iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 305 Honor and Truth

The moonlight was like water, and Jaime Lannister sat alone under a big tree, looking at the distant south with drunken eyes.

The cool night breeze gently blew over his face, and James smiled drunkenly. It was like Cersei's fingertips. He closed his eyes and greedily enjoyed this tenderness...

In the empty darkness, James was alone, surrounded by tall, hooded, faceless shadows.

Why am I here? !
He asked: Who are you?

James wanted to draw his sword, but found that he was naked.

One of the dark figures suddenly transformed into Cersei, pale and beautiful, holding a torch.

He asked: Cersei? Why are we here?
Cersei sneered: We? No, Jaime, this is your place, your darkness.

After saying that, she turned around and left with her only light.

James begged: Don't go! do not leave Me!
There was no response, only the faint sound of footsteps getting further away.

They swarmed towards James.

I had no choice... James stumbled back.

Oswell River: You swore to protect him.

Jaime opened his eyes wide. He was... Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne.

Arthur Dayne: You killed the king...

They spread out and surrounded him.

Their swords were unsheathed, but there was no sound.

Gerold Hightower: You killed the king you were sworn to protect...

Five people, these five people are his sworn brothers, the Kingsguard of Aerys II: Ser Oswell River and Ser Jon Darry, Prince of Dorne Lewin Martell, "The White Bull" "Gerold Hightower, "Sword of Dawn" Arthur Dayne.

Levon Martell: You slit his throat...

Jaime shouted: He will burn the capital and leave Robert with ashes.

Other dark figures wearing heavy armor advanced step by step from the darkness without saying a word or making any sound.

…………

Prince Rhaegar: I give my wife and children into your hands.

James explained painfully: I was with the king, and I didn't know he would hurt them.

Soon the mist drifted back from the shoulders, and the black figures gradually became clear... They were all wearing white armor and white cloaks, holding unpatterned white shields. Although their helmets were tightly closed, James did not need to see their faces. , already understand who they are.

Jon Darry: He is your king.

There was another one, and the Kingsguard stepped aside, revealing a man with long flowing hair wearing a crown of mist and grief.

Prince Rhaegar's body burned, emitting a cold light, sometimes white, sometimes red, sometimes black.

Lewin Martell: sworn to protect the royal descendants.

Arthur Dayne: We made a sacred oath.

James woke up suddenly, his heart beating wildly, sweating profusely, and trembling.

His chest kept rising and falling, and he panted for a while before gradually recovering. He murmured, "Did I just fall asleep?"

Above the head is the bright moon and starry sky, and the shadows of the surrounding trees are whirling.

Huh~ James exhaled slowly.

There was silence for a while, but he suddenly smashed the wine glass to the ground angrily.

Aerys, he had lived in that man's shadow his whole life. The closer he got to King's Landing, the more frequent his nightmares became.

He laughed at himself, thinking back on the time he spent in the prison cell at Riverrun, it was actually a rare relaxing day for him.

Gudong, gudong, James picked up the wine bottle and took a big gulp of wine.

He wiped his mouth haphazardly, his eyes looking towards the south filled with determination.

Jaime can't bear to be separated from Cersei, and no one wants to let them be separated again!

Perhaps Stannis did a good deed by spreading their "story" everywhere, so now there's nothing to hide!
For hundreds of years, no matter the monks, nobles or people, they have turned a blind eye to the Targaryens. Why can't we Lannister? !
The wine made James' mood fluctuate greatly. He wanted to fly to the Red Keep immediately, and from then on... he slept with her every night.

"Hey, brother, your eyes really look like an old guest in the women's branch." Tyrion's voice sounded from far to near.

Ser Jaime looked sideways and saw his good brother limping towards him.

After Tyrion got closer, he looked at the slightly embarrassed old man and said with a smile: "I was wrong. You are actually more like a... beauty who just got the golden dragon."

Ser Jaime glanced at Tyrion sideways, picked up an empty wine glass and threw it away: "I just had an unpleasant dream."

Catching the wine glass, Tyrion glanced at the two empty flagons that fell at Jaime's feet.

With a splash, Jaime poured him wine, and Tyrion asked with a smile: "What did you dream about?"

After filling up the wine in silence, James put the wine bottle away before replying: "I dreamed of a few dead people, and they wanted to judge my crimes."

