The Strangler!
The Hundred Hearth Hall was cleaned cleaner than ever before.
Even the soot around the fireplace was scraped off, and several pieces of firewood, each the same length, were neatly stacked in the fireplace in the shape of a pyramid, crackling and burning.
The only thing I didn't notice was the banners of the various families hanging above the fireplace. Whether it was the blue Moonhawk banner of the Arryn or the red shield rune banner of the House Royce, the lower half of their banners had been blackened, indicating that they hadn't been replaced in a long time.
At this time, almost all the lords of the rank of knight and above in the army were present.
As a key retainer of Stannis, Bronze Yohn of Runestone naturally sits in almost the very front position.
However, his seat is currently empty; Jon Royce will appear later with Stannis.
Seated on either side of Yohn Royce were his two sons.
Further away were some Vale nobles who were equally staunch supporters of Stannis, as well as members of Stannis's King's faction.
Further back in the seating area were some of the outlying lords.
They all basically share one characteristic: they are weak, with small armies and small territories. So it's not wrong to say that the order of importance in the meeting was based on their strength.
Roland Connington is a prime example. Although he fought bravely and earned Stannis's appreciation, his family's territory and titles had not yet been restored, so he could only sit in a lower position.
Roland sat there listlessly, arms crossed, leaning back in his chair, head tilted to the side. He felt that his future and that of the Connington family were very bleak.
Now they only have two paths left: the first is to surrender to Jon Snow, unify the Seven Kingdoms, and restore the Targaryen Empire.
The second option is to retreat north to the Vale. However, the Vale is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but the only way out is through the Blood Gate. Jon could easily rely on Harrenhal or even build fortifications directly in front of the Blood Gate to block them in the Vale.
Entering the Vale is tantamount to a slow death. No lord would allow his homeland to be occupied while he leads his troops elsewhere and does nothing.
Homesickness is not only felt by lords, but also by soldiers; over time, this will inevitably shake morale.
Furthermore, the Vale's food supply simply couldn't support such a large army; not every kingdom was as bountiful as the Reach.
Roland, who was rapidly aligning himself with Stannis's inner circle, was well aware of the danger they were in and found the discussions of those around him merely noisy.
He was not keen on compromising with Jon, as that would mean losing the chance to restore his family's glory.
In the crowd, a pair of gray-green eyes, like those of a venomous snake, scanned the entire area; he was watching the guards still standing watch outside.
Stannis had previously placed his illegitimate son, nephew Gendry, in the Royal Guard.
Queen Selyse also arrived with a guard, and her guard took over the responsibility of security inside the Kingspyre Tower, while Gendry and Stannis's personal guards were sent to the city walls.
At the very front of the hall was a large throne, where Jaehaerys I had once chosen the next king. Not far from the throne was a sturdy, even somewhat ornate, chair, which belonged to Queen Selyse.
"Stannis Baratheon I, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Protector of the Realm the Seven Kingdoms and the entire realm."
As names were called, all the lords rose to their feet, with Stannis's squire, Little Stannis, standing beside him.
Closer still is the Bronze Yohn.
Somewhat surprisingly, Queen Selyse was the one furthest away.
With the king and queen standing one in front and the Selyse behind, if it weren't for her elaborate and gorgeous attire, one would almost mistake her for a maidservant following behind the king.
Stannis, Selyse, and Jon Royce each took their seats.
Although Stannis has not yet announced his final decision, none of those present are fools.
With Jon unable to capture the position at God's Eye, and Tyrell's tens of thousands of troops drawing ever closer each day, coupled with the incredibly generous terms Jon offered, Stannis had no reason to refuse.
Even if he refused, his vassals were unwilling to die with him, and with morale low, Stannis had no choice.
"My lords, I have witnessed your loyalty, but we have been betrayed. The Southern army is rapidly advancing north. We must abandon the Riverlands to gather strength and prepare for victory. I have decided to retreat to the Vale first, then retake King's Landing and reclaim our lost King's Landing. The fleet of the Three Daughters Kingdoms will arrive soon."
