The end

The people of King's Landing, well accustomed to grand spectacles, immediately took to their heels.

Not one stayed to watch. The street soon fell silent.

The Gold Cloaks dutifully guarded the city gate, never so much as glancing in this direction.

Cole threw down his bundle in despair. It hit the ground hard.

His hand instinctively closed around his sword hilt.

Larys Strong paused, then silently limped back behind the knights.

"Ser Cole, I acknowledge your valor, but are you going to..."

His gaze swept over the twenty-four knights before him, his tone both marveling and mocking. "Take on twenty-four knights alone?"

"Ha! Then you will surely become a 'legendary' knight whose name endures for a thousand years!"

"Will you surrender, or fight back and be captured anyway?"

Larys wore an arrogant smile. "Make your choice, my lord knight who fled before the battle."

Cole looked at them one by one, his heart sinking straight down.

The knights wore full suits of heavy armor. Steel protected their heads, throats, arms, and feet, and even their eyes were hidden behind curved visors.

The only one not wearing plate, Larys "Bentfoot," also wore mail and leather armor, and hid behind the knights.

Suddenly.

The clatter of armor rang out behind him.

Fifteen knights led by an old man had completely cut off his retreat.

Ser Uther's voice was cold and hard. "Ser Cole, you have sullied the honor of knighthood. Do not shame yourself further."

Armored knights surrounded him on every side, closing in around Cole in ranks.

His opponents had strength in numbers.

He was alone, with no one to help him.

Cole understood that, as a knight, he should not submit and leave himself at their mercy.

He released his sword hilt weakly.

Larys's eyes lit up, and he immediately urged the knights on his side forward to seize Cole.

He himself retreated a little farther.

The Red Keep

When Baelon returned to Viserys's side, Viserys was quietly gazing out the window.

The sun's last rays had sunk behind the mountains. Firelight fell over Viserys, making him look particularly forlorn and weary.

Baelon rarely concealed his true self before Viserys.

He said, "Father, I would actually be quite pleased to hear that Ser Cole had escaped."

Viserys slowly raised his head.

Baelon said, "While a fugitive is being captured, he cannot demand a trial by combat, and a small accident could easily happen."

"One that costs him his life."

"So, should we wait for Rhaenyra to return and see him, or simply get it over with?"

Baelon left the choice to Viserys.

He had no intention of meddling in his family and friends' love lives.

It was all too easy to get no thanks for his trouble and end up pleasing no one.

Especially with Viserys's example before him, forever quarreling with Daemon, making up, quarreling, and making up again.

If he killed Cole and settled the matter once and for all, Rhaenyra would have no future trouble to worry about.

But he would.

What if Rhaenyra hated him for it?

He had no desire to take responsibility for Rhaenyra's life.

Viserys's face darkened at his words.

He gritted his teeth. "No. Bring Criston Cole before me!"

Baelon readily agreed. "Will you kill Ser Cole?"

"Of course. He deserves to die!" Viserys's fury would not subside.

Baelon said, "Ser Cole is of little consequence, but Rhaenyra still has some affection for him at present."

"If he were to damage your relationship with Rhaenyra..."

"Affection?" Viserys said without hesitation. "Rhaenyra is still young. What does she know of affection? It was nothing but a momentary impulse!"

"But Cole took the opportunity to seduce Rhaenyra!"

"I will mount his head on the walls of the Red Keep until it rots and dries out!"

Baelon: ...

A Westerosi version of 'she's still a child'?!

Fine.

Baelon stopped trying to persuade him.

Before the doors of the throne room

Baelon studied Criston Cole with regret.

"Your body is not exceptionally strong, yet you managed to distinguish yourself and join the Kingsguard, becoming one of the seven strongest knights."

"You must have put in a great deal of effort and sweat."

What a pity. One wrong decision.

"Go inside."

"See your king and your sworn brothers."

Cole walked into the hall with his head hanging.

The hall was utterly silent. All he could hear were Prince Baelon's footsteps and his own.

He raised his head.

The king to whom he had once sworn allegiance, Viserys, sat upright on the Iron Throne, his expression cold and hard.

Six knights of the Kingsguard stared coldly at him, as though he were something filthy.

"Criston Cole!"

Viserys's voice held back a towering rage.

"You swore allegiance to me, swore to defend Rhaenyra's honor, chastity, and safety!"

"Yet in my own court, you seduced the princess into an illicit affair! You defiled my daughter!"

Viserys nearly blurted out the order to put Ser Cole to death.

Until this moment, that had been his intention all along.

But seeing Criston Cole in person, this valiant knight who was still so young, pity stirred in him again.

Perhaps he should spare his life.

Let him take the black.

His long-established nature once again dampened his anger a little.

Forcing down his rage, he said, "Ser Harrold saw it with his own eyes. Have you anything to say?"

Cole swallowed. "Your Grace, I..."

"I swear by the Seven, I never seduced Rhaenyra!"

"She seduced me!"

Baelon raised an eyebrow.

Incredible.

The second entry on his Godlike Persons List had appeared!

Speaking ill of a daughter right in front of her father.

Baelon did not love Rhaenyra that much, so he could still remain calm upon hearing those words.

But Viserys loved Rhaenyra enough to fly into an immediate rage.

He sneered. "I had considered letting you take the black."

"But the Night's Watch is an honorable order. You are unworthy!"

"You are equally unworthy of receiving death at the hands of the Kingdom's royal executioner!"

He ordered the Kingsguard, "Kill him!"

Ser Harrold, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, drew his sword, the ring of steel breaking the hall's silence.

Cole's heart went cold.

His eyes trembled wildly. How could this be the worst possible outcome!

King Viserys was mild by nature. Why was he so cruel to him, of all people!

He too had served the Kingdom and defended it against incursions from Dorne!

To Viserys, the sound of a blade leaving its sheath was particularly pleasing.

Step by step, Ser Harrold approached Ser Cole, staring at his deathly pale face.

By the code of chivalry, he should give his opponent a weapon and fight fairly, never killing an unarmed man.

But Criston Cole was an oathbreaking criminal,

and executing him did not require the courtesy of a duel.

Cole watched helplessly as the sworn brother he had known so well approached, while he himself was unarmed.

In desperation, he shouted, "I demand a trial by combat!"

Viserys roared, "You have no such right!"

"Kill him!"

Ser Cole stood rooted to the spot.

He waited for the final moment to arrive.

A knight should not bow his head and beg an enemy for mercy, much less retreat and plead for his life.

At least...

At least he would still be a knight when he died. Ser Cole closed his eyes with tragic resolve.

Ser Harrold raised his sword high, its bright blade flashing.

Cole instinctively rolled across the floor, deftly evading the blow.

His expression twisted out of control as he ran around the hall without stopping, begging for mercy.

But unarmed valor stood no chance against armor and sharp steel.

Soon, he was driven into a corner.

Ser Harrold raised his sword.

Seeing that he had reached a dead end, Cole said sorrowfully, "My brother, at least give me a sword. Let me die like a knight, rather than a lamb awaiting slaughter."

The gleaming blade halted in midair.

Ser Harrold looked toward Viserys, awaiting the king's command.

Baelon also looked toward Viserys.

Ser Cole was certain to die today, but would Viserys grant him one last shred of dignity?

And let this knight, the strongest in the Kingdom, have a decent death.