"Dimon Ser."
Karen nodded in greeting and sounded very familiar.
They have worked together for many years, and are familiar with this "illegitimate son of the City of Divine Grace" but maintain a certain distance, not only because Damon is deeply trusted by the prince, but also because of his sword.
There are too many stories circulating in Dorne about how this young swordsman genius defeated his opponent in a competition without even seeing his moves clearly. I am afraid that more people died under his sword than I, who had experienced dozens of battles.
It is precisely because of this that Prince Oberyn made an exception and accepted him as an attendant.
"Your Highness, he...
.. Still resting."
Karen glanced at the closed door, where Oberyn's exaggerated laughter and the sound of clinking cups and plates could be heard at the right moment.
Marlos on the side also forced a smile, and a trace of envy for Damon flashed in his young eyes.
It's not that he envied his illegitimate status. After all, although being an illegitimate child was not a shame in Dorne, it was not very noble either.
Marlos was envious of his swordsmanship talent, which was often praised by the prince and hailed as "a gift from God".
"Damon Ser, you look good today."
"Thank you, Marlos." Damon responded with a smile, his eyes scanning the slightly tired faces of the two people. "This kind of gatekeeping job is the most tiring, I understand."
As he spoke, he turned sideways and motioned to the armored knight behind him. "This is Denzel Dart Ser. He has urgent military affairs and needs to meet with His Highness immediately."
"Denzel Dart Ser?"
Karen repeated, looking at the silent knight.
The whole body is plate armor, simple in style but well maintained. He wears a huge barrel-shaped helmet with a nose guard, completely hiding his face.
His body shape was indeed similar to the rumored cheerful and sociable eldest son of the Dart family. Karen remembered that Prince Oberyn mentioned this young man, saying that he had good swordsmanship and a flexible mind, and he was considered a character among the young nobles of Dorne.
Marlos also looked at "Denzel Ser" and said smoothly, "It turns out to be Dart Ser. We have met your brother several times before in Sunspear. His name is Andrey, right."
He tried to find something to chat about to relieve the boredom of being on duty. "He always stays alone and doesn't talk much, which is different from you."
Hearing this, the armored knight, Andrey Dart under the helmet, did not react at all. He did not even nod or make any sound, but stood quietly one step behind Damon.
The atmosphere was awkward for a moment.
Damon on the side took over the conversation at the right time, with the smile on his face unchanged, "Andrey Ser is a bit dull, but his loyalty to Dorne is unquestionable."
"Don't judge Denzel Ser's brother casually in front of him. This is a bad habit and needs to be changed."
After saying that, without waiting for the two people to respond, he turned to Karen and his tone became serious. "The matter is urgent, Karen. I must see His Highness immediately."
Karen looked at Damon, then at the silent "Denzel Ser".
Damon is the prince's personal attendant and is deeply trusted. The people he introduced also said that it was an urgent military matter, so they naturally had no reason to stop him.
Karen moved to the position directly in front of the door, but still maintained a blocking posture. This was his duty.
"You know the rules, Damon Ser."
"His Royal Highness's room, especially at this time..." As he said that, he glanced at the door again.
"I understand." Damon nodded, with a hint of understanding in his smile, "I will go in alone to report. Dart Ser can wait outside the door, and then go in after His Highness agrees."
After saying that, he turned to Andrey and nodded slightly. "Ser, please wait here."
As soon as these words came out, "Denzel Ser" finally reacted.
He nodded very slightly, and a dull "hmm" came from under his helmet.
Then he took half a step to the side, stood still, and let his hands hang naturally by his side, not too far or too close to the hilt of the sword, in a standard and restrained standby posture.
When Karen and Marlos saw this, their last doubts disappeared.
He is indeed a knight who knows the rules.
Then, Damon raised his hand and gently knocked on the ornately carved wooden door.
The noise inside the door paused slightly.
After a moment, Oberyn's voice sounded lazily and impatiently, "Who? Didn't I tell you not to disturb me while I was preparing for the battle?"
"Your Highness, it's me, Daemon."
Damon twitched the corner of his mouth and cleared his throat. "There is an emergency and it needs to be reported immediately."
A brief silence.
Then there were reluctant mutterings, the rustling of clothes, and the woman's soft complaints.
