iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 531 King and King 7
The surprise attack by Stannis's army killed over a thousand Wildlings beyond the Wall and captured nearly two thousand, while the rest fled, and they did not pursue them with all their might.

As Stannis's host marched toward the Wall, carrying their spoils and captives, he sat alone in the King-Beyond-the-Wall's tent, gazing at the flickering flames of a brazier.

There was a noise at the tent door, and the tall figure of Eddard Stark, wearing a thick cloak with a fur collar, appeared.

Looking at the newcomer, Stannis's deep blue eyes moved slightly. He pointed to the folding wooden chair opposite him and said, "Sit down."

After standing quietly for a while, Duke Ed nodded his chin, walked over and sat down.

After another moment of silence, Stannis picked up the wooden cup and drank the cool water in it.

His chin twitched a few times, breaking the silence in the tent. "Before I came here, I saw the body of Donal Noye (a blacksmith who worked for the Baratheon family before becoming a member of the Night's Watch). He was killed by a small group of wildlings who tried to climb over the Wall."

After a pause, he continued, "The first sword I used in my life was forged by Noye, as was Robert's favorite war hammer. He is excellent and capable."

Duke Ed nodded: "Yes, he is a good blacksmith and a good warrior."

Stannis looked at Eddard with his blue eyes. "I love my brother. I am Robert's only heir. The kingdom is his. I shall rule over it, north and south."

A trace of sadness flashed in Lord Eddard's eyes. He paused and sighed: "Stannis, given the current situation...my suggestion is to negotiate with the South."

Stannis stared at him for a moment. His tone was calm. "Who do you want me to kneel to? The Targaryen girl, or Green Crabbe?"

Lord Eddard looked serious. He promised Stannis: "If you are willing to negotiate with the South, the North will stand with you."

Stannis stared into Eddard's cold grey eyes, paused, drank some cold water, and leaned back in his chair.

Then, he opened his thin lips and said, "Even if you stand with me, Glynn Crabbe will never agree to eliminate the usurper status of the Baratheon family. There is no doubt about that, Ned."

He added: "You value honor. Although we are not close friends, I know you. But you don't know me. I, Stannis Baratheon, am Robert's heir. This is a fact that cannot be changed by any tricks of Green Crabbe."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "The Targaryen woman and I... to be exact... only one of us, Regent Green, can survive. We are destined to be mortal enemies."

"Neither he nor I did anything wrong. We both have reasonable legal reasons to do so. It's right for him to kill me, and it's right for me to kill him. This is just an unavoidable war." Stannis rarely raised the corners of his lips, "Ned, I can't admit defeat."

Lord Eddard stared at the haggard face opposite him, which looked much older than his actual age, and frowned even deeper. "Stannis, you can choose to stay at the Wall. Grimm will believe in your oath."

Hearing this, Stannis's jaw moved silently again, and his eyes became slightly sharper. "Melisandre told me that 'his' name cannot be spoken by mortals. She said that 'he' is the god of night and fear, and the figures walking in the snow are all his puppets."

He stared at Duke Eddard and said, "If the cart is placed before the horse, it would be putting the cart before the horse. Therefore, I led my army here, because only I can save the entire kingdom."

He leaned forward. "When I have vanquished the Darkness, I shall have no one to stand in my way of claiming the Iron Throne. It is your duty to aid me in my cause. When the cold winds blow, Ned, the North must live and die together, united against a common foe."

The two looked at each other for a long time. Lord Eddard did not hesitate and said bluntly: "Protecting the North is the responsibility of the Stark family. I will lead the people of the North to fight against the White Walkers, but we will not join either side."

Blue eyes and gray eyes collided again. After a long while, Stannis leaned back in his chair and said coldly, "Very good. I hope you can keep your promise, Lord Stark."

Without waiting for Duke Eddard's response, he added: "I intend to allow the wildlings from beyond the Wall to pass through the Great Wall and settle in the 'Gifted Land'."

Upon hearing this, Lord Eddard frowned, and Stannis raised his hand and continued, "The conditions remain the same. They must swear allegiance to me, maintain peace in the kingdom, abide by the laws of the kingdom, and believe in the Lord of Light."

