The instant the door was pushed open, Davion rolled out of bed.
"Come with you? Where?"
He slowly slid the longsword in his hand back into its sheath, studying the people before him warily.
He silently considered that only three people currently in King's Landing could command the Lannister household guards.
Tywin Lannister, Jaime Lannister, and Cersei Lannister.
All three had reasons to seek him out.
Tywin might want to win him over, Jaime might want revenge for his defeat in the tournament, and Cersei... that woman acted without any rhyme or reason. None of her thinking could be judged by ordinary logic.
Someone who barged into a brothel in the middle of the night and insisted so forcefully on taking him away could practically only be that stupid, vicious Cersei.
"You don't need to know that."
The lead guard's voice was icy. "Our master wants to see you. Just do as you're told and come quietly, and there won't be any trouble."
Davion walked over to the table, laid his longsword on it, and poured himself a cup of red wine.
"And if I don't?"
If Tywin or Jaime wanted to see him, Davion might not have been so averse to it. He might even have gone willingly.
But this was Cersei, a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her ends. If he simply went with her, and she had laid a trap to harm him, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Davion Whent, if you won't cooperate, we'll have to use force."
The lead guard's voice grew colder still, and the men behind him tightened their grips on their weapons, slowly closing in on Davion.
Davion ignored their threats. He set down his cup, stood up, stretched, and loosened his wrists.
At the sight, the guards all looked disdainful, silently sneering:
A naked man thinks he can resist a group of fully armed household guards?
Just a jousting champion, and already this arrogant. He really doesn't know his limits!
A cold smile also tugged at Davion's lips. He drove off the floor with a short hop-step and instantly charged toward the guards.
In the dim room, his speed was astonishing, almost like teleportation. The next moment, he was standing before the lead guard.
The lead guard froze in surprise, unable to react in time.
Davion gave him a faint smile, then threw a straight punch, a simple movement backed by tremendous force.
Bang! With a thunderous crash, Davion's fist slammed into the lead guard's chest.
Judging by the feel, these guards' breastplates were softer than ordinary plate armor but considerably harder than normal leather armor. They had clearly been specially treated and offered exceptional protection.
Even so, the lead guard's eyes instantly bulged and his face flushed crimson. The immense force lifted him off his feet and sent him flying backward.
The six guards behind him had no time to react before he crashed into them, knocking them every which way in a chaotic heap.
While still in midair, the lead guard could not help spewing out a mixture of blood and undigested food.
The blow had probably made him vomit.
Davion frowned in disgust at the revolting vomit, then held out his right hand and examined its back.
Despite striking such hard armor, his hand bore no marks at all. It was neither red nor swollen.
Davion knew this was the effect of the starting armor granted by his Dragon Blood, combined with the 0.5 armor he gained with each level.
Together with the 3 base armor provided by his agility attribute, Davion's armor while naked had already reached 6.
This did not mean he was impervious to blades and spears. Armor was merely a form of damage reduction.
As long as an attack's damage value did not exceed his armor, he could be immune to the damage.
For example, a sword blow that could have severed an arm might get stuck at the bone if it struck Davion. That was how armor worked.
In other words, although he appeared naked at that moment, he was effectively clad in an invisible layer of armor.
And it protected him from every direction!
Two guards behind the leader had passed out outright. The remaining four hurriedly scrambled up and rushed to their leader's side to check his injuries.
A sunken fist mark was clearly imprinted in the leather armor over his chest, and his chest had caved in slightly. He was evidently badly injured.
They all sucked in cold breaths, staring at the stark-naked Davion with shock and uncertainty in their eyes, their minds reeling!
They had never seen anyone beat a guard wearing specially made leather armor into such a state with his bare hands!
Their stares made Davion rather uncomfortable, and he instinctively covered his groin.
The remaining four guards swallowed nervously and exchanged glances. The arrogance and disdain on their faces had long since been replaced by fear.