Everyone was somewhat disappointed by Stannis's decision.
But there was no other way.
This means they came out empty-handed.
Abandoning Riverlands is essentially abandoning Harrenhal, a crucial strategic Harrenhal that could threaten King's Landing to the east and block the Vale's army at Blood Gate to the north.
The Harren the Black who built Harrenhal back then had a very sharp eye; otherwise, Harrenhal wouldn't be so important.
As for the fleet of the Three Daughters Kingdoms —who can say for sure?
Some lords, feeling depressed, simply picked up their wine glasses and drank.
Meanwhile, Petyr, standing in the crowd, looked at Selyse from afar, and the two exchanged a glance.
Upon receiving the signal, Selyse called Little Stannis to her side and had her maid hand him an exquisite wine jug, indicating that she was pouring tea for Stannis.
"Your Majesty, the Queen has asked me to pour you some tea."
Stannis nodded and looked at Selyse. Somewhat unexpectedly, Stannis stared at her for a long time, for three or four breaths, so much so that everyone around noticed this action.
Selyse instinctively sat up straight but didn't dare look at him; thankfully, Stannis quickly returned to normal.
He was not a person who liked to laugh or talk much, and after talking so much, his throat felt a little dry, so he drank more than half of the tea.
The pair of green eyes below lowered their heads with satisfaction after seeing this, as if worried that the excitement in their eyes might attract unwanted attention.
Selyse breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Stannis drink the beverage, but she didn't look closely and turned her head to the side.
"Ahem," Stannis coughed twice and continued, "This time, we're abandoning Riverlands. We need to strengthen our ties with the Free Cities, ahem, stockpile food and supplies to prepare for the coming winter, ahem!"
Stannis's unusual habit of clearing his throat every few words quickly attracted the attention of those around him.
Especially Little Stannis, who refilled Stannis's glass, thinking his king's throat was dry and needed some water.
As for the others, they naturally thought of Stannis's request to stockpile supplies.
After all, their enemy Jon Snow has always liked to talk about the White Walkers Long Night, and winter is coming. Many of you here have experienced winter before, and apart from the number of civilians decreasing, it's not that terrible.
"Furthermore, cough cough," Stannis felt his throat was not just dry, but even to the point of having difficulty breathing, but he still forced himself to continue speaking despite the discomfort, "Furthermore, I declare Shireen my heir, my successor—"
When |
Selyse, sitting to the side, stared wide-eyed, as if she couldn't believe her ears.
Sure enough, Stannis looked at her at that moment. For some reason, his blue eyes didn't seem as cold as before, but Selyse didn't dare to look at him even once.
Stannis found it very strange to see Selyse's evasive gaze twice in a row.
What's wrong with this woman today?
Stannis thought to himself, but felt his throat becoming increasingly uncomfortable, as if someone was choking him.
Cough cough--cough cough cough cough--cough cough cough cough cough--
"Cough cough cough cough cough cough--cough cough cough cough one"
A series of violent and rapid coughs echoed throughout the hall; no one could ignore the king's unusual behavior any longer.
"His Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty! Scholar! Come and see!"
"His Majesty!"
Those ministers and guards closest to Stannis suddenly stood up, but did not step forward. Whether they were genuinely worried about the king or not, a group rushing forward was not permitted.
Only his servant, Little Stannis, rushed forward to check on him.
Stannis ' cough was so severe that he could barely stand.
His face swelled up to a purple color, his eyes bulged outwards, and the whites of his eyes were covered with dense blood vessels.
Blood-tinged saliva was seeping from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth.
Stannis had reached the point where he couldn't even stand up while holding onto the table.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Little Stannis shouted, and he rushed forward to help him up, but Stannis's body pressed down like a mountain, knocking him to the ground.
Jon Royce and the King's faction members who were nearby immediately realized something was wrong.
The king has been poisoned!
