Game of Thrones: Kings in the North

Chapter 176 Walder Frey, Riverrun, Harrenhal
The team of Wolf King Ed who went south was walking in the endless neck.

At the same time, on the sea, the galleon "Northern" was leaving Bite Bay and heading towards King's Landing, fully loaded with goods from the North, such as tobacco, blueberry wine, vodka, maple syrup, and caviar.These gifts were all dedicated to Robert.

Walking on the King's Road in the swamp, looking around, there are wetlands, swamps, and reeds everywhere, the cry of frogs, snakes wandering in the grass, and lizards and ragged swamp people from time to time, The clothes of the Zelanders are usually covered with a layer of moss.

Quicksand is everywhere on both sides of the causeway. Once pedestrians leave the causeway, they are easily swallowed by quicksand.

Invading the northern border must pass through the Neck, and countless southern invaders were buried under the quicksand of the Neck and the poisonous arrows of the Marshmen.

This is the miraculous swamp created by the Green Prophets back then. In order to prevent the Andal adventurers from invading the northern border and protect the northern border, the last home of the old gods, the Green Prophets activated their spells, tearing the earth apart, flooding the sea, and countless Andals. The Dar warrior was buried in the swamp.

In the thousands of years that followed, more southern invaders left white bones in the Neck. They were lucky enough to pass through the Neck's team, and they would encounter a bloody death in the northern fortress of Cailin Bay in the north.

The Neck is a gift from the old gods to the North. Like the Great Wall and Kalin Bay, it is a defensive barrier for the North, but Sansa obviously doesn't think so.

In the neck, Sansa pinched her nose, "I don't like this place, it smells of mud everywhere."

Sansa was dressed in a light red velvet dress, spotless, and the little direwolf lady followed Sansa, her fur was clean and tidy.On the way south, Sansa bathed the lady every day with her companion, Jenny Poole, so the pup was always clean.

On the other hand, Arya, Arya and the wolf Nymeria beside her are all dirty, Arya is wearing black breeches and a white woolen jacket, the clothes are covered with dried mud and stains, brown hair is matted, Nymeria the little wolf has mud all over her legs and tail.

When they first left Winterfell, Caitlin and Sister Mordane urged Arya from time to time to maintain ladylike manners and cleanliness, but Arya mingled with soldiers and attendants every day. Riel practiced sword, learned archery with Ferran, or practiced horse riding with Domilik.

Arya was sweating profusely almost every day, and Catelyn and Septa Mordane couldn't help her, so they had to ask Eddard for help.

Ed said indifferently: "Arya's personality is always like this. This is the blood of the wolf. She is wild and difficult to tame. This may not be a good thing. Not every woman is born to be a lady."

After that, Catelyn and Septa Mordane didn't bother with Arya.

After entering the Neck, Arya caught frogs barefoot in the mud every day, and then roasted them over fire. At this moment, Arya ate the roasted frog meat with bamboo sticks. She told Sansa beside her, "You should try the frogs, the frogs here are delicious."

Arya put the frog meat in her hand to Sansa's mouth, Sansa turned pale with fright, and quickly waved the frog away with her hand.

"How can a frog be eaten? It's disgusting."

Arya curled her lips, "Jojen and Meera like to eat frogs and snakes the most. Unfortunately, some snakes are poisonous, so I can't tell the difference. If only Meera and Jojen were with us, they Stay in Winterfell, otherwise, the siblings of Li De's family can teach me to catch snakes and eat them."

Sansa gave Arya a disgusted look, "You dare to eat anything, and you're dirty, you're just like a marsh woman. I'd rather eat lemon cake."

Arya said disdainfully: "Lemon cake can be eaten in the castle, and the authentic swamp frog can only be eaten in the neck! I have to ask the people of the swamp how to distinguish poisonous snakes from non-venomous snakes. Try the snake meat."

Laresa the Dornish came over. She had jet-jade skin, white teeth, and a yew bow slung across her shoulders.

"Arya, snake meat is a special delicacy of our Dornish people. I can catch snakes for you. Come with me!"

Arya followed Laresa, and Nymeria the wolf pup followed.

The little wolf Nymeria suddenly stopped in her tracks and roared at the dense bushes beside her. These bushes were covered with moss and fungi because they were soaked in water all the year round.

There was a sound in the bushes. Laresa and Arya stopped and looked towards the source of the sound. A Zelander rode a lizard lion and came out of the forest. Behind him were more than 20 Zelanders, most of them All were barefoot, only a few wore straw sandals.

Arya looked at the lizard in surprise, a lion-like lizard that could crawl quickly in swamps, and Arya faced the marshman on the lizard's back.

"Who are you?"

The little Zelander on the lizard lion's back was wearing a green hunting suit, holding a trident, and had moss-colored eyes. He smiled and said, "I am Duke Eddard's friend, the lord of Greywater, Howland Reed."

