iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 530 King and King 6
The biting cold wind whistled past, and Stannis Baratheon led dozens of heavily armored cavalrymen galloping through the snow, making a dull sound like the beating of war drums.

When the knights came in front of Duke Ed and his men, their horses raised their hooves and stopped in unison. For a moment, snowflakes flew everywhere, and the momentum was overwhelming.

The quiet horses exhaled white mist with their breath and occasionally neighed.

The flaming red heart banner fluttered in the air, and Stannis sat upright in the saddle. He was wearing slightly worn gray leather armor, black breeches and boots, and only the golden cloak with black fur on the edge was eye-catching.

Stannis's sunken cheekbones and square jaw were covered by a short, trim blue-black beard, and above his eyebrows was a crown of red gold, the top of which looked like intertwined flames.

He was looking down coldly at Duke Ed and others with a pair of eyes as deep as blue pools under his thick eyebrows, as if he was examining his enemies.

Another eye-catching figure is the king's witch, Melisandre, whose fiery red eyes were also looking down at them. There was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, and the blood-red ruby ​​at her throat seemed to pulsate with her heartbeat. The cold wind made her long red robe flutter.

Lord Eddard stood where he was, looking up slightly, meeting Stannis's sharp gaze.

His eyes were firm and steady, and he was not intimidated by Stannis's aura at all. The gray-robed guards behind him held their weapons tightly, ready to deal with any possible situation at any time.

Surrounded by the Night's Watch, Old Bear came to stand beside Lord Eddard and also looked up to meet Stannis's cold gaze.

There was an eerie silence.

Finally, Stannis Baratheon's voice floated through the cold wind: "Lord Stark, Lord Commander Mormont, according to the laws of the kingdom, deserters should be put to death."

His deep blue eyes moved slightly, staring straight at Lord Eddard below: "Mance Rayder also threatened to destroy the Wall. His crime is unforgivable."

The old bear scratched his graying hair, glanced at Lord Eddard beside him, and raised his voice: "Your Majesty Stannis, our negotiations with the King-Beyond-the-Wall are going well. He is willing to lead 100,000 free men to fight against the forces of darkness."

"The King-Beyond-the-Wall?"

Stannis's teeth chattered, and he leaned forward to ask the old bear, "Will he obey the true king and swear allegiance to him?"

From the corner of his eye, Old Xiong saw the charming priestess jump off the horse. He turned his head to look at Duke Ed with a tense expression, opened his mouth, and then responded: "We haven't talked about that yet..."

Stannis interrupted the old bear and said, "It seems that the deserters who are sentenced to death are unwilling to surrender and atone for their sins."

Lord Eddard saw Melisandre leading his men into the leather tent of the King-Beyond-the-Wall, frowned, and called out, "Lord Stannis."

He took a step forward and said, "These wildlings from beyond the Wall that you defeated are only a small part of the 100,000 wildlings, and we have a common enemy with them."

Stannis stared at the wolf for a while, snorted coldly, and said, "Edard Stark, you can't guarantee their loyalty. Mance Rayder betrayed the Night's Watch. Do you want me to believe in the promise of such a man now?"

The cold wind blew snowflakes, and he squinted his eyes. His voice became even colder and harder: "Duke of Winterfell, don't forget that I will face a war between the living and the dead. I shoulder the fate of the entire Seven Kingdoms. This is my responsibility as the true king of the Seven Kingdoms."

The real king... The old bear moved his lips but ultimately chose not to speak. Ever since the southern Regent King Green declared Baratheon the usurper, Stannis began to use this title frequently in public.

The glorious tradition of the Night's Watch does not allow it to interfere in the conflicts within the Seven Kingdoms. As the "poor" commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch, Old Bear can only choose to respect every king in order to obtain the support they need and guard the Wall.

Lord Eddard's voice sounded: "Stannis, settling the old and weak of the free people outside the wall will be enough to arouse the courage of the free people's warriors to resist the dark forces."

Stannis snorted coldly and said, "Yes, I need more warriors, but I hope their courage comes from their loyalty to me."