Duke Eddard paused, his voice sinking slightly: "The donated land belongs to the Night's Watch, and the wildlings outside the Wall call us kneeling people. They call themselves free people, and they will not be bound by the laws of the kingdom."

Stannis's eyes flashed coldly. "How to rule the wildlings beyond the Wall? Whether I can control them well, Stark, this is my power and my responsibility."

Lord Eddard stood firm. "If the wildlings who pass the Wall become marauding bandits, it will be my duty to destroy them, Stannis."

Stannis's teeth chattered. He stared at Lord Eddard for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Before you came, I spoke to Mance Rayder (the King Beyond the Wall). He is stubborn and proud, and I can't find any reason to convince myself to forgive him."

He paused for a moment after picking up the cup, took a sip, and continued, "The most effective way to form an alliance is through marriage. I plan to marry my daughter (Shireen Baratheon) to the 'Wild Prince'. In this way, I can legally rule those wildlings who don't want to kneel."

"Savage Prince?"

Stannis nodded briefly. "Mance Rayder's woman gave birth to the 'wild prince' in a tent guarded by my soldiers."

[According to the tradition of the freemen, children were not named until they were two years old]

Duke Ed was startled. He remembered the pregnant captive he had seen a few hours ago: "Queen Dana?"

Stannis frowned. He did not like the name and emphasized, "Mance Rayder's woman."

"What about her?"

"died."

"Dead?" Duke Ed's expression was one of disbelief and anger.

Stannis' voice was filled with anger. "She died giving birth to the child. No one harmed her, Stark."

Duke Eddard's clenched fist loosened slightly and changed the subject: "You need to talk to Commander Geo. On my side, you need to assure me that they will not harass the lives of the people in the North."

Stannis's face showed obvious impatience: "If we want to resist the invasion of the White Walkers, everyone must obey my orders."

Everyone?

Stannis rose from his chair. "We are done talking. It is time for us to go."

.........

On the way back to the Wall, Old Bear couldn't help but raise his voice: "Neutral? Lord Ned, you promised neutrality to His Majesty Stannis?"

Duke Ed, who was riding beside him, nodded with a heavy face.

The horses moved slowly forward in the snow. Old Bear looked at Eddard's serious face for a while, and said with concern: "Will your decision cause dissatisfaction to Regent Green?" Duke Eddard nodded again: "Yes, this will affect the trust between Stark and Crabbe, but the North has no choice."

Old Xiong pulled the reins and the horse moved closer: "You should know that this choice is not the most advantageous one."

Duke Eddard's chest rose and fell, and he turned his head and said, "Jorge, to fight against the White Walkers, we need to unite everyone's strength. The consumption between the living will only foster the power of darkness."

Old Xiong was stunned for a moment, then he murmured: "This time the Wall of Despair is really going to be lively..."

Looking at the worried old bear, Duke Ed patted his arm with his big hand and said, "If I survive this war between the living and the dead, I will take the initiative to put on black clothes to atone for my choice."

Hearing this, Old Bear was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "This is the only good news I have received today. Welcome to join us in advance, Lord Ned."

The flying snowflakes and the bone-chilling cold blended together, and the team escorting the prisoners was like a tall giant beast carrying a heavy load, moving its body with difficulty in the snow.

In the sky, the biting cold wind whistled like a sharp blade. A nimble snow eagle flapped its wings and soared in the sky, its sharp eyes overlooking everything below.

…………

Afternoon, Black Castle.

On top of the dilapidated tower, Tyrion stood on tiptoe, lying on the parapet, craning his neck to observe the crowd below.

He fixed his eyes on a male prisoner who was tied up and guarded by the most guards. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Is that the King Beyond the Wall?"

Ser Bronn approached, leaning casually against the wall, looking down. "That should be right. He is being treated the best of all the prisoners, Master Tyrion."

Tyrion pulled his head back and touched his chest in mock sorrow. "What a shame! I never had the honor of witnessing His Majesty Stannis capture the King-Beyond-the-Wall."

