At night, on the fourth-floor terrace of Runestone Castle, Su Qin held Delia in his arms as they admired the moon.
Delia looked at Su Qin from the side, feeling the warmth behind her.
She slowly began to speak.
"Ser Gull, did you know? I once had a beautiful, gentle aunt. She doted on me when I was little..."
"She once gave me an amethyst! It came from a Crystal Shark she personally hit with a bolt fired from a ship-mounted ballista."
"It was worth a fortune. The scholars in Oldtown are passionate about studying magic, and amethyst is connected to magic."
"I was very young then, so young that I can no longer remember her face."
Su Qin glanced at Delia, who was looking ahead, and felt a little distressed. For her to speak like this, her aunt had probably met with misfortune!
"She certainly sounds like a loved one worth remembering."
Delia gazed at the moon. It was so full tonight!
"But her husband drove my aunt to her death!"
"I've always believed he did it deliberately! He wouldn't even share her bed!"
"But he told everyone my aunt was barren!"
"He was such a sinister, vicious man!"
"The ridiculous thing is that the nobles all believe he's a dignified, chivalrous man! Even the North and the Storm Kingdom were willing to entrust their children to him!"
Su Qin gently wiped away her tears.
"She devoted all her love to the Duke of the Vale, Geda Arryn's nephew, Jon Arryn!"
"But after years without a child, Jon wanted to send her to a convent!"
"Jon never wanted to share her bed in the first place. He feared House Royce's bloodline becoming entangled with the Eyrie again!"
"My aunt spent five whole years living as a widow with a husband!"
"Sometimes I can't understand why he refused to sleep with her. My aunt was a little prettier than me, and several marquesses had courted her!"
"She even had House Stark's blood! My grandmother was the youngest daughter of the Duke of the North back then!"
"Jon's father and my grandfather arranged the marriage. My father couldn't defy my grandfather at the time!"
In those days, sending a woman to a convent was a terrible fate if she was beautiful! Once its gates closed, there really was no light of day inside. There were male monks and bishops in there!
Su Qin paused. "Then he will surely face the Dragon God's condemnation!"
Delia glanced at Su Qin. "You're finally willing to admit to me that your sigil is a dragon?"
Su Qin held her against his side with one arm and kissed her hair. "I have to keep something back from this world, after all!"
Delia looked at Su Qin and stroked the hand around her waist.
"Then what did Jon... gain in exchange for your aunt?"
Delia fell silent.
"He used his schemes to falsely accuse my aunt of adultery with his elder brother and publicly proclaimed her a whore! My aunt jumped straight through the Moon Door to prove her innocence!"
"She was too foolish. Once she was dead, there really was no way to clear things up!"
"And because Jon's elder brother demanded a trial by combat against him, Jon's hired knight kicked him through the Moon Door on the spot!"
"Not even his body remained whole!"
"At the time, he was the only man left in the Vale's direct Arryn bloodline! The other one was the Iron Statue Marchioness! She had Targaryen blood!"
"Rumor had it that Geda Arryn's eldest son was carried away by a giant eagle while hunting in the mountains at nine! Who knew how he disappeared from that cliff! Only Jon was there with him!"
"Just like that, he became the Vale's only male heir!"
"The Targaryens and House Arryn fought, but my aunt became their sacrifice!"
Delia turned around and lay against Su Qin's chest, weeping.
"My father was devastated then. At one point, he even wanted to join forces with some nobles and launch a rebellion!"
"But the Targaryens and House Stark talked him out of it!"
"My father was so badly shaken during those years that he hardly managed anything!"
"So I began managing the family's businesses and intelligence network, continuing the struggle against the intelligence organizations under our enemies!"
"Later, my younger brother was born. He cared for the people from childhood and was supported by the nobles and commoners throughout the territory. Through him, Father found himself again!"
"Father also spent several years reflecting and decided the current system was outdated! A parliamentary system like Braavos's was what suited the future! We're preparing to take that path!"
"At least we can do something for future development!"
"Our family began looking for allies, hoping to join forces with some people and take this path! But right now, no truly great noble house supports us!"
A republican parliamentary system was hardly that simple! Hadn't ancient Rome used that very system?
Westeros was not suited to a republic. What suited it was:
Separation of powers and a constitutional monarchy!
Westeros had already developed for over ten thousand years, and its technology was actually quite good. Glass cups and glass windows had both appeared!
But thought had always been monopolized by scholarly and ruling aristocrats!
The very first step, a renaissance and an enlightenment, had been firmly blocked by the Citadel!
The maesters were all second sons of noble families!
Difficult! But not a dead end!
Su Qin said nothing and held her tighter.
"I have some ideas. You'll like them in the future!"
Delia smiled. Being able to voice her years of resentment today was already quite good!
She had bound Su Qin to her chariot because she had once seen him in her dreams!
In those dreams, three women stood beside him: one with golden hair, one with white hair, and one with black hair!
But after rescuing her on a flying dragon in the dream, he had run off with those three women! He had ignored her!
On the first day Delia saw Su Qin, she had thought of a marriage alliance! She felt she was no worse than those women!
Once she had that thought!
Her life in her dreams grew increasingly legendary, and her connections with Su Qin grew ever more numerous!
Using her own [Targaryen-Dreamwalker (red)] talent, she had conquered herself!
But Su Qin knew nothing about any of this and had let his imagination run wild!
Only after seeing her loyalty value and weighing the pros and cons had he decided to marry the Earl's daughter!
Both of their thoughts in this matter were deeply complicated!
Su Qin also needed House Royce's strength. After all, the system's ambitions were immense!
Everything was hardest at the beginning, and House Royce had helped him so much!
Especially the Earl's daughter. Her presence would let Su Qin develop without worry!
With such complicated thoughts, the two shared a kiss beneath the moon!
