Dominate the Game of Thrones with Mount and Blade

Chapter 195 Second Son Act

There is a common rule in Westeros that a lord cannot be the lord of two territories.

Even kings and royal families generally do not rule large areas outside the royal territory. There are very few territories belonging to the royal family outside the royal territory, and only a few small villages such as Tongfenshu Village in the River Land are registered.

So in order to convince the nobles, Winterfell should be handled tactfully.

Sansa's brother, Rickon Stark, is still in a northern castle near the Shivering Sea. After Winterfell is captured by the Valemen and the North is safe for the Stark family members, Rickon is sure Will show up.

But Arthur didn't want the kid to get Winterfell, so he came up with a compromise plan.

"The Knight of the Nine Star City in the Vale, Simon Temperton has Stark blood. In fact, he and Yohn Royce, and the late husband of Lady Anya Waywood, are the only ones you have except Duke Rickard Stark. The closest relative to a descendant.”

The king first revealed to his foolish wife her relationship with Sir Simon Temperton.

"I have met this old knight, and I have a pretty good impression. Moreover, he only has the title of knight, and will never claim the inheritance rights of the family names and territories of top nobles like the Stark family. He will be in charge of Winterfell on your behalf. is the most suitable choice.”

After Arthur and Margaery's wedding, some rumors reached the king's ears.

Someone is testing whether the ministers of the royal council and the king support the Royce family and the Waynwood family to inherit Winterfell and the Warden of the North.

But how could Arthur agree?

The Stark family is one of the top nobles. In layman's terms, they are one of the three great emperors of Westeros.

Use Sansa's identity as the only surviving Stark mainline to first lock down the Duke of Winterfell, wait until Rickon shows up, and then seal him to the Dreadfort, which has no owner. This is Arthur's Intend.

Sansa listened to her husband's words very seriously, and then asked: "When one of our sons reaches adulthood, he can inherit the North, right?"

She was very satisfied with this arrangement.

"That's right." Arthur replied affirmatively. "According to tradition, when he inherits Winterfell, he will change his surname to Stark so that this ancient bloodline can be passed on."

Theoretically, except for newly promoted families, basically all nobles can trace their origins back thousands of years.

"You are such a qualified husband and father!" Sansa combed her maroon hair, then sat up and gave Arthur a sweet kiss who was sitting beside the big feather bed.

The king gently stroked her pregnant belly a few times. She had been pregnant for several months.

"Pack on more clothes when it gets cold...let your Harrenhal maids be smarter...only let familiar people into your room..."

In a rare moment of tenderness, Arthur whispered a few words of caution.

Sansa agreed one by one, and then said casually: "Actually, the maids can't do much. You know, there are ladies and noble ladies around me, and they do most of the things."

After the wedding of Arthur and Margaery, most of the ladies and ladies returned to their own territories, but many stayed in the Red Castle and King's Landing.

Among them were Margaery's aunt, Jaina Tyrell, Lady Blackcrown City's Alexa Bulwer, Arlan Tyrell, Menedith Crane, and seven or eight others.

These people are nominally Queen Margaery's female companions, but in fact they are equivalent to maids who can talk to each other when they are around the queen.

The distance between the northern castles is too long, so there is no habit of holding gatherings in the lord's castle as often as in the Reach, and Sansa does not use her female companions as maids.

But after the Reachers brought their traditions to King's Landing, the influenced Stark Queen soon did the same.

After all, she didn't want to bow her head in front of Margaery.

"By the way, what happened to that Miss Riverbend? She is from the Red Lake Klein family, right? How come she got mixed up with the people from Riverbend?"

Arthur thought of Menedith among the group of female companions he saw earlier, and asked this question.

"Why, can't I establish a deep friendship with a lady from the Reach?" Sansa did not answer directly.

His wife's appropriate stupidity left Arthur speechless, and he decided to ask Brienne, who served as a guard, to keep an eye on the Reachers.

It is essential to be on guard against others.

The two chatted for a long time, and Sansa, who became stupid after entering her pregnancy, finally remembered another more important thing.

"What do you think of Dickon Tarly? I want to find a fiancé for Miss Elano Mouton who is worthy of her status as the eldest daughter of the Lord of Maidenpool."

Elano is the eldest daughter of Earl William Mouton. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, she is indeed at the age to discuss marriage.

Arthur thought about this proposal and thought it was feasible.