Tyrion rolled his eyes slightly and asked: "That mad king who likes to play with fire?" Sir Jaime looked up and stared at the stars for a while, shook his head and said: "His guards, and his son."

Tyrion laughed: "That must be lively."

Brother Jaime fell into silence, and Tyrion glanced around. He found a silvery wine glass on the ground not far away. Walking over, he picked up the wine glass, shook it first, and then wiped the dirt on it with his sleeve.

With a splash, Tyrion poured wine into the "new" wine glass and handed it to Jaime.

Tyrion grinned: "James, I actually like your nickname, Kingslayer...it sounds much more majestic than the little devil."

Sir James took the wine glass and took a long sip. Then he frowned, why did it smell like earth... Being quite drunk, he didn't think much and took another sip.

James's voice seemed to be mocking: "The Kingkiller..."

Tyrion sat next to James, took a sip of wine happily, and said, "Dear brother, are you also satisfied with this title?"

Seeing that James was silent, Tyrion restrained his joking expression, paused, and said, "James, are you regretting it? I don't think it's necessary."

He sighed softly: "I used wildfire when fighting Stannis, and I know its horror. At that time, the Mad King wanted to use wildfire to bathe hundreds of thousands of people in King's Landing. You had to make a rational choice. ”

He shrugged: "The world only mentions your breaking the oath, as if it was discussed in advance, and does not mention your salvation. This will indeed make you uncomfortable. But..."

He reached out and patted his brother's arm, grinning: "I believe that truly good people will be grateful for your sacrifice and contribution to this kingdom, and I am one of them."

After looking at his brother for a while, Sir Jaime moved his gaze to a distance and said, "Tyrion, I'm not that great..."

He murmured: "Breaking oaths...sacrifice...save...regret..."

After finishing the remaining wine in the glass in one gulp, Jaime paused and said suddenly: "Tyrion, I regret it. The person who makes me regret it...is not Aerys, but Robert."

He seemed to be recalling: "Robert said to me at the banquet after the coronation ceremony... I heard that they call you the Kingslayer, don't make it a habit! Then, everyone around him followed him, haha laughing out loud."

There was a mocking arc at the corner of his mouth: "I was thinking, why didn't anyone stand up... and call Robert the Oathbreaker? He betrayed Targaryen, he divided the kingdom, he provoked war, and in the end people only called Robert the Oathbreaker. Shit fell on my head."

He shook hands into fists: "Everything Robert did was for his own pride, for a pretty face and a woman!"

"Because he grabbed the iron chair," Tyrion said as he poured wine into Jaime's goblet.

James recalled the scene when he saw Eddard Stark in the throne room, silently, with only a pair of gray eyes speaking: cold, full of condemnation and judgment.

Let the white robe be put to shame... He was wearing golden armor that day...

James took a sip of wine and continued: "After Prime Minister Jon Connington was defeated at the Battle of the Bell, King Aerys exiled him."

When the Stark-Arryn-Tully forces attacked the Royalist army led by Prime Minister Jon Connington in Stonehall, all the septs in Stonehall rang bells to warn the people to lock their doors and windows, so the battle was called It's called the Battle of the Bells.

Prior to the arrival of the Stark-Arryn-Tully forces, Jon Connington could have easily surrounded Robert hiding in Stonehall, ending the rebellion before Robert's reinforcements could arrive. But Jon Connington believed it was too dishonorable to kill innocent men, women, and children, and he finally decided... to kill Robert himself in an honorable way. As a result, Robert arrived with his reinforcements and defeated the royal army.

After the Battle of the Bell, Aerys II believed Jon Connington was responsible for the defeat and stripped him of his titles and fiefdoms, and banished him.

…………

Jaime continued: "At this time, King Aerys already understood that Robert was by no means a rebellion that could be solved casually, but the greatest threat Targaryen had faced since Daemon Blackfyre. So he rudely reminded Lewen ·Prince Martell was concerned about Princess Elia's safety and ordered him to immediately go south along the King's Road and take over 10,000 Dornish troops to go north to support King's Landing. "

"At the same time, Jon Darry and Barristan Selmy were sent to Stonehall Town to contain Jon Connington's defeated army. Prince Rhaegar also returned from the south and persuaded King Aerys to restrain his pride and call our father for reinforcements. But...no matter how many messenger ravens were sent to Casterly Rock, there was no response. King Aerys became increasingly frightened and distrustful of anyone, but Varys only added fuel to the fire and made a long list of traitors."

