iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 660 Wolf Forest 5
The morning light pierced through the morning mist, making the marigold emblem even more dazzling.

A dense array of blue and gold flags fluttered in the wind—this time it wasn't harassment from the shadows, but blatant oppression.

The sound of horses' hooves rolled in from the depths of the forest path, growing louder as snowflakes flew up, revealing the grayish-brown soil and withered branches beneath.

First, the silhouettes of a dozen or so warhorses emerged from the shadows of the trees. The knights on horseback were clad in bright silver armor, the chill of the morning frost seeping through the gaps in the armor, and their spears, gleaming with a chilling, murderous light, pointed diagonally at the ground.

They formed a neat line and advanced step by step, blocking the wide forest road. More and more people kept pouring out from behind them, a dark and seemingly endless mass.

Such a spectacle stirred a strange sense of pleasure within Stannis.

It seems that Green Clayber takes his opponent seriously, which makes him feel a long-lost sense of respect, which outweighs the perilous situation he is in.

Waaaaah———

The call of the early settlers pierced the sky; this familiar tune, like a thunderclap, awakened every survivor in the camp.

Almost instinctively, they grabbed the weapons beside them and stumbled around, shielding Stannis in the middle.

Many more people followed the sound of the horn and looked toward the forest. When they saw the blue-robed knights closing in, their drowsiness faded.

Clearly, the dawn had reignited their fighting spirit.

It is the unseen enemy that makes veterans despair, but at this moment, the enemy's figure is clearly visible in the morning light, at least they know who to kill, and their target is clear.

When they were about two hundred yards from the camp, the blue-robed cavalrymen in the front row pulled on their reins in unison, their warhorses stopping with white breaths coming out of their mouths. Then came the second row, the third row... until the blue tide completely enveloped the entire camp.

At this distance, they only need one charge to destroy their camp.

……

Stannis's numb body finally regained some feeling. He gritted his teeth and straightened his back little by little, and his once hunched figure regained its sharp edges.

He walked out slowly, then held the "Long Claw" longsword upright in front of him, standing at the very front.

After a moment of silence, the loudspeaker of the seven kings, "Beep beep beep—", suddenly rang out, powerful and majestic.

The blue-robed knights opposite pulled on their reins in unison, clearing a straight path between them.

A figure clad in leather armor appeared, surrounded by several white knights, his golden crown gleaming brightly.

That's right, it's that man, the current legitimate king of the seven kingdoms.

“Green Kleber”.

Stannis murmured the name as the golden light of dawn grew stronger, forcing him to squint, but his gaze remained fixed on the gradually becoming clearer figure ahead.

About a hundred yards away, the black horse reared up on its forelegs and then landed steadily. Green and Stannis's eyes met in the light morning mist.

Stannis stared intently at his opponent, his gaze deep and unwavering. After a pause, Green slowly raised his right hand.

With his gesture, Ser Brienne, the standard-bearer, spurred her horse forward and proclaimed, "Stannis the Rebel! And before you stands—"

She tightened her grip on the flagpole, took a deep breath, and raised her voice: "King of the Andals, the Loynar, and the First Men, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the entire realm, of the Clayber family—His Majesty King Grin I!"

At last.

Following Green's earlier instructions, she shouted, enunciating each word clearly: "Before you stands—the true and rightful king of the seven kingdoms!"

Legal, legal, legal...

Legitimate king, legitimate king, legitimate king… Stannis’s jaw tightened silently, and then his teeth clenched.

The rage surging in his chest almost burst from his throat, and he forced out the words through clenched teeth: "Green Clayber."

Once, this young man was nothing more than a nobody, barely clinging to life under Baratheon's rule...

But now, Kleber is here, wantonly humiliating him!

Stannis's chest rose and fell slowly. If Robert were alive, would this young man have dared to do this?
No—Robert, that fool who's obsessed with wine and women, is no match for Clayber; he'll only die a more pathetic and shameful death.

If Renly hadn't betrayed Robert after his death, the Baratheon family... at least wouldn't have fallen to this state!
The sound of horses' hooves interrupted Stannis's thoughts as he rode away.

Green suddenly gave his horse a light kick to the belly, and the horse began to trot forward, with the Kingsguard following closely behind.

This time, he stopped about fifty yards away, paused, and then called out, "Lord Stannis."

Crunch!

The anger that he had managed to suppress surged up again. Kleber's tone was so calm, as if he were talking about the weather, that it infuriated Stannis even more than a direct insult.

Hypocrisy and treachery are what he despises most!
Stannis abruptly raised his hand, and the "Long Claw" sword at his waist was sheathed with a crisp "click".

Then, he gritted his teeth and ordered, "Bring me a horse."

According to the tradition of the seven nations, Green's move to approach this distance was tantamount to extending an invitation for "negotiation".

He is Stannis Baratheon, and he will not back down now.

"His Majesty……"

Staring intently ahead, Stannis interrupted the guards' attempts to dissuade him, his cold, hard voice brooking no argument: "Take the horse."

The guards could only quickly bring over his white horse, and Stannis awkwardly mounted it by stepping on the back of one of the guards.

Then, he kicked the spurs sharply and spurred his horse forward. Several guards in golden armor hurriedly searched for their horses, taking a few steps slower before quickly catching up.

The snow-white horse's head stopped facing the jet-black horse's head, and Green clearly saw Stannis's somewhat distorted, withered face.

Green tilted his upper body slightly, casually looked Stannis up and down, and suddenly said, "Sir, your soldiers can wear black."

Upon hearing this, Stannis's rage finally erupted: "Cleber! You hypocrite! Last night! You used despicable means to kill my soldiers! Their graves should be the honorable battlefield!"

"..."

With a kick to the belly, Green's horse strolled closer, much to the tension of Stannis's guards.

Green's black horse and Stannis' white horse were side by side in opposite directions, separated by only half a horse's length.

At this moment, Green slowly spoke: "Stannis, I am the king, and I am suppressing the rebellion."

Stannis's thin lips moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word. The laws of the Seven Kingdoms, which he had believed in all his life, now felt like a cold shackle, tightly gripping his throat.

According to the law, his current identity is that of a traitor to the Seven Kingdoms.

His anger subsided abruptly. He closed his eyes briefly and said, "Let's begin... I am legal."

Green shook his head: "Your so-called legitimacy comes from your brother, and your brother, Robert, is a usurper. Also, the legitimacy of House Baratheon's rule over Stormlands originated with Aegon the Conqueror."

(End of this chapter)