After a while, Oberyn's voice came from the door, sounding more awake than before. "Come in, Daemon."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Damon pushed open the door, flashed in, and then gently closed the door behind him, but he did not close it tightly, but left a gap about two fingers wide.
The strong smell of alcohol, powder and lust in the room immediately overflowed from the crack in the door.
Daemon entered and saw the Prince of Dorne reclining on a large couch filled with soft cushions. His upper body was naked, and only a thin silk blanket was casually draped over his lower body.
His black hair was slightly damp, with a few strands sticking to his sweaty forehead. His handsome face bore traces of hangover and indulgence, but his black eyes, under the slightly slack appearance, were still as sharp as poisoned daggers.
Oberyn's lover Ellaria Shad was curled up beside him, wearing only a gauze dress as thin as cicada wings, and her exquisite curves were looming.
This woman seemed to be sleeping, playing with an empty wine glass in her hand, looking at Damon who came in with blurred eyes.
The two maids who were cleaning up the mess on the floor hurriedly lowered their heads and retreated from the side door.
"My little viper."
Oberyn grabbed a bottle of red wine that was still half full on the table beside the bed, and took a sip from the mouth of the bottle. The scarlet wine slid down his graceful jaw and dripped on his sweaty chest.
"It's best if you're really in a hurry. You know, I'm teaching Ellaria a new Reese love song, and I just got to the key part.
While he was speaking, his other hand was still wandering carelessly on Ellaria's smooth shoulder, causing the latter to snort lazily.
Damon stood in the center of the room, about ten steps away from the couch.
His eyes quickly and carefully scanned Oberyn's condition. After two consecutive days of carnival, a normal person would have been exhausted, but Oberyn Martell seemed to have a beast-like resilience.
There were indeed bloodshot eyes, and the smell of alcohol was heavy on his breath, but his spirit was strangely excited, and his muscle lines were still clear and smooth in a relaxed state, as if he could burst out with terrifying power at any time.
He is truly gifted.
Although he has seen it countless times, Damon still admires him very much. At least he, who is known as a swordsman genius, is completely unable to do this.
And this is one of the reasons why Oberyn, who is over forty years old, can travel across the Seven Kingdoms and make countless enemies but still remain at ease.
Not only is he smart and vicious, he also has physique and energy beyond ordinary people. In his own words, "Women and fine wine always provide me with a steady stream of energy, and sometimes men do the same."
"Your Highness."
Damon bowed slightly, with a respectful attitude, but with a straight back. "I'm sorry to disturb your enjoyment, but the matter is urgent."
"Oh?"
Oberyn raised his eyebrows and put down the bottle, a little more interested, but his posture remained relaxed and unguarded.
His trust in Daemon was built up over the years, not only because of his swordsmanship talent and ability to do things, but also because of Damon's status as Shad and his loyalty over the years.
"Let me tell you, is Tywin's Old Lion doing something new again, or is my old-fashioned and boring brother talking about me again in Sunspear?"
His tone was joking, and he obviously didn't take the so-called "urgent matter" too seriously.
Damon didn't answer immediately. His eyes seemed to glance at the unclosed gap in the direction of the door inadvertently.
Then, he took two steps forward and lowered his voice, as if he wanted to tell a huge secret.
In the corridor, time passed slowly in silence.
The faint conversation inside the door could not be heard clearly, except for Oberyn's occasional high-pitched teasing and women's laughter.
Occasionally, following the ups and downs of the sound inside the door, a cold light flashed through my eyes.
Karen and Marlos seemed bored.
The guards were most afraid of this kind of waiting. The time was stretched like cooling syrup. They tried to find something to say to break the silence, and by the way, they got close to the "Dart Ser" who was said to be very popular with the prince.
After all, the Dornishmen are strangers in King's Landing, and contacts between nobles are always beneficial.
"Ahem." Karen cleared her throat and showed a friendly smile to the armored knight, "Dart Ser, are you used to coming to King's Landing this time? It's much cooler here than Dorne, but the weather is too humid. Sometimes I even feel like I'll be choked when I breathe."
A vague "hmm" came from under the armor, which was considered a response.
Marlos was younger and couldn't stand the loneliness anymore, so he answered with a smile, "If you ask me, only the Silk Street in King's Landing is interesting. Other places, tsk... are simply dirty and smelly."
He winked and showed a smile that every man would understand, "Have you been to Hummingbird these days? The girls here are among the best in the seven countries."