In the camp, Howland Reed took the Zelanders and offered baskets of frogs, lizards, fish, leeches and loaches. Ed hugged Howland Reed, and Ed smelled the moss on Howland Reed's body the taste of.

Howland Reed is Ed's life-and-death friend. In the battle of the Tower of Bliss, if it hadn't been for Howland Reed who saved Ed, Ed would have died in the "Dawn Excalibur" Arthur Dayne. under the sword.Howland Reed and Ed are the only ones who know about Jon Snow's life.

The swamp people are one of the poorest ethnic groups in the north, almost as poor as the wild people outside the Great Wall, the rock species on Skagos Island, and the northern mountain clans. Due to terrain factors, there is almost no farming here, and the main source of food is swamps. There are frogs, fish and other animals in the village. Many Zedi people are yellow and thin. Due to long-term malnutrition, most Zedi people are short in stature.

The marshmen like to live a quiet life without being disturbed by outsiders, so they are almost always absent from every harvest feast in Winterfell.Every time Winterfell recruits vassals to go to war, it will not recruit the people of the swamp, because the people of the swamp need to defend the neck of the southern gate of the northern border.

Ed ordered the Winter Wolf Army to take out lemon cake, blueberry wine, maple syrup and beef, and give them back to the Zelanders. Howland Reed accepted the gift gratefully.

In Ed's tent, Howland Reed said: "Master Ed, I originally planned to invite you to my castle, Gray Water Watch, but these days, the floating islands are moving more frequently, and many roads in the swamp are often diverted. , you and your Winterfell men go to Huishuiwang, and many horses may be swallowed by mud and sand. Therefore, I have no choice but to give up the idea of ​​inviting you and come here to welcome you."

Ed said: "If I have the chance, I will definitely visit Greywater Watch. Horan, your children Meera and Jojen have become friends with Bran, Robb, and Jon in Winterfell. Your children are my children." Adopted son, adopted daughter, we are one family."

"I have ordered that the export of grain after the northern border is prohibited. Every grain of corn and wheat grown in the northern border will stay in the northern border. The people of the swamp are loyal to Winterfell and must be rewarded. I want to improve the quality of the people of the swamp." Life."

"My garrison in Cailin Bay has opened up many manors. I have told the acting city lord Quint there that every month from now on, vegetables, fruits, grain and ale will be delivered to the Neck to supply the people of the Marsh. From now on The children of the Zedi people will never be malnourished again."

Howland Reed put his hand over his heart, "The Zelanders will always remember the kindness of the Wolf King."

Ed said: "Is it difficult to build a dam and create an artificial lake in the Neck?"

Howland Reed pondered for a while, "The land in the Neck is full of silt, it is easy to change the river course and build a dam. Where is Lord Ed going to build the dam, is it the Rewave River?"

Ed said, "No, it's the source of the Green Fork River."

Ed opened a map and found the source of the Green Fork River, which was just upstream of the Frey Family Twin River City.

"Huo Lan, I think the fish in your Neck Lake are really delicious. If that's the case, why not use a dam to hold back the water near the source of the Green Fork River and build an artificial lake? We can raise fish in this lake. In this case, the fish will be plump. Fish can enrich the tables of people in Zedi. I will pay for it."

Huo Lan's eyes lit up, "Thank you Lord Ed for your kindness, this is really a project that benefits the people of Zedi!"

In fact, artificial fish farming is just a cover. Ed does not count on dams. How much food can be created by artificial lake fish farming. There are more and more fleets in the northern border. , Going up the Relang River, there is plenty of food for the people in Zedi.

The reason why Ed wanted to build a dam at the source of the Green Fork River was actually to deal with the Frey family in the south.

As the vassals of the Tully family, the Governor of the Riverlands, the Frey family has always been perfunctory to the orders of the lord, and the Marquess of Walder Frey is a master at adapting to the wind.

If there is a war in the south in the future, and the Frey family wants to be an enemy of the north, Ed will let the Zelanders dismantle the dams upstream and come out with "Flooded Frey". Walder Frey and his descendants, Together with the bridge they were proud of, they were wiped out.

The only worry is the progress of the project. Ed originally planned to send some giants to the Neck to help the people of the swamp build a dam, but after thinking about it carefully, the giant accidentally fell into the swamp. For the marshmen to do it.

Some outsiders will mistakenly think that the swamp people have frog-like webs and that there are moss growing under the armpits of the swamp people. long time.

Ed bid farewell to Howland Reed, and led the team to continue down the King's Road. A few days later, they walked out of the Neck and entered the Riverlands.

The river network in the river is criss-crossing, the land is fertile, the population is dense, the river navigation is developed, the labor force is abundant, and the geographical location is very important. It is the crossroads of Westeros and has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.

