, then hastened after Samwell, escorting him out with one on each side.

The reception hall's doorway was not wide enough for three men to walk through side by side, but the Horas brothers made no effort to yield. Instead, they took the opportunity to squeeze toward the middle—

Bang!

With a dull thud, Samwell calmly stepped through the door while the brothers staggered, nearly falling over.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry. Are you two all right?" Samwell turned back, feigning alarm.

Suppressing the burning pain in his shoulder and the shock he could not contain, Horas said, "We're fine. We just tripped by accident."

"So that's what happened." Samwell suddenly understood. "I thought you two had not eaten enough."

With that, he strode away, utterly ignoring the brothers' flushed faces.