iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 430: Under the Rushing City 7
Old Xiong laughed heartily again, and everyone couldn't help but laugh along.

Master Alliser snorted coldly and said, "If it weren't for the Iron Throne, he would definitely not have come all the way here. Haha, the threat of the White Walkers is already here, but these people only care about their own power and interests. They are always like this."

Old Xiong coughed a few times before he stopped laughing. He turned his head to glance at the instructor and said, "The Night's Watch don't need to worry about the things in the south. We only need to guard the Great Wall."

Master Alliser opened his mouth and said, "Lord Commander, the Night's Watch should ask the nobles in the south to stop the civil war and join forces to deal with the invasion of the White Walkers."

Old Bear shrugged. "The problem is that the southern nobles all think the Night's Watch is joking. You should understand this, my coach."

Master Alliser sneered: "Even if we throw living wights in front of them, I never believe that they will put the responsibility of resisting the White Walkers first. They will always be more concerned about the fight for the Iron Throne."

Tyrion turned back to look at Alliser and suddenly grinned. "Master, if you can convince His Majesty Stannis to marry Queen Cersei, I promise that the war in the Seven Kingdoms will end immediately, and everyone will come here to fight the White Walkers."

Alliser Thorne sneered: "I do not believe that a group of usurpers can be so great."

Then he pointed his finger at Tyrion and said, "Lannister, you are the son of a usurper, and I will not trust your loyalty to the Night's Watch."

Tyrion spread his hands and smiled. "You are absolutely right. Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knows that Lord Tywin loves his dwarf son the most. Please be vigilant."

"You little dwarf who can only move his tongue, you are a disgrace to the Night's Watch..."

"Elissa."

The voice of Old Xiong interrupted the coach's words. He said seriously: "The Night's Watch never gets involved in the disputes of the Seven Kingdoms. This is a tradition we must follow."

After looking into Old Bear's deep eyes, Ailisha's chest rose and fell slowly. He moved his lips and said, "I'm sorry, Commander-in-Chief."

The old bear lowered his eyes to look at Tyrion and said, "Stannis already has a wife. My steward, don't let me hear such jokes again."

Tyrion bowed obediently. "I will follow your instructions... Sorry, I will watch my tongue."

Maester Aemon's old voice sounded: "If the Night's Watch breaks the eight thousand years of tradition, anyone in the Seven Kingdoms will have an excuse to interfere in the affairs of the Night's Watch."

Old Xiong laughed loudly, nodded, and said, "This is exactly what I wanted to express."

…………

Snowflakes fluttered, clattering, clattering—the powerful sound of horse hooves came from far away, penetrating the biting cold wind.

Hundreds of cavalrymen stopped in front of Castle Black, the flaming red heart banner crackled in the wind, and the red-gold crown on Stannis Baratheon's head gleamed in the sun.

The old bear led everyone to the front and stroked his chest and said, "Your Majesty Stannis, welcome to your visit. The Night's Watch salutes you."

Sitting on the saddle, Stannis looked down at the people who were saluting for a while. Tyrion's short figure was very conspicuous in the crowd, and his gaze lingered on the dwarf for a moment.

Stannis' voice was as cold as winter. "Lord Commander Mormont, I wish to know the status of the Wall at once."

"Of course, this is the duty of the night watchman." After a pause, Old Xiong looked around and said, "Shall we go in and talk?"

Stannis nodded his chin lightly, and in the crowd... Tyrion's eyes couldn't help but turn slightly. Although he didn't see any other expressions on his stone-like face, he felt that the stag was still a little satisfied with the bear's straightforward response.

Tyrion's eyes suddenly moved. Eh, a beauty? !
Stannis's standard-bearer was a woman without a banner, and he saw a beautiful face beneath the bright red hood.

Their eyes met and she gave him a gentle smile.

There was the sound of horse hooves as Old Bear jumped on his horse and led Stannis and his men into the Black Castle.

Ser Bronn glanced at the people in the distance, then turned to Tyrion who was still standing there, and smiled obscenely: "My lord, she is indeed charming."

Tyrion seemed to come back to his senses. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "It is very charming, but also very dangerous."