He has decided to support the Tully family and the Tyrell family in the conflict in the hinterland of the Riverlands. The Mouton family has always supported the Targaryen family, so it is a wiser choice to bring the Tully family into this marriage circle.

"Yes, William Mouton is loyal enough, and her daughter deserves to be the heir son of the Minister of Justice."

The king agreed to this matter, and as for the subsequent development, it was left to the two married women around Sansa to contact and promote.

After comforting Sansa, Arthur returned to the king's bedroom on the third floor to rest.

This is the largest room in the entire Maegor's House. Two independent fireplaces are burning brightly. As expected, the feather bed that can accommodate seven or eight people lying side by side is already occupied.

"You're such a busy king!" Arianne Martell, lying on the bed, complained coquettishly.

"Of course, I have to worry not only about the affairs of the kingdom, but also about the woman I love."

Arthur took off his robe and started a new night of fighting.

...

Red Keep, Traitor's Corridor.

Before the new day's royal meeting, Tristan Legg, the commander of the King's Landing Garrison, suddenly found the king and claimed that there was an important person who needed the king to meet in person.

"He first called himself Sir Parmen Crane, and then admitted that he was just a little knight in the River Bay, but he had a message from Earl Matus Rowan to tell your majesty in person."

In the dark corridor leading to the Red Envelope Dungeon, Tristan introduced with a torch.

Originally, Tristan didn't want to trouble the king with such a small matter, but Yuri Urmis, who was caught by the garrison soldiers, insisted that his matter was very important, and clearly pointed out that the king had a Valyrian dagger given by his lord Earl Rowan to verify his identity.

Tristan had only heard that the king had such a dagger, but had not actually seen it, so he took it seriously and asked the king to deal with it.

"You have to distinguish the priorities of affairs. If I have to do every little thing in person, I will be so busy that I will die."

Arthur was a little dissatisfied with this. He was about to arrange some important matters at today's royal meeting. But Matus was in charge of the 10,000 troops in the river bay in the south. If he really sent someone to report something to the king, the king would not ignore it.

"The main thing is that he accurately described your dagger, so I think what he said later should be true."

Tristan led the king to the destination, and then pointed out Yuri, who was beaten black and blue, to the king.

Although his facial features were beaten so hard to recognize, Arthur still recognized that this person was indeed the knight next to Matus.

"What do you want to tell me, Matus?" The king looked down at the downtrodden knight with iron shackles on his hands and feet.

"Your Majesty, can you ask this gentleman to leave first? Lord Matus said that this matter is very important and I must tell you alone." Yuri said hurriedly when he saw the king really appear in front of him.

"No need, Lord Tristan is someone I trust very much, you can speak it out without worry."

Arthur waved his hand and asked the man to speak quickly.

Seeing this, Yuri had to honestly pass Matus's message to the king.

"My master asked me to report to His Majesty that the intelligence dealer Varys the Spider is not dead. He is still alive and actively working in King's Landing, contacting allies for the Golden Group and Little Aegon..."

Yuri told the king the whole story.

It turned out that the River Reach Army led by Matus captured several little birds and Golden Group soldiers from King's Landing. Earl Rowan personally pried out their purpose of going south from the captives:

Get the next instructions from Little Aegon and the leader of the Golden Group, Harry Strickland.

"The spider's activities are fruitful. One courtier is willing to cooperate. These are the words of the little birds. My lord speculates that it was the eunuch Varys who contacted a member of the Council of Kings and planned to make trouble when you left King's Landing and went south to fight." Yuri added.

This information surprised Arthur a little, but also made him feel fortunate that this trip was not in vain.

"Who will be the member of the Council of Kings? Did Matus find out who it was?"

The king asked.

"My lord guessed it was Lord Randyll Tarly." Yuri was very honest and directly let Lord Rowan speak out his thoughts, "He thinks Varys is likely to use Brightwater City and the half of the territory as a promise to make Lord Randyll reach some agreement with the Golden Company."

Arthur nodded, "It makes sense. I will consider this possibility."

In the Council of Kings, there are only a few people from the River Bay who can be related to the Golden Company.

Because the main senior officers of the Golden Company are descendants of nobles who were exiled during the Blackfyre Rebellion, and these people are more or less related to the nobles of the River Bay.