After a while, they slowly parted.
Delia looked at Su Qin, feeling rather pleased that she had somehow tricked him into her grasp while he was still muddleheaded!
I'm no worse than any of you!
Looking at Su Qin, she said:
"I only told you because I wanted to vent my hatred, so I don't make the wrong political decisions! My political decisions could affect many people's lives! I have to wait for the right opportunity!..."
Su Qin looked into her eyes. Those purple gemstones truly were captivating!
Early in the morning, two boys slowly unlocked Su Qin's second-floor bedroom door with a key. The guards patrolling the corridor turned a blind eye.
The older one was about 1.35 meters tall with slightly curly hair. The younger was under a meter tall with straight hair.
They quietly approached Su Qin's bedside and touched his hundred-forged iron spear.
"Robar, I told you our brother-in-law's spear was amazing. Look at these patterns! It's so much heavier than your lousy wooden spear!"
The younger boy tested the weight of Su Qin's spear, lifting it a little before slowly lowering it again.
"Waymar, don't touch our brother-in-law's iron spear. We came to look at his armor!"
"His armor is so handsome! Those black scales are even prettier than Father's!"
"And this sword! I heard he killed forty-seven attackers in Gulltown and saved Father!"
"I want a sword too. Too bad I'm not ten yet. Father won't let me touch one!"
Waymar pursed his lips.
"Then I can give you a good sword after you turn ten!"
An adult voice rang out!
The two boys immediately straightened and slowly turned around, finding Su Qin's stern face.
"You little brats, don't go touching sharp weapons. You might hurt yourselves!"
Su Qin smiled again and beckoned to them. "Come here. Let me see whether our little rascals have grown any taller..."
The two boys smiled and stood before Su Qin's bed!
Robar Royce! Waymar Royce!
Three days later, in the fields.
With a whoosh, a long arrow struck a hare that had been about to steal some rye.
The two boys immediately ran over and picked up the forty-centimeter-long hare.
"Brother-in-law, you're the best archer I've ever seen!"
"Better than Father!"
Su Qin smiled. Minor accomplishment in archery! His accuracy within fifty meters was actually quite good!
Besides, he had already shot three hares dead! Su Qin smiled.
"If you practice diligently, you can become master archers too..."
Suddenly, Su Qin heard someone calling him and turned to look! There really was someone! A knight!
Clad entirely in black armor and carrying a knight's greatsword, he was calling out to him!
"Ser Gull, the betrothal ceremony begins in four hourglasses. The Countess asks you to return!"
From the voice, it was the Earl's Master of Coin, Boris!
Su Qin shouted, "Understood, Ser Boris!"
Su Qin turned back and said to his two young brothers-in-law, "Boys, let's head back. There's a feast tonight!"
Su Qin helped the two boys onto the horse, swung himself up with a forceful motion, and held them in his arms as he shouted to the twenty light cavalrymen standing guard nearby:
"Form up and return to the castle!"
Night fell.
In the great reception hall on the first floor of Runestone Castle.
The invited nobles drank together, some discussing the marriage alliance, others discussing the Brotherhood Without Banners, which had recently been causing serious trouble in Featherwood! Some also discussed their fiefs.
The Earl and Countess were continually entertaining their guests, while Robar and Waymar gnawed on legs of lamb.
Conversations passed back and forth.
"I hear the Brotherhood Without Banners is causing serious trouble in Featherwood. Many nobles are afraid of being attacked and are hiding in their castles, refusing to come out!"
"Featherwood's taxes are too heavy. After every level takes its share, seventy percent is collected. The peasants can't survive!"
"The generous Earl of Runestone collects forty percent in taxes from nobles and peasants. It looks like a plentiful harvest this year, so the peasants should be able to sell some grain. By the way, what minimum purchase price did the Earl set?"
"Three copper coins per jin, I think."
"Then after collecting the grain from our own territories, we can still make a fortune. I hear Featherwood is desperately short of grain. The selling price has already reached seven copper coins per jin." ...Suddenly, a very loud voice rang out.
"The Earl's daughter, Delia Royce, and the Lord of Gull Territory, Su Qin Herculys, have arrived!"
Everyone stopped talking, and then-
The musicians seated on raised platforms on either side began playing a betrothal melody.
Nobles from all over Runestone Territory watched the handsome man and beautiful woman approach hand in hand in formal attire.
Su Qin's attendants were there, as were Gulltown's ministers. He had summoned them to witness their future baroness!
The Lord of Runestone's vassals and ministers were there as well!
Su Qin held Delia's right hand in his left. They waved to the nobles.
Someone began clapping and cheering, and then everyone applauded in congratulations!
Su Qin led Delia to the front. First, they bowed to the Earl of Runestone, Yaron Royce, and the Countess, Beatrice Mormont. Then they bowed to Runestone's maester, Maester Duncan, who was officiating! Finally, they turned and bowed to the nobles behind them.
A proper knight's bow and lady's curtsy!
Maester Duncan nodded and began officiating.
"Now then, today is an important and happy day. Above all, we have gathered to witness this couple's betrothal ceremony."
"I won't say much more. Everyone may find a dance partner. Once the couple has danced and exchanged betrothal gifts, they will be formally betrothed. Afterward, there will be fine wine and food. This truly is a day to remember!"
"Now, let the couple put on their flower wreaths!"
The two exchanged a glance and smiled, putting on their wreaths one after the other.
Afterward, he danced with Delia. Of course, he stepped on her feet many times!
They exchanged engagement rings!
Then came revelry and hearty drinking. Dozens of sheep were eaten at the banquet, and it was a lively affair!
It lasted late into the night!...
The couple had now met all the nobles of Runestone Territory and officially become engaged!
Volume One: Anchoring!
The curtain fell