Compared to Stannis's gaze that was like a knife "scraping" across his body, those scarlet eyes made Tyrion feel more inexplicably frightened.

"Dangerous? I've heard of her. She's called King Stannis's witch..." Ser Bronn pinched his chin, paused, and said, "Well, the king's night must be wonderful."

Tyrion grinned. "If it's too beautiful, it's not beautiful anymore."

As he spoke, his smile faded and he asked seriously, "How old do you think Stannis is?"

Ser Bronn thought for a moment, scratched his hair, and said, "Fifty...more than sixty?"

Tyrion shook his head. "He's thirty-five. He's only two years older than Jaime, but his appearance now... I even see age spots on his face. The defeat on the battlefield might have affected Stannis, but it's impossible for him to age to this degree. He's a man of pure iron known to all the Seven Kingdoms."

Sir Bronn's previous warm fantasy was shattered. He couldn't help but glance in the direction of Castle Black and said, "Do you suspect that the king's witch has seized the king's... What method did she use? Hiss..."

As he spoke, Bronn took a deep breath, perhaps thinking of something. The air was cold, and he kept coughing.

Tyrion chuckled and said, "These are just my own guesses, Bronn."

Ser Bronn coughed a few more times, then leaned closer to Tyrion. "My lord, did Lord Green tell you about Stannis's red woman?"

Hearing this, Tyrion raised his eyebrows: "You seem to know a lot more than I thought?"

Ser Bronn immediately showed a familiar look of vulgarity on his face: "My dear lord, Bronn is always loyal to you."

Tyrion eyed Bronn suspiciously, then shrugged. "He told me to stay away from her as much as possible."

After waiting for a while, Bronn asked, "And then?"

Tyrion spread his hands and said, "No, well, nothing happened."

Ser Bronn scratched his hair and asked tentatively, "Does this mean that... Duke Green doesn't think she is very dangerous?"

"Let's go."

Tyrion took another step and continued, "Perhaps you can try, but I think the word 'stay away' is enough to prove her danger." He paused, patted Bronn's thigh, and said, "Mercenary, from now on, the two of us must be inseparable. This is my order."

…………

In the great hall of Castle Black, Stannis stood before a roaring hearth, while the others stood around him.

"Mance Rayder? Has this former traitor of the Night's Watch become the King-Beyond-the-Wall? Mormont, you sent me ravens warning me that he was leading an army of wildlings south. Now tell me...how many soldiers does he have?"

The old bear paused and said, "Your Majesty Stannis, we have not yet clearly understood the exact number of people."

Stannis asked coldly: "If you haven't found any concrete information yet, why ask for help from the Seven Kingdoms? Has the Night's Watch learned the clown's behavior now?"

Old Xiong was silent for a moment, then slowly replied, "Tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of savages."

Stannis's teeth chattered. "A ridiculous number. Jeor Mormont, if I had the power to do you, I would hang you immediately."

Maester Aemon trembled as he stepped out from behind the old bear and said, "Your Majesty, the number of Night's Watch Rangers is insufficient to conduct a large-scale investigation. We can only be sure that many... or most of the wildlings are heading south, and their goal is to break through the Wall."

Hearing Aemon's voice, Stannis's deep blue eyes moved slightly, and his tightly pursed lips opened slightly: "Aemon Targaryen."

Maester Aemon bowed slightly. "I am only Aemon. The maester swore an oath to give up his family name when he put on the necklace."

Stannis stared at Maester Aemon for a moment, then nodded slightly. When his gaze turned back to the old bear, there was a noise from the direction of the door. Tyrion limped over, followed by Ser Bronn.

In the solemn atmosphere, Tyrion walked through several people and came to the front. He touched his chest respectfully, put on a smile on his face, and said, "Your Majesty Stannis, I'm sorry, my legs are short and I'm late."

Stannis stared for a moment, then said, "Tyrion Lannister...it was you who burned my fleet at the gates of King's Landing. You have defeated me."

Tyrion glanced at the red-robed woman standing next to Stannis, bowed, and said sadly: "Your Majesty, I apologize to you for the crimes I have committed. I..."

Stannis waved his hand and interrupted. "Defeating me is not the crime; betraying the rightful king is. You have donned the black cloak, and the laws of the realm absolve you of all past wrongs and crimes. I have no right to pursue you."