The king, who had received the information, was about to turn around and leave when he heard Yuri's last words:

"Your Majesty, my lord said that if you lead your army south as soon as possible to defeat Little Aegon and the Golden Group, all conspiracies will be nothing but a mirage."

This made Arthur quite excited. If he could quickly defeat the Golden Group, or even expel them from the Stormlands without defeating them, his rule would be greatly consolidated.

After leaving the dungeon, the king and the servants waiting outside returned to the meeting hall.

Tristan Ryger heard the whole conversation, but he was very calm at the royal meeting with Randyll Tarly.

When all the participants arrived, Paxter Redwyne, who wore the King's Hand emblem on his chest, first recommended the successor to the king.

"Your Majesty, Baelor Hightower of the Hightower family is wise and intelligent, and has performed very well in dealing with the actions of the Ironborn. I think it is a very good choice for him to be the Hightower."

The lord of the Arbor recommended the heir of Hightower from the three major families of the River Bay.

"Is it the Laughing Baelor? I think it's okay. We can start sending ravens to invite this knight to King's Landing." Arthur, sitting on the main seat, smiled, as if he was very satisfied with the proposal.

In fact, the king was indeed very satisfied. Members of the Royal Council did not necessarily mean power. Just like the Mad King took Jaime as a Kingsguard in order to use him as a hostage, as long as Baelor Hightower came to King's Landing, he could also have the status of a hostage.

Paxter smiled and flattered Arthur I as a wise king, and then the Royal Council began to formally discuss what to deal with today.

"The war in the south is the most urgent matter right now. I propose to gather another army and set off from the Reach to attack the Golden Company and Little Aegon from both sides with Count Matus's army."

Minister of War Inis made a small display of his presence.

The other members of the Royal Council had no objection to this, and Arthur also felt that this should be the case.

"Then let Ser Loras Tyrell lead some people and recruit an army of about 10,000 to 15,000 people in the eastern part of the River Bend in my name, preparing to attack the Golden Company huddled in the southern part of the Stormlands. "

The king ordered.

The war potential of the Reach is large enough. The standing army and levy troops can be mobilized to the maximum extent. The number of soldiers that can be drawn out is between 100,000 and 120,000. In addition, after a long summer, the population has increased a lot, and it can summon More soldiers will come.

The Knight of Flowers, who had already put on his white robe, was quickly called to the meeting hall. After listening to the king's order, Loras, who had curly hair on his head, immediately pulled out his sword and knelt down on one knee:

"I will definitely rush to Storm's End Castle with the troops requested by Your Majesty, and work side by side with Your Majesty to defeat the Golden Company and the rebellious Little Aegon."

Apart from the label of being gay, the Knight of Flowers is kind and righteous, and he doesn't have much of a playboy. He is considered a very useful member of the Tyrell family.

After Loras left with the parchment with the three dragon sigils printed on it, the royal meeting continued.

"The war in the south must advance, the construction of the royal territory must also proceed, and it is time for the royal standing army to take the stage."

Arthur looked around at the courtiers and slowly stated his plan.

"Previously, in terms of compensation for the Western Territory, I requested ten thousand sets of armor as punishment for rebellion. My Lord Lannister, you can have someone go to Steel Street to build some samples."

The king said to Tyrion, who was holding a wine glass.

"No problem, there are a lot of iron ore in the western region."

The Iron Throne has recognized his status as the Duke of Casterly Rock. Tyrion has been very happy recently. The compensation from a batch of iron armors will be divided among the major families with mines in the West.

"As for our Minister of Intelligence, Prince Oberyn, you have to take people to recruit troops for me. Starting from Maiden Spring City, we will go all the way along the Lake of God's Eye to select farmers who are strong and loyal to the Iron Throne."

Red Viper had worked as a mercenary in the Essos continent for several years, and even formed a mercenary group of his own. He had rich experience and was quite suitable for this kind of thing.

Oberyn, who crossed his arms on his chest, nodded slightly. He looked down upon status and power and did not think that conscription was worthy of his status as a prince.

"Your Majesty, I have a question. Ordinary soldiers can be chosen, but who will serve as officers and generals? You can't choose from peasants who don't know anything, right?"

Lord Randyll Tarly duly expressed his doubts.

"You don't have to worry about that, there's a ready-made solution."

Arthur smiled confidently and said calmly: "I have a plan called the Second Son Act, which perfectly solves this problem."

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