However, in the face of their active kindness, the armored knight remained silent, not even saying "hmm".
The atmosphere is a bit awkward.
Karen tried to soften the conversation and steer the conversation to areas the other party might be more familiar with.
"Speaking of which, Dart Ser, we have all heard of you. The prince often praises you for your good swordsmanship, cleverness and reliability."
He paused, feeling really at a loss for words, so he casually said, "I'm much better than your younger brother..."
He meant this as a compliment and to build rapport, after all, they had indeed heard some gossip from other Dornish companions.
There are two brothers in the Dart family. The elder brother Denzel is cheerful and sociable, has good swordsmanship, and is very popular with the prince. The younger brother Andrey has a withdrawn and gloomy personality, like a boring gourd. He only knows how to practice swordsmanship all day long. He is not very gregarious and not very likable.
"Yes." Marlos didn't think much and agreed casually, "We have met your brother several times in Sunspear before, right Andrey?"
"He always stayed alone and didn't talk much. He was very dull. At one banquet, he sat in the corner and polished his sword all night. He ignored anyone who talked to him."
He smiled and tried to make the conversation sound more relaxed, "Fortunately, it's you who are here this time. With your brother's personality, I'm afraid he won't be able to make many friends in King's Landing."
They were just chatting casually to pass the time. There was not much malice in their words, but more of a casual evaluation based on superficial impressions.
In Dorne, unsociable people are not uncommon, and being talked about is nothing.
However...
The moment Marlos finished speaking.
The armored statue in the shadow moved.
Without any warning, the silent "Denzel Ser" seemed to instantly become an enemy.
Clang!!
The sound of Longsword being unsheathed was short and sharp, and the sword light went from bottom to top, slanting towards Marlos's neck, which was closer to him, at a rather tricky angle!
The poison of the angle, the speed is beyond imagination!
At the same time, his left hand was like a poisonous snake coming out of its hole, strangled at the throat of Karen next to him with lightning speed!
The five fingers are like iron pliers, precisely holding the position of the trachea!
The chatty smile on Marlos's face didn't even have time to completely solidify.
His pupils shrank suddenly, and his eyes only reflected the fatal cold light that instantly enlarged. He instinctively wanted to lean back and draw the sword, but his body's reaction speed was far unable to keep up with his thinking.
Too close, too sudden!
"Pfft!"
The sharp blade cut through the skin, and the warm liquid sprayed out in a fan shape, splashing on the gorgeous carpet, carved wall panels, and the abandoned Booklet next to the door.
Marlos's eyes widened, and there was a "whoosh" sound of air leaking from his throat, like a broken bellows.
The Dorne Scimitar in his hand was only half pulled out, and his body lost all strength. He fell softly backward and hit the wall with a heavy muffled sound.
Almost at the same moment, Karen's throat was tightly grasped by the armor-covered iron hand!
The huge force instantly cut off his breathing and shouting. His eyes popped out and he looked at the helmet visor so close to him in disbelief.
"Uh... gu...
Karen's hands frantically tried to pull the iron hand, and his nails scraped against the steel glove making a harsh sound.
His legs kicked in vain, and his boots rubbed against the carpet, but the difference in strength was too great, and the hand was as if it were made of iron, motionless.
The Longsword in the armored knight's right hand has already been withdrawn from Marlos's neck, and blood is dripping from the tip of the sword.
Without even looking at the dying Karen, he just turned his wrist slightly and sent the sword smoothly and accurately into Karen's heart under the gap in his leather armor.
"Pfft."
There was another soft sound, and the tip of the sword pierced the leather, muscle, and reached the heart.
Karen's body suddenly stiffened, and then all struggling stopped. Andrey let go of his hand. Karen fell straight next to his companion's still twitching body like a heavy bag of grain.
The entire process from violent attack to double kill takes no more than three seconds.
Smoothly and efficiently, the two experienced Dornish guards could not even put up any decent resistance before they died in front of the door of the gentle land of a foreign land.
Andrey·Dart slowly withdrew Longsword.
The blood beads on the sword rolled down the blood groove and dripped on the carpet, blooming into dark red flowers.
He glanced down, his eyes unwavering, as if he had just cleared away two stumbling blocks, and then slowly drove away.
"Don't judge others casually. This is a bad habit and you need to change it."