Ignoring Tyrion, Stannis looked at the old bear and said, "Let's continue. Tell me about the deployment of the Night's Watch on the Wall."

Under Stannis's sharp gaze, Old Bear spoke slowly, "There are a total of 721 Night's Watchmen on the Wall, stationed at Castle Black, the Shadow Tower, and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea (a small port town belonging to the Night's Watch)."

Stannis frowned. "As far as I know, there are nineteen castles along the three hundred miles of the Wall."

His teeth chattered again as he stared coldly at the commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch. The people around him suddenly felt the cold wind outside blowing into the house, making them shiver uncontrollably.

Melisandre approached lightly, her pale and slender hand resting on Stannis' arm, and said gently: "Your Majesty, this is why the Lord of Light has directed you here. Today, the Night's Watch is powerless to stop the invasion of darkness."

Master Alliser glanced at the old bear who was scratching his head, stood up and said, "Stannis Baratheon, the Lord Commander will lead all the Night's Watch to defend the Wall to the last man. Moreover, the Night's Watch will never become a bargaining chip in your fight for the Iron Throne."

"I know the history of the Night's Watch."

Stannis glanced coldly at the Night's Watch. "I can also assure you that I will not ask you to raise an army against the traitors and usurpers who are causing me so much trouble. I will not repeat myself. I am here for one reason only. As the lawful king, I am fulfilling my duty and obligation."

After a pause, he fixed his gaze on the old bear: "Lord Commander Mormont, I will make up for the defense of the Wall, but I want the castle and the 'Gift of Land'."

[The gifted land is 150 miles of land south of the Wall. In the east, it is a large area of ​​rolling plains, all the way to the Shivering Sea, and in the west, it is an increasing number of woodlands and mountains, all the way to the Bay of Ice. In order to support the Night's Watch, this land was permanently given to them as a source of livelihood. 】

Stannis's blunt remarks caused a strong reaction from the Night's Watch present.

"The gifted land is the land of the Night's Watch!"

"You are robbing!"

"Robbers are not welcome on the Night's Watch!"

When the Night's Watchmen stopped talking, Stannis crossed his arms and said, "I have brought five thousand men with me. If I wish, I can indeed take it by force, but I would rather seek your consent and obtain it legally."

Master Alliser shouted angrily: "You should know that the Gifted Land is permanently given to the Night's Watch!"

Stannis glanced at Alliser and nodded. "According to the laws of the kingdom, I cannot seize, confiscate, or deprive you of the increased territory of the Night's Watch. But a gift can be given and it can be given again. You should consider my proposal rationally instead of being angry and useless."

There was a long moment of solemn silence. The old bear stared at Stannis's stone-like face and said, "Your Majesty, I want to know why you want the gift of land?"

"To put it to good use, of course."

Stannis snorted coldly and continued, "The status of Eastwatch, Castle Black, and the Shadow Tower remains unchanged. They are still in your hands. But in order to complete the defense of the Wall, the other castles must be handed over to me for protection."

Old Xiong frowned and said, "Most of the castles on the Great Wall are almost in ruins and are no longer suitable..."

Stannis interrupted coldly: "Ruins can be rebuilt."

Old Xiong glanced at the people around him and asked in surprise, "You mean to rebuild? How to rebuild?"

Stannis snorted again. "That is my concern. Your task is to bring me a list as soon as possible, detailing the exact condition of the abandoned castles and the materials needed to rebuild them. Within a year, I will have garrisons stationed at every castle on the Wall and night fires lit at their gates."

"Light the night fire?"

Seeing that Old Bear was confused, Maester Aemon explained to him: "This is a common ritual of the red priests of Essos, similar to the prayer of the Seven Kingdoms."

"The night is long and dark."

Melisandre lifted her hood, her bright copper-red hair falling on her shoulders. Her red eyes slowly swept over the crowd and said, "Swords cannot resist darkness. Only the light of the true God can do that. Never underestimate the power of darkness, brave men of the Night's Watch. The war we are about to fight is not for land or glory, but a war between the living and the dead."

Her eyes seemed to burn with fire: "If King Stannis fails, the world will die with him."

(End of this chapter)