After entering the Riverlands, Caitlin felt the warm sunshine and smelled the smell of wheat in the air, "The taste of home is so sweet. Ed, we are going to Riverrun, and the Twins are closer."

Ed said: "We are divided into two groups here. I will take a hundred guards to Riverrun. The large group of people can walk slowly, and they can continue south along the King's Road and wait for us in Earl Harroway's small town."

The captain of the guards, Jory Cassel, led [-] soldiers to the south along the king's road. Ed and Caitlin, with Sansa and Arya, were escorted by the guards all the way west. A few days later, they arrived crossed the river.

At the river crossing, the Frey family is one of the most powerful vassal nobles in the riverlands. Ed saw two identical castles located on both sides of the Green Fork River, connected by a stone arch bridge in the middle, and the bridge was wide enough to accommodate four carriages abreast. , in the middle of the bridge, the Weihe Tower rises from the ground.Both castles have moats and towering walls, with arrow towers like forests.

The shortest land route from Winterfell to Riverrun had to pass through the Twins, for that was the only ferry for hundreds of miles nearby.No enemy can capture this castle in a short time.

However, when Eddard's dam at the Neck is completed, the currents could easily destroy the Twins.Eddard hoped that Lord Walder and his children would be wise enough that if they fought against the Starks, they would be attacked by the raging river from above.

600 years ago, the founder of the Frey family built a wooden bridge on the upper reaches of the Green Fork River. The castle has also become a solid stone castle.

In the eyes of many ancient aristocrats, the Frey family, whose status has risen rapidly, is nothing more than upstarts like merchants, but no one can deny that the current Frey family at the river crossing is one of the richest and most powerful nobles in the riverlands.

Caitlin was riding on the horse, looking worriedly at her daughters Sansa and Arya not far away, she said to Ed: "Lord Walder Frey has a lot of descendants, he likes to talk about marriage with noble and ancient nobles About marriage. He proposed marriage to Lysa and me for his son back then, and he even sent people to Riverrun every year, hoping to marry a daughter to my brother Edmure."

"If Marquis Walder sees Sansa and Arya, he will definitely propose a marriage. You have to think about how to refuse."

Ed stroked the hair of the direwolf Nocturnal, "Don't worry, Marquis Walder wants to climb up to Stark, it's not that easy."

Ser Stevron Frey, heir to the Twins, came to meet Eddard and Catelyn himself.

The people of the Frey family couldn't help being amazed when they saw Ed riding on the direwolf night walk, and some of the Frey family's horses stood up in fright when they smelled the direwolf.

Sir Stevron said: "Lord Ed, we are in the Twin River City. We have heard that you rode a direwolf, killed the enemy outside the Great Wall, defeated the army of wildlings, and incorporated the Beyond the Great Wall into the territory of the Northern Territory. It's true. You direwolf, you don't bite people, do you?"

Ed said: "The direwolf only bites the enemy, not the friend."

Caitlin rode forward, "Sir Stevron, how is your father, Lord Walder?"

Sir Stevron said respectfully: "My father has always been in good health. The Twins welcome Duke Eddard and Lady Caitlin."

Ed said: "We borrow this way to visit the Duke of Hoster in Riverrun City, and we won't stay here too much."

Sir Stevron enthusiastically introduced Ed to the descendants of Lord Walder.

Almost all the members of the Frey family look like weasels, and Sir Stevron is no exception. He is over 60 years old. At this age, most lords are worried about their heirs. Sir Stevron But still the heir, because Lord Walder Frey was too alive.

Ser Stevron was followed by his son, fat Ryman Frey, grandson of Lord Walder and third in line to the Twins.

Ed noticed that Aenys Frey, the third son of Lord Walder, wore chain mail, and although he was over sixty years old, he was still majestic and a battle-tested warrior.

Black Wald appeared in the team. He was a fierce warrior in his 20s. He was the grandson of Sir Stevron. It was rumored that Black Wald had fornicated and even slept with many cousins, younger siblings, and sister-in-laws in his family. Lord Walder's seventh wife, Annana Falling, cuckolded his great-grandfather Lord Walder.

Many people lamented that Marquis Wade can still give birth to children in his 80s. If the rumors are true, the children that Marquis Wade gave birth to with his young wife in recent years may not be of Marquis Wade's offspring.

Ed entered the castle, crossed the bridge to the castle on the other side, and Marquis Walder was waiting for him sitting on a black oak seat, with the backrests shaped like twin towers.

Lord Walder, who was over ninety years old, had lost all his teeth, and his sagging skin was covered with age spots. He huddled in the seat, with his knees on the velvet blanket, like a weasel.

Next to Lord Walder's seat stood his eighth wife, Josuzanne Enford, her only wife.

Ed and Catelyn sat in chairs opposite Lord Walder, with Sansa and Arya beside them.