He raised his hand to stop Duke Ed from speaking, his voice faintly filled with impatience and anger: "Enough, we don't need to waste our breath anymore. I will only listen to advice based on loyalty."

He glanced at the wolf coldly and said, "Stark, you should kneel down and pledge allegiance to me, but you still refuse to acknowledge that I am your king."

Duke Eddard's chest couldn't help but rise and fall. If Robert was real steel, then his brother was pure iron, black, hard and strong, but also easily damaged. Like iron, it would break before it bends.

He slowed down a little, his voice a little cold and hard: "Protecting the North has been the responsibility and obligation of the Stark family for thousands of years, Stannis..."

Before he could finish his words, Stannis interrupted him again: "Yes, I am well aware of the so-called responsibility of the Stark family, so I did not expel you from the Wall."

Having said this, he jumped off his horse, and his knights followed suit.

The king's squire, Davon Seaworth (the Onion Knight's fifth son), took the reins of the king's horse. Stannis placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword. "You shall do my bidding, Lord Eddard Stark."

Duke Ed closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "If I make a choice, before the war between the living and the dead breaks out, it will first lead to another turmoil in the Seven Kingdoms."

Stannis stared at the wolf, his jaw moving silently for a moment, and said, "That is between Green Crabbe and me, Lord Eddard. It is not your responsibility."

Gray eyes and blue eyes stared at each other silently. Elder Xiong beside them suddenly spoke up: "Regent King Green exiled many prisoners. There is one person among them that you must be interested in."

Seeing that he had successfully attracted their attention, he grinned, "Kingslayer and Godslayer, Ser Jaime... "

Hearing this, Lord Eddard and Stannis frowned almost at the same time. They both disliked this man. However, the crimes he committed had been tried and he was already wearing black clothes.

Old Xiong said loudly again: "The envoy sent by Regent Green...is expected to arrive soon. His name is Humphry Weishui. It is said that he once served as the commander-in-chief of the Golden Cloaks (Chapter 478)."

At the same time, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch couldn't help but sigh inwardly... The Wall would probably be busy for a while.

At this time, the door of the King-Beyond-the-Wall's tent was opened, and Melisandre walked out slowly. Behind her was the pregnant woman Dalla, the Queen of the King-Beyond-the-Wall, who was escorted by two knights. At the end was the great battle horn that was carried out - the Horn of Winter.

Stannis's gaze shifted over, and Melisandre smiled gently, then her red eyes glanced at Queen Dalla's bulging belly and nodded at him.

Stannis frowned and looked at the fierce Queen Dalla, then asked Melisandre, "Was it useful?"

Melisandre approached him, smiled slightly, and said devoutly: "I feel the pure power she nurtures. This is the guidance of the Lord of Light, Your Majesty Stannis." Stannis nodded his chin, his eyes swept past Queen Dalla, and looked at the big and black horn behind him: "The Horn of Winter?"

Melisandre also looked over: "Yes, that is it, the Horn of Darkness."

Stannis took a step forward. As he approached, Queen Dalla suddenly spat at him and said angrily, "You despicable kneeler!"

Stannis paused, and a knight holding Queen Dalla firmly drew his sword and shouted, "Kneel, damned wildling!"

Queen Dana struggled and roared: "Free people will never kneel to those who kneel! Bah, kill me!"

Duke Ed strode over and grabbed the sword-drawn knight's wrist: "She is just a pregnant woman. Please put away your sword, knight."

Then, he turned to the other side: "Women and children have no business in war, Lord Stannis."

Stannis stared at him coldly: "Stark, this woman is my prisoner."

As he spoke, his teeth suddenly creaked. "I heard that seventeen years ago you saved a pregnant woman from Robert, and the child born to that woman was...Glenn Crabbe, the man who declared Robert the usurper."

Lord Eddard did not avert his gaze. "Stannis, if Robert could foresee the future, he would have forgiven the pregnant woman without my advice. He would have looked forward to her son coming to challenge his hammer every day. This is Robert's honor and he is never afraid."

Stannis gritted his teeth and squeezed out a voice: "It is because of his glory that so many hidden dangers have been left. He should deal with those people according to the law. If he had listened to my advice, he would not have let the Baratheon family..."