"Finally, King Aerys made up his mind and summoned the favored pyromancers and ordered them to bury jars of wildfire all over King's Landing. From the bottom of the Great Sept of Baelor to the shanties in Flea Bottom, the stables and warehouses, the seven city gates, and the dragon's lair. , and even... there are wildfire jars placed in the cellar of the Red Keep."

Tyrion couldn't help but sigh: "He is indeed the Mad King."

James nodded slightly and said: "This is top secret. It was arranged personally by a few of the most favored pyromancers. Even their assistants don't know about it. Queen Leila had long ignored the king's behavior. As the commander-in-chief of the army, Prince Jia is busy preparing for war, but the new prime minister, Earl Colton Chested, is not an idiot. Anyone who sees a few pyromancers coming and going all day long will have doubts. "

Lord Colton Chested is the royal family and the patriarch of the Chested family. He was originally the finance minister of Aerys II. After Prime Minister Jon Connington was expelled, he was promoted to Prime Minister.

James's memory became clearer and clearer: "Earl Chested usually behaved very cowardly, but that day... he bravely met King Aerys, and he asked the king to give up his crazy plan. He first argued with reason... and then joked Jokes... then threats to dissuade... and finally pleading... When everything was in vain, he angrily tore off the prime minister's necklace and threw it at the king's feet. "

Sadness flashed in his eyes: "For this reason, King Aerys roasted his new Prime Minister alive, and awarded the position of Prime Minister to the most favored pyromancer, Rosat."

He smiled self-deprecatingly: "During this period, I have been wearing a white robe, standing silently under the Iron Throne, guarding my king and his lovely little secret."

Tyrion took a sip of his wine and said, "The Mad King only keeps you by his side because he doesn't trust you."

Jaime nodded: "Because I am the son of Tywin Lannister, he wants me to stay in the eyes of King Aerys, day and night, and I am not allowed to leave. Therefore, I have no regard for King Aerys's deeds." "Clearly."

Jaime still remembered the madness and excitement in King Aerys's eyes when Rosat's pyromancer unfolded the distribution map of buried wildfire.

He took a breath and continued: "Later, when the news came that Prince Rhaegar had died in battle, King Aerys arranged for Queen Rhaella to take Prince Viserys to Dragonstone at night. But he did not allow Princess Elise (Rhaegar) wife) left King's Landing... In his crazy mind, Rhaegar's failure had long been attributed to the betrayal of Prince Lewin Martell (Kingsguard). He put Princess Elise, Rhaenys (Thunder) Gar's daughter) and Aegon (Rhaegar's son) were kept as hostages to keep the Dornish people loyal."

The usurpers must not seize my royal capital... I will leave them a city of ashes... I will turn Robert, the traitor, into blackened bones and roasted flesh... King Aerys's hoarse screams still echo in Jaime's ears. ear.

Tyrion couldn't help but widen his eyes: "I didn't expect that the reason Rhaegar's wife and children didn't go to Dragonstone... was because of this kind of thing? Haha, Lord Tywin used the 'gift' left by the Mad King to please him. "Robert, this...well, the truth is really cruel."

"Tyrion, actually King Aerys doesn't really want to die."

Jaime's voice was full of sarcasm: "He is the same as Aerion, the 'Bright Flame' in the past. He believes that the flame can reborn him, turn into a real dragon, and avenge Targaryen's enemies."

Aerion Targaryen, the second son of Maekar I, called himself Aerion "Bright Flame". He firmly believed that wildfire could turn him into a true dragon. In the end... he died by drinking a jar of wildfire directly.

Tyrion took a silent sip of wine. When he was a child, he had had that idea after reading books about Targaryen dragons. Fortunately, he was timid and very afraid of pain.

After a pause, James continued: "Father sent someone to tell me that the Lannister family would stand on the side of the winner. Rhaegar died in the battle, and he led the Lannister army to King's Landing first. He chose Robert, Determined to avenge King Aerys for years of injustice and past insults, Pycelle tricked King Aerys into believing that the Lannister came to protect the Iron Throne of Targaryen, and so he marched towards our father at the gates of King's Landing. wide open.”

(End of this chapter)