Marquis Wade smiled at Ed, "Master Ed, welcome, you are the hero of the Seven Kingdoms! You conquered beyond the Great Wall and captured more than [-] savages. I heard that King Robert is going to designate you as Wolf King. Why don't you go to King's Landing, come here?"

Ed said: "I'm here to visit Marquis Walder."

Marquis Ward's head stretched and retracted like a tortoise, "Master Ed, you are so kind, you know how to make me happy, but I don't believe it at all. You think I am old and my head is not working. I understand, you are You're going to visit Lord Hoster at Riverrun with Lady Catelyn via the Twins, don't you? If the Twins hadn't had a bridge, you wouldn't have come here."

"In the beginning, someone told Mr. Ed to arrive in the Twin River City. My silly wife said that Mr. Ed was here to visit me. I knew it was impossible. What kind of person is Mr. Ed! How could King Bob, a friend of Prime Minister Jon Arryn, have such a high status, condescend to visit me?"

Sir Stevron, the heir of the Twin Rivers City, was a little angry, "Father, Lord Ed and Mrs. Caitlin came all the way to visit. How can you be so vicious and say such things?"

Marquis Walder snorted softly, "I'm not dead yet, I'm the one who has the final say on the Twin Rivers, it's not your turn to make irresponsible remarks. Lord Ed and Mrs. Caitlin are not angry, why are you so excited!"

Sir Stevron stepped back indignantly, and Lord Walder's gaze stayed on Sansa and Arya.

"Lord Ed, your precious daughter, isn't she engaged yet? I have a bunch of sons and grandsons waiting to marry wives! Let's get engaged!"

What should come has finally come.Walder Frey is obviously a master of political marriages. As far as his own eight marriages are concerned, the first wife of Marquis Walder is from the Royce family of Runestone City in the valley, and the second wife is from Stonehelm City in the frontier. The Swan family, the third wife is from the Crakehall family in the Westlands, the fourth wife is from the Blackwood family in Raventree City in the riverland, and the fifth wife is from the river in Harrenhal in the riverland. The Ann family, the sixth wife is from the Rosby family in the royal land.

The seventh wife who passed away a few years ago was from the Falin family in the king's land. The current Marquis of Walder is from the Enford family, a noble knight in the Riverlands. .

Every wife except the fifth Hean wife had left no children for Lord Walder, which meant that the Freys had kin throughout the Vale, the Riverlands, the Westmarch, the Crownlands, and the Stormlands.

Now the Hean family in Harrenhal is sparsely populated. The Countess of Hean's heirs either died in battle or died of disease in the War of the Reavers. Now that the Countess of Heann is old, it is only a matter of time before the Heann family becomes extinct. .

Harrenhal, a majestic fortress, although it has a terrible curse, is still a piece of fat. It is foreseeable that many families are staring at Harrenhal.

Caitlin's mother is Minissa Hean, the current Countess of Hean, and is Caitlin's aunt, so the children of the Stark family are very high in the line of succession to Harrenhal.

Ed was very fortunate that Marquis Walder and his wife from the He'an family had no descendants. Otherwise, Marquis Walder and the descendants of the wife of He'an would have higher inheritance rights and compete with Stark.

A daughter-in-law of the Marquess of Walder, Venerve Hean, came from the Hean family. She married Danwell, the eighth son of the Marquess of Walder. Any child, she was weak, but Eddard reckoned that the Freys would use this daughter-in-law to claim the inheritance of Harrenhal.

In the hall of the Twin Rivers City, facing Marquis Walder's engagement, Ed said, "My daughter doesn't plan to marry far away."

The Marquis of Wade persisted, "Where is your son? I heard that you have three sons, and I have many daughters, and my granddaughter is waiting to be married."

Caitlin said: "My son is not yet an adult, and I have no plans to get engaged at the moment."

Marquis Walder made a dry laugh like a donkey, "Hey! My daughter is not going to marry, my granddaughter, my daughter is willing to marry Stark, but you push back and forth. Why? The Frey family at the river crossing is not worthy of the direwolf ?”

Ed said: "I value the friendship of the Frey family very much. Marquess Walder, King Robert will canonize me as wolf king, and I will serve as an advisor in the imperial meeting. If you are willing to send your son to me as a servant, I will take them Go to King's Landing Palace to participate in the Wolf King celebration."

Marquis Walder frowned, "Just an attendant? I heard that Lord Ed has adopted a bunch of adopted sons in Winterfell, all kinds of rocks, the children of the leaders of the wildlings, why should my descendants of the Twin Rivers , when I come to you, is it just a servant? You are clearly looking down on people!"

Both Ed and Caitlin had had enough of this old man with a weird temper. Ed said, "Marquis Walder, of course I am willing to take your child as an adopted son." Anyway, whether it is an adopted son or an attendant, they are hostages at critical moments.

Marquis Wade smiled, "I have many children and grandchildren, Lord Ed and Mrs. Caitlin choose at will."