They hurried forward to check, but for some reason, the guards from King's Landing blocked them from entering.
"Let's see the king!"
"Seven Hells! Make way! Make way now!"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
The entire hall was thrown into chaos, with the younger lords at the back trying to get a better look.
Older nobles, on the other hand, looked around, searching for a way out for themselves.
Roland, whose seat was further back, stood up, stood on tiptoe, and craned his neck to try and see clearly.
Just then, someone shouted, "Assassin!" Immediately afterward, a large group of guards rushed in.
The already chaotic hall was like hot oil being poured with water; screams, roars, curses, the pushing of tables and chairs, and the scraping of the floor continued incessantly.
"Go check it out!" Jon Royce, with his two sons, tried to push his way forward, knowing that if Stannis were to meet with misfortune, chaos would ensue.
Jon stared wide-eyed, trying to see what was happening, when suddenly a gleaming blade emerged from his chest.
He turned around and saw a group of people carrying out a massacre.
Because this was almost a banquet-style meeting, very few people were wearing armor, and the smell of blood quickly filled the air.
Selyse sat frozen in place, her brown pupils trembling wildly, her thin lips shaking uncontrollably. Stannis's words kept replaying in her mind. "Shireen is my successor."
He didn't abandon me? He didn't abandon Shireen? What... what have I done?
At this moment, Selyse was completely pale and swaying unsteadily.
Suddenly, a cold and hard hand landed on Selyse's shoulder.
She shuddered in fright and found a hand gleaming with a brass luster resting on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw it was Petyr.
"Petty----"
"Your Majesty, there is no turning back. You must now take charge of the overall situation; you are now the Regent Empress Dowager!"
"Regent—me?"
The relentless, terrifying impacts left Selyse feeling like a flimsy piece of paper.
The cage that had bound him for so long was gone, but venomous snakes and ferocious beasts from outside came one after another.
"What... what kind of medicine is that?" Selyse asked, still shaken.
"Hmm? Medicine? The Strangler."
"The Strangler, the Strangler, the Strangler, the Strangler— " Selyse muttered incessantly, as if she had lost her own heart. Suddenly, she remembered something and cried out in a shrill voice, "Stop! Stop! Save the King! Save the King!"
But none of them listened to her. It wasn't until this point that Selyse realized that although they were her own guards, she didn't recognize any of them.
Those people not only didn't recognize him, but they also held Petyr in high esteem.
When Petyr wanted to step forward to check the situation, they all very respectfully made way for him.
At this moment, Stannis's eyes still held a glimmer of life.
Petyr could see his own reflection and a sinister grin in Petyr's eyes, which were beginning to darken.
He pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into Stannis's arm. Stannis's body convulsed violently, and dark red blood quickly soaked his sleeve.
"Cut off my hand? Just because I'm some insignificant minor lord?"
Then Petyr stabbed Stannis in the thigh with his knife.
"Why don't you cut off Mace's hand? You bunch of cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong, huh? Am I right!"
With each slash, Stannis remained fixed on the man before him with eyes like those of a viper.
"Break my legs? By what right?! Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, what you drank is called 'The Strangler,' and your wife poured poison into the jug herself."
Petyr grabbed Stannis's head and turned him towards Selyse.
At this moment, Selyse was crying uncontrollably, her blue eyes looking at her brown eyes, one wishing to live and the other wishing to die.
The sounds of slaughter continued around them, but it seemed as if the entire world consisted only of the couple.
"But don't worry, about your ugly daughter, as you've already mentioned, thanks to your intervention, you've solved some problems for me. Your heir is Shireen, and I will make her queen. I will extend your House Baratheon for a while longer, so you can die in peace."
After saying this, Petyr plunged the dagger into Stannis's throat, but because he couldn't use one hand, he simply put all his body weight on it, so that the dagger was almost embedded in Stannis's body.
Outside the castle, heavy snow blanketed Harrenhal, and those outside were completely unaware of the terrible rebellion that had taken place within the towers.