Conqueror's Holdfast, the Throne Room.
Not long after Liu Qian returned victorious from Volantis, Conqueror's Holdfast received another visitor.
Waymar Royce, who had just escaped from the Vale, was dressed in rags, with dried blood still on him.
As soon as he entered the Throne Room, he dropped to his knees before Liu Qian with a thud, his voice choked with tears. "Your Majesty, please... please bring justice to the Vale and avenge the countless innocent souls who died at Runestone and Gulltown!"
He sobbed so hard he could barely speak, describing his horrifying experiences in broken fragments.
He told of how House Lannister's lackey, Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, had led the army of the Westerlands in a bloody massacre at Runestone, then slaughtered the people of prosperous Gulltown, burning, killing, and looting, committing every atrocity and sparing neither the elderly nor children. The once-wealthy towns and castles had been reduced to scorched earth and mountains of corpses.
Ser Waymar lifted his tear-streaked face, his eyes full of pleading. "Throughout the Seven Kingdoms, the nobles care only about fighting for power and profit. No one stops the lion's atrocities. Tywin is dead, but his terror is still spreading. Only you have mighty forces and Great Dragons. Please lend me troops so I can return and take revenge, so I can reclaim my home. The people of the Seven Kingdoms need you to save them!"
Liu Qian listened quietly to Waymar's accusations, steeped in blood and tears.
He had already heard of the Mountain's atrocities.
To be honest, the chaos in the Vale had taken him by surprise.
He could not help asking himself, Could Cersei really be the Mad King's daughter?
Liu Qian looked down at the young knight on the verge of collapse and slowly spoke. "Ser Waymar,