Hearing this, Redd sneered in his heart and almost blurted out "You're lying to a fool", but his many years of experience have taught him to stay calm on the surface when necessary.
He knew in his heart that the old king in front of him and the two scarred dragons behind him,
As well as the unconscious little girl, they all represent the power he needs to temporarily win over or at least temporarily avoid conflict.
He was too lazy to beat around the bush with Jaehaerys and went straight to the point:
"I don't want to be a puppet, nor do I want to be manipulated by you. I am a free lord in Westeros. This should be okay, right?"
Jaehaerys heard this request, and the anger in his chest almost burst out. This is clearly taking advantage of the situation!
But he looked at his injured dragon, his comatose daughter and his exhausted allies, and knew that now was not the time to act impulsively.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and tried to make his voice sound calm:
"If you only want a name, I can give you a territorial title."
Redd shook his head, with no sign of satisfaction in his eyes:
"The name is not enough. What I want is substance. The northern land is vast and rich, enough for me to settle down and live my life. I want it there."
"This is absolutely impossible!" Jaehaerys couldn't bear it anymore this time and stood up straight angrily, his voice trembling with excitement.
The Northern Territory is one of the foundations of House Targaryen and an important part of the entire kingdom. How can we hand it over to others so easily? What's more, the other party's demands are so greedy!
This reaction was completely expected by Redd. He had known for a long time that Jaehaerys would not give up the northern territory easily.
He raised the corner of his mouth again, and changed to a more realistic goal that was easier for the other party to accept. "If the Northern Territory doesn't work, what about the Wall?"
Together with a small buffer zone south of the Great Wall. There is enough for me to establish a solid stronghold away from your disputes."
His tone became more casual, as if he was just discussing the ownership of an ordinary piece of land.
But everyone knows that the Wall represents the gateway to the north and is an important barrier for the kingdom to resist the White Walkers and northern barbarians.
This request is also not light. Jaehaerys looked at Redd with complicated eyes and fell into deep thought.
In King Jaehaerys's mind, lightning flashed across the secrets passed down orally by generations of kings - the ancient prophecy about Winter Is Coming,
There is also the dagger made by Valyrian steel, used to kill Night's King, and still placed in King's Landing.
The Wall is not only a barrier in the north, but also the last line of defense protecting the kingdom from the invasion of the unknown darkness.
He must not give it up to this unknown and ambitious Redd.
Thinking of this, he quickly rejected the plan to grant the Wall and its affiliated land to Redd, with a firm tone and sharp eyes. "No."
Redd felt extremely dissatisfied with this answer and frowned, with a hint of slighted annoyance:
"The Wall must be a trouble to you, right? A trouble that requires a lot of resources to guard. I want it, why don't you give it to me?"
Jaehaerys naturally would not tell this potential enemy the secret about Winter and the dagger.
His face became more serious, trying to appease this powerful opponent in another way:
"Redd, Westeros is too big and the situation is complicated. You only have one person and three dragons. There are too many territories and you can't manage them.
At most, I can only give you a city as a territory, such as a small city near Dragonstone, or a stronghold on the border of Dorne.
This is the maximum concession I can give."
Redd's eyes narrowed slightly, a chill suddenly rose, and he asked coldly, "What if I insist on wanting the North?"
Jaehaerys did not give in, met his gaze, and spoke in a calm and firm voice:
"Three dragons are all your capital. If we fight to the death, we can also fight to kill one of your dragons."
Are you sure you want to pay such a heavy price for the North?"
"You underestimate my dragon too much." Redd's voice was full of confidence, even with a hint of arrogance.
"Please don't underestimate our dragons." Jaehaerys said tit for tat, "Although Wormisor and Silverwing were injured, they are still two experienced adult dragons.
Coupled with Colakxiu, whom you have just met, we are not afraid of a decisive battle."
Redd Looking at the old king with such a determined attitude and as stubborn as stone, he had a severe headache.
He almost wanted to draw his sword immediately, or simply let the Ehm dragon spray out Dragonfire to get rid of this old man standing in front of him.
But his reason told him that now was not the time for head-on confrontation.
Jaehaerys's trump card seems to be thicker than he thought. Moreover, although the northern border is tempting, if you try your best for it, you may end up losing both sides and giving others an advantage.
Finally, he snorted heavily, as if exhaling a breath of pent-up energy, and accepted Jaehaerys's conditions.
"Okay, a city. But I hope that city is strong enough and rich enough."
Jaehaerys's eyes flashed with a trace of imperceptible relaxation, but he still maintained the majesty of the king:
"I will consider your request. But the premise is that you must keep your promise and no longer pose a threat to the House Targaryen and Westeros kingdoms."
Redd did not completely relent immediately. He made his request again, with an undeniable toughness in his tone:
I want to be close to the city in the north! I will never go to a remote and isolated area like Dorne.
If you meet my request, I will promise that I will not take the initiative to attack House Targaryen people."
Jaehaerys King frowned slightly after hearing this request.
The city close to the northern border... this means that Redd is still eyeing that land.
He was silent for a long time, his eyes glancing back and forth on the elusive face of Redd, on Meleys and Colakxiu who were still scarred in the distance, and on the unconscious Laena.
In the end, in order to gain temporary peace and free up his hands to deal with internal scars, he made a difficult decision and replied:
Maidenpool, give it to you. Everything there, including the defenders, citizens and resources, will be taken over by you."
Maidenpool? Redd doesn't know much about this place name. It may be just an inconspicuous dot on the map.
But no matter what, it is a city and a real foothold.
This is enough for him who urgently needs a base to gain a foothold.
He sneered in his heart. He had no intention of staying with Westeros for a long time. The quality of the territory and the importance of the location were all just temporary tools in his eyes.
Since this is the biggest concession Jaehaerys can give, let's take it first and use it as a shelter for ourselves.