The house was full of Freys, and Lord Walder had been bearing children all his life, probably the only man in the Seven Kingdoms who could produce an army.

The tradition of the nobles in Westeros is that children without inheritance rights should leave the castle as soon as they reach adulthood. These people should either join the church, the city of learning, the Night Watchman Corps and other oath organizations, or go to the other side of the narrow sea as mercenaries. These people need to earn a living.

Lord Walder had too many descendants. If he drove them out of the Twins, he would undoubtedly save a lot of money.Whether it is descendants or illegitimate children, he will stay in Twin River City to support them.For all his greed and ambition, Lord Walder is undeniably a family man.

Caitlin tends to choose the grandson of Lord Walder. She has taken a fancy to Walder, who is about the same age as Bran. One of them is the son of Merrie Frey and the other is the son of Jamos Frey. Grandson of Lord Walder.

However, Ed finally chose Olifa Frey, the son of Lord Walder, and another son, Alma Frey. Olifa Frey was two years older than Robb, and Alma Frey was the same age Similar to Arya.

There are too many descendants of Marquis Wade, and Ed tends to choose his son instead of his grandson. After all, Marquis Wade can't even recognize his young son, and he can remember even less about his grandson.

That night, Ed and Catelyn had a feast with the Frey family in Lord Walder's hall.The next day, Ed and Caitlin left the Twins with their entourage.

A few days later, Caitlin told Ed that they had entered the territory of Haijiang City.

The troops in the northern border were walking in a forest, when suddenly a group of cavalry came towards them, and the cavalry of the other side were flying the silver eagle flag, which was the flag of the Merister family in Haijiang City.It turned out that the lord of Haijiang City, Earl Jason Mallister, returned from hunting with a team.

Lord Jason Mallister, with gray-blue eyes and silver streaks in his brown hair, was one of the bravest warriors in the Riverlands.At the Battle of the Trident River that year, Earl Jason killed three of Prince Rhaegar's men.During the Iron Islands rebellion, the iron people attacked Sea Front City, and Lord Jason beheaded Theon's brother Rodrik Greyjoy, repelling the iron people.

Earl Jason is a man of great courage, he is keen to participate in the tourney, and he is one of the famous knights who are loved by the crowd at the tourney.

The Mallisters are loyal to the Tullys, and they are also close to the Starks.On the eve of the outbreak of the Reaver War, Brandon took a few friends to King's Landing and asked Prince Rhaegar to hand over Lyanna. Among Brandon's partners was Earl Jason's younger brother Joffrey Mallister. In the end, Joffrey was executed by the Mad King.

Sir Dennis Mallister, Commander of the Shadow Tower on the Great Wall, is the uncle of Earl Jason.When Ed and Caitlin married, Earl Jason generously sent many gifts.

Earl Jason recognized Caitlin and Ed at a glance. When he heard that Ed and his wife were going to Riverrun, Earl Jason Mallister insisted on inviting them to Haijiang City as guests.

Unable to resist Earl Jason's enthusiasm, Ed had no choice but to lead the team to Haijiang City.

Sea Frontier City is the front line of the Riverlands against the Ironborn. It is across the sea from the Iron Islands. Ed saw a huge bronze bell hanging from the tower above the town.

"This is Hong Bell Tower." Earl Jason introduced, "In ancient times, whenever ironborn raiders appeared on the sea, the huge bell on Hong Bell Tower would ring to warn people working in the fields to flee immediately. .”

In the hall, Ed and Caitlin enjoyed delicacies such as grilled trout, onion venison, and buttered quail. Earl Jason said: "Master Ed, you brought the northern army and the night watchmen to wipe out the wildlings outside the Great Wall." , my uncle Daniel is the Shadow Tower Commander, is he okay?"

Ed said: "Sir Daniel Mallister is in good health. He is a hero in the war of conquest beyond the Great Wall." In fact, Sir Daniel is very old and has been staying at the Shadow Tower during the war. The one who shines is Colin Halfhand.

Earl Jason said: "King Robert is going to hold a Wolf King celebration for Lord Ed. The martial arts tournament is an important part. I will definitely attend and get a champion by the way."

Afterwards, Ed talked about the sea of ​​the setting sun route.

"Earl Jason, I built a blacksmith city at Kraken Point on the west coast of the northern border. There is dawn in Saltspear Beach, Warhorse City, and many castles in Rock City. The fleet on the west coast of the northern border is getting stronger and stronger. Directly going south from the Saltspear Beach, Haijiang City can be used as a transit point."

Earl Jason said melancholy: "Damn the Ironborn will plunder merchant ships. Lord Ed, the Iron Islands are a den of pirates. Many pirates are backed by King Balon, and King Balon shares the property looted by pirates. Mysteries. Robert should have killed Balon old man."