His teeth chattered again: "You are being humiliated! And you, Robert's favorite, my brother's love and trust in you far surpass that of a true brother like me!"

He clenched his fists. "And you, how did you repay Robert? He became the Usurper, and you allowed others to humiliate the brothers who regarded you as your brothers!"

Duke Eddard's chest rose and fell slowly, and he tried his best to hide the pain in his voice: "He saved me, my children, and my wife. And..."

The Lord of the North quickly swallowed his pain, and the wolf looked directly at Stannis: "…Winter is coming, and the people of the North are tired of war. As a feudal lord, I cannot ignore their wishes."

Finally, Lord Eddard's tone became sincere, and deep down in his heart... he did not want to become Stannis's enemy.

"Favor... personal feelings..."

Stannis clenched his fists tighter. "These are the things that affect everyone's judgment, Eddard Stark. Rulers must abandon those useless emotions in order to ensure the fairness of the laws of the kingdom. Justice is the true honor."

Then, after a pause, he said impatiently: "Enough, I don't need to discuss this with you, get out of my way."

"Life is fire, and cold is death."

Melisandre's voice with the Jade Sea accent sounded, and she walked over as she spoke.

She stretched out her white and slender hand and slowly stroked Queen Dana's bulging belly, as if she was treating a treasure.

She turned her gaze to Lord Eddard and continued, "The night is dark and full of dangers. The Lord of Light saw the danger his people were in, and sent them a leader. Azor Ahai was reborn."

She waved a hand towards Stannis: "Lord Eddard, the highest honor is to follow the will of the Lord of Light, follow the Son of the Holy Flame, and give everything for it, defeat the darkness, and protect the living!"

Melisandre took a few steps and placed a hand on Lord Eddard's arm. She looked up at the wolf's stern face and smiled gently: "We will take good care of her. His Majesty Stannis is a fair king."

The big ruby ​​on Melisandre's neck was shining, and even through the thick leather armor, Lord Eddard could still feel the heat from her palm.

The tall Duke Ed lowered his eyes to look at the King's Witch in front of him. She was charming and dangerous. A hint of vigilance flashed in Benlang's eyes.

She smiled at him and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Lord Eddard, if they are willing to surrender, the merciful King Stannis will surely protect his people."

Upon hearing this, Lord Eddard frowned. Is Stannis planning to subdue 100,000 wildlings outside the Wall?
Stannis's voice was heard afterwards: "If they will swear obedience to me and serve the Lord of Light, I will protect them as king."

"Pooh!"

Queen Dalla shouted angrily, "Free folk will never kneel!"

Melisandre stroked Eddard's arm with her fingertips and left. She turned around, paused, and signaled a few knights to take Queen Dalla away. She instructed: "Ask the maids to take good care of her and the baby in her belly."

Stannis moved and stood in front of the Horn of Winter, looking around for a while with his hands behind his back, then suddenly turned his head and said, "Lord Eddard, Lord Commander Jeor, what are Mance Dredley's conditions?"

The old bear glanced at Lord Eddard and answered, "Your Majesty, Stannis, his condition is to allow the wildlings beyond the Wall to pass through the Wall and go south. He promised us that if we agree, he would give us the Horn of Winter to keep."

"Care?"

Stannis glanced at the Horn of Winter and sneered. "If the Wall falls, the living will lose their most solid line of defense. Night will fall with it. How can we guarantee that no one will use it to threaten the safety of the living again?"

He pursed his lips for a moment, then continued, "This must not happen. I will never allow such a thing to get close to the Wall! Someone, come!"

Stannis gave the order, and his knights quickly brought in wood, dead leaves, and kindling, and lit a bonfire. The flames burned brightly as the priestess chanted low spells.

Stannis's eyes flashed with dancing fire. "It should not be there."

Two strong knights brought the Horn of Winter, and at his command it was thrown into the fire.

The Horn of Winter exploded in flames, and yellow-green flames spurted out along the broken horn body with a "whoosh" sound, and the entire horn was burning in the blink of an eye.

(End of this chapter)