What horse do you ride?

So-called chivalry.

In the minds of the ordinary people of Westeros, it always meant bravery, honor, keeping promises, loyalty to one's lord, and steadfast faith.

The teachings of the Faith of the Seven made them willing to believe this.

In truth, however, most knights were not so noble, nor did they particularly follow the demanding knightly code.

Many who became knights had never intended to practice chivalry in the first place.

All that mattered was the status of "knight," a means of enjoying privileges and gaining access to higher social circles to pursue opportunities and connections above their station.

To some extent, this was not difficult to understand.

After all, becoming a knight was actually very simple. The most basic requirement was merely having some "knight" willing to knight you.

Bastards and commoners already had narrow paths and few choices available to them, and becoming a knight was often their best route to improving their social standing and acquiring money.

The oaths they swore did little to constrain them, either. As far as the status of "knight" itself was concerned, the benefits far outweighed the risks and costs, so it was no wonder every Tom, Dick, Harry, and his dog... in short, anyone who had learned a few moves wanted to try being a knight.

Naturally, the difference in "credentials" between someone dubbed by a completely unheard-of, dubious knight and someone dubbed by a renowned knight was like night and day.

Although, as Tywin Lannister's son, he had no such need to get ahead, the circumstances of Jaime Lannister's knighting ranked among the very best in knightly circles, enough to make his name in a single stroke.

Titus did not drink. He toyed leisurely with his cup and said with apparent casualness:

"Yes, that lad was lucky, and very young, too. If I remember... he's only fifteen, isn't he?"

The map had not yet been fully unrolled, but the dagger was already showing.

Someone had to bring up the real business.

The reception hall abruptly fell silent.

There were no fools present, and even if there were, they were people of no consequence.

With his own interests at stake, fourteen-year-old Bryce Caron, Earl of Nightsong, immediately sat up straight, gripping the armrests of the seat of honor with both hands.

Below him, Ser Maddy's fingers also tightened unconsciously around his cup. The scrape of the earthenware against his palm sounded particularly clear in the pause after Tom's song ended and the strings fell silent.

Seven-String Tom was a clever fellow and took the opportunity to slip away.

Facing Titus's smiling gaze, Maddy forced a smile:

"Ser Jaime Lannister is certainly young and accomplished, but you're no slouch yourself, Titus. If I remember correctly, you're the same age as him, aren't you?"

As soon as he said it, Maddy wanted to swallow his words.

He's the Earl of Starpike now!

Why did I bring that up? Damn you, Tyronn Lue, where the [Westerosi profanity] are you!?

With a turnover already marked against him on some unseen stat sheet, Ser Maddy inwardly sensed trouble and once again cursed his deputy for failing to return on time.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Tyronn Lue, who had taken nearly half the castle guards with him, actually returned...

Watching the castle guards escort Tyronn Lue into the reception hall, Maddy regained some confidence.

He hurriedly stood and immediately asked:

"My deputy captain, what took you so long? Did you catch those bandits?"

Over the past few days, nearby commoners had reported that a band of outland bandits had wandered into Nightsong's lands.

Holding his helmet in his left arm, Tyronn Lue was covered in dust and grime. He surveyed the situation in the hall before answering dejectedly:

"Those bandits were too cunning. They led us around in circles, and my horse went lame. That's why I came back so late..."

He lowered his voice and, with some difficulty, disclosed the outcome of the operation:

"Later, when it grew dark, they shook us off and fled west."

After hearing this, Maddy at least managed to suppress the urge to swear to his face.

Titus watched coldly from the sidelines. His gaze swept over the color of the man's cloak, and he suddenly interjected:

"So Captain Tyronn Lue not only failed to deal with the bandits, but was late as well?"

Unsure what Titus meant, Maddy did not rush to respond.

Tyronn Lue's expression darkened. He was about to defend himself when Titus interrupted him with a baffling question:

"Captain Tyronn Lue, what horse do you ride?"

"Uh, a Reach-trained horse," Tyronn Lue stammered.

"And you, Ser Maddy?" Titus rose with a smile and turned to ask Nightsong's master-at-arms, "What breed do you usually ride?"

"A Highgarden warhorse," Maddy answered with a frown.

"Parker?" Titus tilted his head slightly, listening.

"All twenty soldiers from Starpike ride Highgarden warhorses," Captain Parker answered gravely and precisely.

"You see?"

Titus looked at Tyronn Lue, whose forehead was beading with sweat, his tone airy.

"We all ride Highgarden warhorses, sand steeds... you're the only one riding a Reach-trained horse. Who would be late if not you? If you ask me, riding a trained horse doesn't qualify you to attend this meeting at all."

Titus surveyed the hall. Everyone wore a different expression, their gazes following his leisurely pacing as they listened to him offer his opinion:

"Losing even a few bandits shows that Captain Tyronn Lue lacks the ability he ought to have and has performed very poorly in his duties! As a fellow lord of the Dornish Marches, I propose that Earl Bryce immediately remove Tyronn Lue from his post as deputy captain and place his castle guards under Ser Iomine's command as well."

I've said my piece. Who's in favor, and who's against?

Titus stopped walking, ready to see how both sides reacted first.

"I agree!" The young Earl Bryce Caron was reasonably quick-witted. He slapped his armrest and loudly endorsed the clever suggestion from the man he regarded as both his "senior fellow disciple" and his "good neighbor."

"I disagree!!" At the same moment, Ser Maddy voiced his opposition even louder.

The Earl of Nightsong welcomed it and rushed to agree, but you object? Who do you think you are?

Titus glanced sidelong at Master-at-arms Maddy, his gaze laden with meaning.

With his power base put to the test, Maddy looked furious. A succession of expressions crossed his face, as though he was prepared to bring everything crashing down and inclined to settle the matter with violence.

Titus immediately smiled and added with a measured rhythm:

"Oh, and I'd also like to take Bryce as my squire."

It took the few people in the hall a moment to react to this, and every subtle expression on their faces changed.

Bryce Caron's delight turned to shock;

Iomine glared at Titus;

Maddy's face lit up with joy;

Tyronn Lue looked utterly hopeless.

Who could blame him for being a member of the "red side" and looking so easy to bully?

If this was a fair trade, the spokesman for the "red side" was clearly quite satisfied with its terms.

Replacing a deputy captain would let him send the little earl away to Starpike... pure profit!

Thinking only of the immediate benefits rather than the long term, Ser Maddy was overjoyed on the spot.

Guard Captain Iomine, leader of the "black side," had been angered for that very reason, but after considering it carefully, he calmed down.

Once his anger subsided, he, too, felt that this might well be a solution.

In another two years, when the earl came of age and had Starpike's support, he could surely return to investigate the old earl's death, regain power, and sweep away all the traitors.

Both sides were turning over their own plans, and the little earl and the deputy captain became temporary sacrifices.

Titus, however, had neither the inclination nor the patience for "he is not yet grown; once he is, things will change."

He intended to solve all of Nightsong's problems in one go.

And tonight, at that.

The protagonist's mount, "Black Pearl" (view in the Qidian app):