Ed said: "I will send the northern longship to escort, the naval commander of Blacksmith City, who knows the Ironborn pirates very well."

Earl Jason's eyes lit up, "Really? Who is the commander?"

Ed said: "Helen Pike, she was born as an Ironborn pirate, until how to deal with pirates."

Hope was fleeting in Earl Jason's eyes, and he said coldly: "Master Ed, how can you appoint an Ironborn pirate? Listen to the name, this person is an illegitimate son of the Iron Islands. The Ironborn is a liar, the Ironborn The bastards are liars."

Ed smiled and said: "Helen has already proved her loyalty. After the opening of the west coast route, the food in the river land can be sold directly from Haijiang City to the northern border, and the ships in the river bay will also be replenished in Haijiang City, and the timber in the northern border , the furs will be sold to the south, and Haijiang City is expected to become a central port for north-south shipping."

The Hejian Land is an important wheat producing area in the Seven Kingdoms. Its agricultural output value is second only to the River Bend Land. The handicraft industry is developed. The food and textiles from Twin River City, Riverrun City, Sea Frontier City, Vance Family, and Piper Family's territory can be sold directly to the northern border by the Sea of ​​the Setting Sun route, reducing transportation costs.

This meant that the taxes in Haijiang City would skyrocket, and Earl Jason quickly agreed to cooperate with Ed.On the same day, Ed released a raven in Haijiang City and informed Helen Parker of Blacksmith City that he was going to cooperate with Haijiang City in escorting.

After leaving Haijiang City, Ed led the northern team through the Witch Swamp. A few days later, they finally arrived at Riverrun City.

Riverrun City is located at the confluence of Tengshi River and Red Fork River. It is a triangular castle.Under the castle, the Red Fork River and Tengshi River roll to the east, and on the west side is the moat and moat. Once the enemy attacks, the guards of Riverrun will open the gates and fill the moat, turning Riverrun into an island in the river. It is very difficult to breach this castle.

As the Duke of Hoster was ill in bed, Caitlin's younger brother Edmure led people to welcome Ed and Caitlin.

Edmure, the only surviving son of Lord Hoster and Minissa Hean, heir to Riverrun, was of medium height, with auburn hair and a bushy beard, and he embraced Catelyn.

"How is father?" Caitlin asked.

"It's getting worse. He's been complaining about stomach pains. Father wanted to see you and Ed, and now you're here."

So Ed and Caitlin came directly to Duke Hoster's bedroom. Duke Hoster was a vigorous man when he was young, tall and burly, but now he is skinny and skinny, and the veins on his arms are clearly visible , weak.

Seeing Caitlin, Duke Hoster cheered up, "Little Kate, you are finally home. And you, Ed, even though I am in Riverrun, the story of the Wolf King conquering Beyond the Wall still shocks me. "

Caitlin said: "Father, your health is getting worse and worse. Didn't Bachelor Wayman prescribe you any medicine?"

Duke Horst shook his head and sighed, "I'm old, and no medicine will help me anymore."

Ed said: "You are only in your early sixties. When we passed by the Twin Rivers, Marquis Walder was alive and well. He was over 90, and her young wife was pregnant again. Lord Horst, you are younger than Marquis Walder How old! I brought Bachelor Norman, he is good at medicine, let him come to treat you."

"Pulsatilla" Bachelor Norman arrived immediately with a medicine box. He inquired about Horst's condition and communicated with Bachelor Wayman. Bachelor Norman came to a conclusion.

"I think Duke Horst just ate too much river fish, and he has roundworms in his stomach. I will prescribe some herbs." The medicines prescribed by Bachelor Norman include betel nut, junzi, ebony, etc.

After Bachelor Wayman and Bachelor Norman left, Caitlin, Ed and Horst were left in the room.

Horst said: "I hope that the medicine of Bachelor Norman will work, so maybe I can go to King's Landing and participate in the Wolf King ceremony."

Caitlin said softly: "Your body is too weak, don't go to King's Landing, stay in Riverrun. When I get to King's Landing, I will call Lysa and come back to see you together."

Ed had an idea, "By the way, there is also Littlefinger. Littlefinger is Lord Horst's adopted son, so he must be very concerned about his adoptive father's illness!"

Hearing Littlefinger's name, Horst's face became visibly gloomy. He leaned on the pillow and said coldly, "Littlefinger is an important minister before the imperial court, why bother him?"

Caitlin sensed the anger in her father's words, and she said, "Father, why did Littlefinger offend you?"

Ed took the opportunity to say: "Lord Horst must have heard some terrible rumors? There are some rumors outside that Lysa and Littlefinger have an affair, and they also say that little Robert Arryn is Littlefinger's seed."

Caitlin looked at Ed in horror, and Duke Host suddenly sat up straight and said excitedly: "There are such rumors?"