Ser Bronn shrugged. "Don't be too sad. I think many people don't know his whereabouts. I still find it hard to believe."

Tyrion raised an eyebrow. "You must be feeling much the same way... Lord Stark and Old Bear were feeling. Ah, this is a great surprise."

Ser Bronn rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "I am also surprised by another thing. Why did King Stannis hide this from you, the 'Prime Minister'? Otherwise, perhaps I would have the honor of watching you challenge the giants beyond the Wall."

[Many people on the Wall jokingly call the Lannister dwarf the Hand of the King of Stannis]

"Giant Beyond the Wall?"

Tyrion's smile faded, and he nodded solemnly. "A Lannister giant challenging a giant beyond the wall... Gods, all the beauties of the Seven Kingdoms will go crazy for me."

The two of them laughed for a while, and then their gaze shifted downwards again.

Ser Bronn suddenly asked, "Lord Tyrion, do you really think King Stannis will subdue these wildlings?"

Tyrion looked away and said, "There are large tracts of uninhabited land here, and the wildlings outside the Wall are the easiest population for His Majesty Stannis to obtain. There is no reason for him to refuse such a piece of cake."

He shrugged slightly. “Besides, our Green Regent has demonstrated with practical actions the value of the savages, as long as they are properly controlled.”

Ser Bronn scratched his cheek with his index finger. "From what I have heard, the wildlings beyond the Wall do not believe in ruling by blood. They believe that the strongest rule."

Tyrion grinned. "Lord Stannis proved just that to them when he defeated the King-Beyond-the-Wall with ease."

Ser Bronn's eyes moved slightly, and he said obscenely, "Are you going to help Stannis conquer them, Tyrion 'Handholder'?"

Tyrion eyed the Blackwater Knight suspiciously. "Why do you suddenly care about this?"

Ser Bronn grinned, his expression becoming even more obscene. "I was thinking... I could secretly tell Lord Green about your betrayal. He might reward me with an extra piece of land because of my contribution."

Tyrion grinned and said, "I will take you with me, my dear ser."

Ser Bronn's expression was exaggerated: "You can't betray me. I am loyal to you, my dear lord."

Tyrion chuckled, then moved closer to him and said, "Your worry is not without reason. This is indeed not good news for you and me. Although Regent Green is kind and generous enough, he only treats people who have made contributions."

He raised his hand and patted Bronn's... thigh, and said sincerely: "Thank you for your reminder, hateful mercenary."

Ser Bronn grinned. "I offer you my loyalty with pleasure, wise giant."

Tyrion lowered his head in thought, muttering: "Compared to destruction, plunder is more..."

"Lord Tyrion, that wildling's vagina is so huge!"

Ser Bronn's sudden voice interrupted Tyrion's thoughts. He continued to hear the sellsword's lecherous voice in his ears: "Look, I'll find a way to send her to your bed tonight."

Tyrion's eyes, one black and one green, trembled slightly. His attention seemed to be drawn all of a sudden. He climbed the wall and asked anxiously, "Where, where?"

As Tyrion looked in the direction Ser Bronn pointed, a hoarse, seductive laugh came from behind them. "Little lion, it seems you are very interested in them."

Tyrion paused when he heard the familiar voice. He turned around, coughed slightly with a little embarrassment, and said, "Good day, the charming Lady Melisandre."

He turned his head and glanced behind him, and said seriously: "I am introducing the different customs of the frontier to my guard. Yes, it is the first time he has seen a beauty from the frontier."

Melisandre smiled slightly, her long copper-colored hair brushing against her face. "Yes, they are charming. Not only can they bear children for men, but they can also draw swords and fight like men."

Tyrion's face froze slightly. He glanced at his arms and legs and sighed, "Thank you for your reminder, kind lady. I can only regretfully give up the opportunity to get to know the beauty beyond the Wall."

Melisandre smiled, and nodded gently to Ser Bronn, who nodded in greeting. She walked over and said, "Lord Stannis wishes to see you, my dear little lion."

(End of this chapter)