After a moment, one guard worked up his courage, stood, and bowed respectfully to Davion. His tone had softened considerably and even held a measure of awe.
"Earl Davion, this is a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding."
"Her Majesty the Queen sent us to invite you. We mean you no harm. Please forgive our earlier offense."
"Wouldn't it have been better to take that attitude from the start? Wait until I get dressed, and I'll go with you."
Once the guards backed down, Davion had a clearer sense of where he stood.
It seemed Cersei merely wanted to see him and had no intention of killing him immediately.
Still, after getting dressed, he went over to Shataya and quietly instructed her:
"If I'm not back by midnight, hurry and find Tyrion. Tell him to come to the Red Keep and save me!"
Shataya nervously clutched Davion's arm and nodded firmly, her eyes full of worry.
"I understand. You must be careful. Please don't let anything happen to you."
Davion smiled faintly, reached out to ruffle her hair, and reassured her:
"Don't worry. I'll most likely be fine. This is just a precaution."
"Clean up this room. I'll still want you to keep me company later tonight!"
As he spoke, he kissed Shataya on the cheek.
He had confidence in his strength and was not worried about his life.
It was just that Cersei's thoughts were unpredictable, so he had to take precautions.
Looking at his gentle smile, Shataya felt her worry ease a little.
In all her years as a prostitute, she had met countless men, but she had never felt such concern.
Davion was the first customer she had genuinely worried about.
Once fully dressed, Davion made sure to buckle his longsword at his waist. The guards did not stop him.
After their earlier clash, they no longer dared underestimate the young earl. They also knew that even if they tried, they could not stop him.
The two guards who had fainted had already come around, though they were still weak and needed support.
As for the lead guard, his breastbone was probably broken. He was still unconscious and could only be carried by the other guards.
The guards led Davion openly through the Red Keep's main gate.
Davion looked around. Rows of torches lined the Red Keep's walls, their flickering flames illuminating the entire castle.
Every road within the castle was also lit by torches. The patrolling guards wore full suits of armor and carried sharp weapons, all gleaming and new.
Davion silently marveled:
As expected of the king's residence. What grandeur!
If I had enough money to properly repair Harrenhal, it wouldn't necessarily be any worse than this.
They continued on until they reached a building at the very center of the Red Keep.
The imposing building resembled a small castle. It was the king's residence, Maegor's Holdfast.
The household guards exchanged a glance with the guards at the entrance, then led Davion inside.
They proceeded unimpeded all the way to the floor where the king lived. Cersei's queen's apartments were also on this floor.
Once they entered the area of the queen's apartments, all the guards stationed around them wore House Lannister's colors: red armor and golden lion sigils. They were clearly all Cersei's trusted men.
Davion silently reflected:
Robert might usually act powerful, as though he controlled the entire Seven Kingdoms, but in reality, House Lannister has already seeped into every corner of his life!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he now rules the Seven Kingdoms jointly with the Lannisters!
They stopped before a massive pair of wooden doors, with guards and maids standing on either side.
A household guard stepped forward and spoke a few quiet words to a maid, who then turned and entered the queen's apartments.
Before long, the maid came back out.
"The queen has ordered that Earl Davion enter alone."
The guards answered in unison and stepped aside.
Only guards who had been carefully selected and were utterly loyal to House Lannister were assigned to serve at Cersei's side.
They never questioned Cersei's orders at length. They simply carried them out unconditionally.
Davion followed the maid into the queen's apartments.
The interior was extravagantly furnished, with thick carpets and precious ornaments. It was practically a small royal palace.
The two passed down a long corridor, taking turn after turn, until they finally reached a door.
Davion guessed that this must be Cersei's bedchamber.
The maid first knocked carefully. Only after receiving a reply from within did she gently push open the door and enter.
A moment later, she emerged with three maids and bowed slightly to Davion, her manner much more respectful than before.
"Earl Davion, the queen is waiting inside. Please enter."
Before you continue