Ed said: "The rumors say that Littlefinger got Jon's promotion by seducing Lysa, Jon Arryn's wife, and was able to join the ranks of important ministers. It is also said that little Robert is weak, thin and slender, very similar to Littlefinger Like. I don’t believe a single word of this rumor.”

Duke Hoster sighed and lowered his voice.

"It's no wonder there are these rumors. When Lysa was defiled by the shameless Littlefinger, I was worried that such a day would come."

Caitlin was shocked: "Father, Littlefinger defiled Lysa? When did it happen?"

Horst said: "Just before Lysa married Jon, Lysa was pregnant with Littlefinger's bastard. I forced her to drink tansy and moon tea and killed the child. Lysa died because of this. Hate me. I drove Littlefinger away at that time, thinking that he would be a small lord in the fief of the Valley for the rest of his life, but I didn't expect him to use Lysa to climb to a high position."

"Little Robert is really Littlefinger's offspring? If that's the case, Littlefinger and Lysa should go to hell. What a noble man Jon Arryn is!"

Ed said: "It's just a rumor. I believe that little Robert is Jon's child. However, Lysa has suffered multiple miscarriages after marriage. I can't say if there is a weak little finger in it."

Caitlin seemed to have a dragon war breaking out in her head. She had always regarded Littlefinger as her own brother, but now that she learned about Littlefinger's scandal, her favorability towards Littlefinger was greatly reduced.

Caitlin said painfully: "I didn't expect Littlefinger to be this kind of person. When I arrive in King's Landing, I must ask Littlefinger and Lysa for clarification."

Ed put his hand on Caitlin's shoulder, "The adultery scandal, unless the adulterer was caught in bed, how could Littlefinger and Lysa admit it?"

Horst said: "Yeah, don't go into this matter too deeply. If you want to blame it, you can only blame me for not knowing people well. Back then, Little Finger's father, Old Finger, was a hedge knight. I formed a friendship, so I adopted Little Finger as my adopted son, this kid is smart, he can do anything to climb up."

Duke Horst took the medicine of Bachelor Norman, and his health improved. A few days later, Ed and Caitlin left Riverrun with their entourage.

On the way, Ed told Caitlin when there was no one there, "We're going to Harrenhal to visit your aunt, the Countess of Hean."

Caitlin frowned, "It's true that the Countess of River Ann is my aunt, but both my mother and my uncle, the old Earl of River Ann, have passed away for many years. When Robert rebelled, the Tully family fought for Robert's rebel army, and the River Ann family It was the royalist party. Mrs. He'an's sons all died in battle under the banner of the real dragon of the Targaryen family. After that war, there was a gap between the Tully family and the He'an family, and they rarely communicated in recent years. "

Ed said: "You forgot, your mother is Minissa He'an. Because of your mother, you have the right to inherit Harrenhal. The Countess of He'an has no heirs. You have a chance to inherit Harrenhal."

Caitlin said disdainfully: "A cursed castle. When I was a child, my mother often told me that there are ghosts wandering in Harrenhal. Who cares about that castle."

Ed said: "If you don't think about yourself, you have to think about your children. Robb will inherit Winterfell in the future, what about Bran and Rickon? Our newly built Wolf Castle in the north is not as good as Harrenhal, This is a huge territory!"

Caitlin thought for a while, "I remember that my aunt loves to drink, so I'm going to give her some vodka and Blue Noble."

Ed's team and the brigade led by Jory Cassel met in the small town of Earl Harroway. The Wolf King's team returned to a scale of 1000 people and came to Harrenhal in a mighty manner.

The huge city wall of Harrenhal rose from the ground by God's Eye Lake. This is the largest castle in Westeros. Everything can only be described as grotesquely huge. The thick and steep city wall looks like a dangerous cliff. Giants can sleep on the ground.

When the white mask Morona saw the castle, she quickly took off her weirwood mask and prayed silently.Bear King Byers and his bears were dumbfounded.The giant eagle prince Michu flew up to the city wall on a giant eagle, and in front of the majestic city wall, he seemed to be transformed into a sparrow in an instant.

Countess Sheila Hean, when she heard that Ed and Caitlin were visiting, she immediately brought her servants to greet her.The crowd walked among the towers of Harrenhal like ants under the feet of a giant.

The stables at Harrenhal could easily hold a thousand horses, the kitchen was bigger than the Great Hall of Winterfell, the godswood covered twenty acres, any room would be big enough for a giant to sleep in, everything could only be described as colossal.

In the Hundred Furnace Hall, which was big enough to accommodate an army, the Countess of Hean hosted Caitlin and Ed. Compared with the huge castle, the dishes on the banquet were shabby, only mashed potatoes, river fish and jam pie.

Countess Sheila apologized: "If I knew you were coming, I would definitely prepare a sumptuous banquet. It's a pity that the cost of maintaining the castle is huge, and I don't have enough manpower. My castle kitchen is enough for a hundred cooks to cook at the same time. It's a pity that I didn't Money hires so many cooks."

Ed said, "We have wine and food to share with you."

So Ed ordered the entourage to send black truffles, maple syrup, barrels of vodka and blue nobles. After drinking and eating, Ed sent scented candles to replace the tallow candles in the hall.Countess Sheila accepted the gift with a grateful face.

Countess Sheila is a kind-hearted old man, but she is sad because she has lived alone in the halls of Harrenhal for many years.

Under the candlelight, Countess Sheila said: "Lord Ed, I met you for the first time during the Harrenhal Tournament. You were so young at that time, and you also had your brother Brandon and your brother Bunyan. Alas, it is a pity that your brother died many years ago, and my four sons and daughters were all buried in King Robert's Rebellion."

The "Wrong Spring" Harrenhal Tournament was a fond memory of many Westeros nobles in their lives. Ed, Brandon, Bunyan, and Lyanna participated in the grand gathering of Harrenhal together. The little Zedi Howland Reed shines as a knight of the Laughing Tree.

Countess Sheila was very sad when she mentioned the Harrenhal Tournament that year.

"At that time, my husband, my four sons and daughters were the masters of Harrenhal. The tournament attracted merchants from all over the world, hired knights, wandering warriors, nobles from all over the world, craftsmen, and tens of thousands of people gathered here Harrenhal. The Hean family at that time showed the wealth and power of the family to the nobles from all over the Seven Kingdoms."

"At that time, our family was in full bloom! We laughed at the curse of Harrenhal, thinking that the descendants of He'an could reproduce in Harrenhal for generations, changing the bad luck of the previous lords of Harrenhal. We are Rhaegar The prince's confidant, as long as Prince Rhaegar ascends the throne and sits on the Iron Throne, the He'an family can rise to a higher level."

"Unfortunately, the situation changed suddenly. Robert's warhammer killed Prince Rhaegar on the Trident River. The Targaryen dynasty fell. My four sons all died fighting for the true dragon, but they ended up as a traitor. After submitting to the knees, the territory was reduced, and the family quickly declined, and now I am the only old woman left, lingering in Harrenhal."

Ed said: "Countess Sheila, if you are willing to go to Winterfell, I can let you spend your old age in peace. I have many children in my family, hundreds of adopted children, and your life will no longer be lonely."

Countess Sheila smiled wryly and said, "Thank you Lord Ed for your kindness, but my father and children are buried in Harrenhal, and I can't leave them. My natal family is the Grafson family in Seagull Town, and today's Seagull The Earl of the town, Gerald Grafson, is my nephew, and he has been inviting me to live in the monastery in Seagull Town, but I have declined."

"Last year, Earl Jello sent a son to Harrenhal as an adopted son, but when the child arrived in Harrenhal, he became ill and cried all day long, saying that there were ghosts in Harrenhal, so Earl Jello had no choice but to take the child back. .”

The Grafson family in Seagull Town is rich and powerful. It seems that the Grafson family also wants to get their hands on Harrenhal through their relationship with Countess Sheila, which is a potential competitor.

Countess Sheila said: "Master Ed, you go to King's Landing, don't forget to petition King Robert for me, asking him to send troops to wipe out the bandits around Harrenhal. I can't recruit soldiers to wipe out these bandits. Seriously insufficient, I'm afraid these bandits will attack the castle."

Ed said: "That's good, I will leave 300 people for you. These are soldiers of the Winter Wolf Army. They can usually help you work in Harrenhal, repair the castle, and farm. If the bandits come, the Winter Wolf Army Will help you drive away the bandits."

Countess Sheila showed a gratified smile, "I will always remember Lord Ed's kindness."

Although the Winter Wolves stationed at Harrenhal had only 300 troops, they were enough to control Harrenhal at critical moments. Once they controlled Harrenhal, they strangled the heartland of the Seven Kingdoms.

That night, Ed and Caitlin slept in the huge empty guest room, and he fell asleep.

In the dream, Ed was attached to the body of the direwolf Nightwalker, and he ran in the godswood of Harrenhal, where the heart tree was hideous, twisted, and full of pain.

The godswood is full of ghosts. Ed saw the king wearing a driftwood crown, wet all over, praying to the sea with his descendants, and was instantly swallowed by dragon flames.

A wretched lord who had his life cut off and bled to death under the godswood; a one-eyed prince who hugged the pregnant belly of a dark-haired woman and uttered kinsering curses; a crazy woman with bats crawling all over her shoulders , she tore open the baby's body and drank the blood
There was a sudden whisper from the weirwood bracelet.

It was the voice of the Three-Eyed Raven.

"Don't be with ghosts! Remember to go to Qianmian Islet in God's Eye Lake, visit the wooden dancer, and remind her that the cold god is approaching, and winter is coming!"

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(End of this chapter)